Browsing by Author "Dharmaratne, S.D."

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Epidemiology of aerophagia in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
(Public Library of Science, 2022) Rajindrajith, S.; Gunawardane, D.; Kuruppu, C.; Dharmaratne, S.D.; Gunawardena, N.K.; Devanarayana, N.M.
Background: Aerophagia is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder among children. The disease leads to symptoms related to air in the intestine leading to burping, abdominal distension, and excessive flatus. We aimed to perform a systematic review and a meta-analysis to assess the epidemiology of aerophagia in children. Methods: We conducted a thorough electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Web of Science) search for all epidemiological surveys conducted in children on aerophagia. All selected studies were assessed for their scientific quality and the extracted data were pooled to create a pooled prevalence of aerophagia. Results: The initial search identified 76 titles. After screening and in depth reviewing, 19 studies representing data from 21 countries with 40129 children and adolescents were included in the meta-analysis. All studies have used standard Rome definitions to diagnose aerophagia. The pooled prevalence of aerophagia was 3.66% (95% Confidence interval 2.44-5.12). There was significant heterogeneity between studies [I2 98.06% with 95% Confidence interval 97.70-98.37). There was no gender difference in prevalence of aerophagia in children. The pooled prevalence of aerophagia was highest in Asia (5.13%) compared to other geographical regions. Conclusion: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we found aerophagia has a significant prevalence across the world.
Evaluating the efectiveness of a community based health promotion intervention on knowledge improvement regarding low birth weight and its determinants among antenatal couples in Sri Lanka
(Springer Nature, 2024) Guruge, G.N.D.; Young, S.M.; Perera, K.M.N.; Dharmaratne, S.D.; Gunathunga, M.W.
BACKGROUND Improvement of the knowledge of pregnant mothers and their partners related to low birth weight (LBW) is a vital factor in preventing LBW and reducing its prevalence. OBJECTIVES Implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a community based health promotion intervention on preg nant mothers and their partners to increase knowledge on birth weight and its determinants. The second objective is to determine the difference of the birth weight after implementing the intervention. METHODS A quasi experimental study design was used, and the setting was 806 pregnant mothers, 403 each in two dis tricts. In 26 ANCs, twenty six initial training sessions were conducted as a group, with an average of three hours for each session. Three follow up sessions were conducted in each ANC over 04 months (in total 104 sessions). All sessions were conducted in groups of 10 to 20 antenatal couples. The pregnant mothers and their partners completed interviewer administered questionnaires. Pre and post data were analysed based on four major knowledge categories using statistical methods. The McNemar’s Chi Square test; Chi Square test, Fisher’s Exact test, Paired t test, Student’s independent sample t test, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and Mann Whitney U test methods were applied as appropriate. RESULTS Both mothers and their partners in the intervention group (IG) reached significantly higher gains in knowledge than in the comparison group (CG). The participants who got the lowest scores for knowledge, at the pre assessment, in IG, also improved more than the CG {mothers (p = 0.002) and partners (p = 0.007)}. The mean birth weight shows that the IG has significantly improved for both mothers (p < 0.001) and partners (p = 0.013) with low knowledge scores (< 50% of total). CONCLUSIONS Knowledge about birth weight and its determinants among pregnant mothers and their partners improved significantly.
Knowledge on low birth weight among pregnant women and their partners in Anuradhapura District
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2016) Guruge, G.N.D.; Perera, K.M.N.; Dharmaratne, S.D.; Gunatunga, W.
INTRODUCTION: Birth weight has potential to cause life cycle effects of under-nutrition. Knowledge on low birth weight (LBW) among pregnant mothers and their partners is an important determinant. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to describe the knowledge on LBW among pregnant mothers and their partners in the District of Anuradhapura. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design was used among 806 participants, selected by a systematic sampling method to represent the pregnant mothers (n=403) and their partners (n=403) in Anuradhapura District. Data were collected by a pretested interviewer administered questionnaire. Percentages and 95% Confidence Intervals were used to describe knowledge. Chi Square test was used to compare the groups. RESULTS: Majority knew that fetus grow (women: n=315, 79.3%; partners: n=216, 54.4%) even though only a minority knew ways to monitor it. The majority identified negative consequences of impaired fetal growth. The majority of women (n=257, 64.7%) knew the expected birth weight. However, only a minority knew their BMI (n=88, 22.2%) or the expected weight gain (n=55, 13.9%). Majority managed to correctly identify most determinants of LBW. The majority (women; n=287, 72.3%; partners: n=205, 51.6%) identified all the nutrient groups needed in a well-balanced meal. However, the knowledge on locally available food items rich in selected nutrient groups was poor. The percentage of women with good knowledge was significantly higher compared to the partners in majority of assessed components. CONCLUSIONS: Participants reflected satisfactory knowledge on most components. However, the knowledge may be below the application level. Partners’ knowledge was poor compared to the pregnant women.