Journal of Health and Social Welfare

Assessing Mother's Knowledge in Breastfeeding and Childcare practices and its association with Malnutrition among 6 to 59 months children in the Musahar community of Ratuwamai Municipakity, Nepal

2026-02-03T16:27:09+00:00

This study aimed to assess the mother's knowledge in breastfeeding and childcare practices and its impact on malnutrition among 6-59 months children in Musahar community of Ratuwamai Municipality, Morang. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 116 children using census sampling. Data were collected via pretested, semi-structured questionnaires covering socio-economic and demographic factors, child characteristics, childcare practices, maternal characteristics, maternal knowledge on childcare practices. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, MUAC) determined the prevalence of wasting, stunting, and underweight based on WHO standards. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO Anthro 3.2.2, with Chi-square for significant associations.

The prevalence of wasting, underweight and stunting was 24.1%, 33.6% and 29.3% respectively. Wasting and underweight were more prevalent in male children, while stunting was higher in female children. Underweight was most common in children aged 24-35 months, stunting in 36-47 months, and wasting in 12-23 months. About 49.1% of mothers had poor knowledge, 43.1% had average knowledge, and only 7.8% had good knowledge on breastfeeding and childcare practices. The mother's knowledge on breastfeeding and childcare practices was significantly associated with stunting and underweight but not with wasting.

Knowledge and Attitude of Physical education students, teachers, Coaches, and Players towards visual correction in sports

2026-02-21T11:43:43+00:00

Background: Sports vision is a specialty of optometry that enhances athletic performance by assessing and improving visual skills. Understanding the visual requirements of various sports is critical to obtaining peak performance. The invention of contact lenses had a tremendous impact on sports vision since it provided players with a convenient and effective visual correction option. However, sports professionals' knowledge and attitudes toward vision corrective technologies remain limited.
Objective: The study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of physical education students, teachers, coaches, and athletes towards visual correction in sports.
Methods: A prospective, questionnaire-based study was carried out on 250 sports personnel who met the inclusion criteria. Each participant was questioned individually with a structured questionnaire, and their replies were recorded for analysis.

Results: Among the 250 participants, 185 (74%), including students/players and teachers/coaches, had limited expertise (0-15%) of visual correction. Teachers/coaches (41.27%), ophthalmologists (23.82%), and optometrists (19.14%) were the top three recommenders of vision correction. There was a strong correlation (p < 0.001) between the recommender and the technique of visual correction. Contact lenses were recommended less frequently than spectacles.

Conclusion: Sports professionals have a limited understanding of refractive defects and ways of vision correction. Teachers/coaches and students/players demonstrated equal degrees of awareness. Spectacles remained the most popular means of correction, while contact lenses were less usually advised for sporting activities.

Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Visual Correction, Sports Vision, Sports Personnel

Declaration: There is no conflict of interest, and research ethics are followed.

Women in Nepalese Politics: The Role of Political Parties in Political Inclusion

2026-03-04T15:14:47+00:00

In Nepal, women's political participation has a long history and is bolstered by progressive constitutional and legal commitments, such as required gender quotas that demand a minimum of 33% representation from women. Despite these developments, women's leadership and meaningful involvement in political parties are still scarce. The gap between legal commitments to gender equality and women's real access to power is the main subject of this study, which looks at political parties' function as institutional gatekeepers in influencing women's political engagement in Nepal. The study, which is based on a feminist institutionalist framework, uses a qualitative research design and semi-structured interviews with 25 women leaders from six major political parties at the federal level. It also analyzes party statutes, election laws, constitutional provisions, official election data, and pertinent literature. The results show that although political parties have legally enacted inclusive laws, gender quotas, and women-focused programs, these actions frequently lead to descriptive rather than substantive representation. Women's impact in important decision-making domains is nevertheless limited by informal norms, patronage networks, male-dominated leadership structures, and intersectional hurdles about caste, ethnicity, and class. Based on a feminist institutionalist paradigm, the study used a qualitative research design and semi-structured interviews with twenty-five female leaders from six major federal political parties. It also examines relevant literature, official election data, election laws, party statutes, and constitutional issues. The findings demonstrate that while political parties have legally implemented women-focused initiatives, gender quotas, and inclusive laws, these measures often result in descriptive rather than substantive representation. However, informal norms, patronage networks, male-dominated leadership structures, and intersectional barriers related to caste, race, and class limit women's influence in crucial decision-making domains.