Hari Krishna Sharma

Background: Effective communication during health crises is vital, yet the widespread distribution of information via diverse channels has led to an “infodemic,” propagating misinformation and malpractices adoption. This study aimed to examine the influence of mass media in the adoption of precautionary behavior, and the spreading of fear and panic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in Gaindakot, Nepal, encompassing individuals aged 18-59. Face-to-face interviews employing a structured questionnaire were employed to collect data from 380 participants selected through a multistage systematic random sampling method. The collected data underwent through SPSS version 20, for descriptive statistics, and bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: More than two-thirds (69.2%) of the respondents demonstrated a high level of adopting precautionary measures, while 43.2% of participants reported feeling fear and panic due to information from mass media. Social media (61.6%) and television (32.9%) were identified as the primary sources of information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Precautionary behavior adoption was significantly associated with ethnicity, income, and access to mass media while the spreading of fear and panic was significantly associated with sex, marital status, and employment status of the respondent. Conclusions: Mass media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions and behaviors during public health emergencies. This study recommends that accurate and targeted media messaging is crucial to promoting desirable health behaviors and reducing misinformation.

Introduction. The use of e-cigarettes has been increasing globally especially among the youth population due to rigorous advertisement, marketing, and promotion which has become a significant public health concern. Hence, this study is aimed at identifying the prevalence, correlates, and perception of e-cigarettes among undergraduate students of Kathmandu city. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 405 undergraduates of capital city of Nepal from April 2022 to December 2022. A two-stage systematic random sampling was used to select the respondents. An anonymous, semistructured, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. A descriptive, bivariable, and multivariable analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Results. The prevalence of ever use and current use of e-cigarettes was 21.2% and 5.9%, respectively. Number of close friends (AOR = 5.23, CI: 1.26, 16.39), number of friends using e-cigarettes (AOR = 7.23, CI: 0.93, 22.82), male sex (AOR = 2.88, CI: 2.15, 10.35), and age (COR = 5.07, CI: 0.93, 8.19) were the major predictors of current e-cigarette usage. Similarly, number of friends using e-cigarettes (AOR = 5.90, CI: 2.15, 10.35), male sex (AOR = 3.53, CI: 2.15, 10.35), age (COR = 4.56, CI: 0.98, 6.24), and place of residence (COR: 5.19, CI: 0.83, 8.02) were the major predictors of ever e-cigarette usage. The prevalence of e-cigarette consumption was higher in males than females (5.4% vs. 0.5%). Approximately, 34.8% respondents had perceived e-cigarettes as a means to help in smoking cessation. 56.5% adults knew that e-cigarettes promoted conventional smoking. Majority (64.7%) of the undergraduate students had presumed e-cigarettes as less harmful to conventional smoking. Conclusion. Ever use, current use, and misconception on e-cigarettes were widespread among the undergraduate students. Age, male sex, number of close friends, number of peers using e-cigarette, and place of residence were the major predictors for e-cigarette usage. To deal with the increased e-cigarette consumption state, awareness on the harmful addictive properties of e-cigarettes along with its adverse health consequences must be propagated and an appropriate intervention must be implemented.

In many developing countries, where rabies is prevalent among dog populations, humans are at risk of contracting the disease. Recent reports from Nepal suggest that around 30,000 cases of pet and more than 100 human rabies cases occur each year, with the highest risk being in the Terai, although these numbers may be underestimated. Knowledge and practices related to rabies prevention are crucial in combating the disease. However, there is not enough data on the understanding and preventive measures of rabies among the local population in Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices regarding rabies prevention among the people of Bharatpur-12, Chitwan, Nepal. The study, conducted in February 2022, involved a cross-sectional survey of 271 respondents selected through systematic random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for one-on-one interviews. Among the surveyed respondents, a significant proportion (81.50%; n = 221/271) correctly understood rabies is zoonotic disease. Furthermore, 73.10% (n = 198/271) could correctly identify the animals susceptible to rabies, while 39.9% (n = 108/271) knew the causative agent. Additionally, 46.5% accurately listed the modes of transmission, and a majority (86.70%; n = 235/271) recognized the signs and symptoms of rabies in animals and humans. Overall, 42.06% (n = 114/271) of the respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge. Out of the 271 respondents, 22.9% (n = 62) owned pets, and 39.11% (n = 106) reported incidents of animal bites within their families, with dog bites being the most commonly mentioned (92.46%; n = 98/106). The majority (81.14%; n = 86/106) sought treatment on the same day as the incident occurred. About half of them (50%; n = 53/106) cleaned the wound with soap and water, while a small percentage (5.66%; n = 6/106) relied on traditional medicine as immediate first aid after an animal bite. The level of knowledge was found to be associated with gender (p = 0.04), educational status (p = 0.05), and family monthly income (p = 0.007). These findings highlight the importance of educating the community in Nepal about rabies control and prevention measures and underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to improve rabies awareness and the potential of effective awareness campaigns to save lives. Raising awareness about health-seeking behavior and community members’ role in controlling, preventing, and eliminating rabies is crucial.