Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
Sumit Sohal and Aanchal Wats
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog
Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose increasingly important public health problems in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). In India, NCDs are estimated to account for 60% of total deaths for which cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 26%. Our study will evaluate the knowledge levels, attitude and behavior patterns regarding cardiovascular diseases among medical students studying in a tertiary care center in Punjab. Objectives: To prepare baseline knowledge of the medical students and compare it with their attitude and behavior patterns. Methodology: A pretested structured questionnaire using the WHO-NCD STEP wise approach to surveillance (STEPS; STEP 1 and 2 questionnaires) was prepared and used for the interview of the students. Responses were given scores in order to compare and correlate the components. Results: 200 students participated in this study, the age group being 18-21 years with 55% females and 45% males. Study showed high level of knowledge among the students with mean scores of 28.55 out of 30. 52% of students thought cardiovascular diseases were the leading cause of death in the world and 50% thought heart attack was the most common cardiovascular problem in India. 99.5% students wanted to change their lifestyle and every student thought that smoking ban in public was a good idea. 98% students wanted to have a counsellor in the college to direct and educate them. Despite having such high knowledge, 98% of students have had junk food in the past one week. Out of 90 male students, 54.4% have had alcohol once in their life and 36.67% had alcohol in past 6 months. Conclusion: With knowledge par excellence, students were still practicing behavior which was injurious to their health. It is necessary to provide counsellors at college level to motivate the students and deviate them from high risk practices.
Sumit Sohal is presently pursuing his M.B.B.S course and is posted as an Intern at Government Medical College, Patiala under Baba Farid University of Health sciences. He has been consistent in his academics and has been awarded medals in the subjects of Physiology and Biochemistry. He has headed the literature committee of the annual college festival and presently he is the state General Secretary of IMA-SW (Indian Medical Association-Student Wing), Punjab Chapter. He has served as the co-author of Hindi section in the annual magazine of the college. He has done around 6 research projects and presented them at national conferences.