Background: An increasing widespread use of Pesticides is as an issue in the agricultural sector. Pesticides use is one of the occupational risks in farmers of low-income countries including Nepal. Objective of this study was to explore the health effects of Pesticides among agricultural farmers of Sunsari.Methods: A community based cross sectional study was carried out in Duhabi-Bhaluwa of Sunsari District, Nepal from September 2015 to February 2016. Non-probability sampling technique was used to enroll the total 300 study participants. Data were collected by face to face interview with farmers using pre-tested semi structured questionnaire. Data were recorded by reading the original container of the Pesticides.Results: Fungicides (60.3%), Herbicides (56.3%), pyrethrum (35.3%) and Organophophate (11.6%) Pesticides were commonly used by the agricultural farmers in their farms. The health problem within 48 hours after application of pesticides was reported by more than one-sixth (17%) of the farmers. Dizziness (74.5%) and headache (58.8%) were the most common health problems found among the farmers. Skin irritation (19.6%), nausea (13.7%), paraesthesia (9.8%), restlessness (5.8%), eye irritation (5.8%) and vomiting (1.9%) were also reported by pesticides handlers. Factors associated with health problems were hazardous pesticides use (AOR=26.95, CI 6.15 - 118.0), good knowledge on impacts of pesticides (AOR=3.16, CI 1.09-9.13), determination of wind direction first and spray (AOR=2.25, CI 1.08-4.67), working experience of 20-29 years on farm (AOR=3.38, CI 1.05-10.83). Conclusions: One-sixth of the farmers reported health problems. Farmers working with hazardous Pesticides were in need of special attention in terms of safe handling, determing the wind direction and spray.Keywords: Farmer; health hazardious; health risk; pesticides use.

Introduction: Insomnia is the subject of a public health concern as it has affected the quality of life of millions of people. It has found to adversely influence physical, mental and social health as well as professional life. Globally, 37% of the adult population experience insomnia. There are many pharmacological, non-pharmacological and complementary and alternative measures to treat insomnia. Pranic Healing, the growing complementary energy medicine in the health care realm developed by Master Choa Kok Sui was used to describe its effectiveness in the healing of Insomnia. Methods: Case series study was applied to present the findings of two Nepalese adults being treated with insomnia with Pranic Healing. In this modality of energy medicine, treatment was done by assessing, cleansing and energizing the state of aura and energy level in the different energy centers through the rhythmic hand movement. Results: Cases were suffering from insomnia for more than a month which led them into stress, fatigue, irritation, and inefficiency. Pranic Healing therapy found that the over-activation of their Basic and Solar Plexus chakras were the immediate cause of insomnia. Pranic healer cleansed, energized and balanced their chakras with vital life energy or Prana for two healing episodes. Even today, both of the cases were found to have deep nocturnal sleep with active and efficient life. Conclusions: Pranic Healing, complementary therapy is effective in healing insomnia and in promoting, maintaining and restoring the health of people. However, large and controlled studies can be done to further analyze the effectiveness of Pranic Healing by upcoming researchers. Keywords: Pranic Healing, Insomnia, Master Choa Kok Sui, Nepal

Background: Good nutritional status during pregnancy is the precondition for healthy pregnancy outcome. Maternal undernutrition leads to life threatening health consequences to expectant mother and her child. Nepal has considered nutrition as right but still there is discrepancy in nutritional status of pregnant women. Reasons for this are little explored. Thus, the study was carried out to generate evidence on nutritional status of pregnant women and factors influencing it.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out using systematic random sampling technique with 282 pregnant women of ≥3rd trimester attending antenatal care in Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal. Semi-structured questionnaire, 24 hour recall tool, HFIAS measurement tool, MUAC tape and ANC card were used to collect information from participants. Descriptive and statistical analyses were done to summarize the result. Research was adhered to principles of research ethics.Results: Pregnant women having acute malnutrition (MUAC <23 cm) were 24%, low gestational weight gain were 67% and anemic were 12%. Food security, ethnicity and dietary diversity were found to have significant association with the nutritional status of pregnant women.Conclusions: The study generated the evidence on determinants of nutritional status of pregnant women. It has recommended that ensuring household food security, increasing dietary diversity and focusing ethnicity can promote nutritional status of pregnant women.

Background: Diet during pregnancy is important to fulfill the nutritional demand of physiological changes as well as to create environment for fetal development. Studies have shown that micronutrient deficiencies are high due to low dietary diversity. In Nepal, meal diversity scores of mother and children are low. The situation of dietary diversity among pregnant women was unknown in Western Region of Nepal. Thus, this study was conducted togenerate evidence regarding status and determinants of dietary diversity among pregnant women. Methods: It was a cross sectional study. Systematic random sampling was done to select 282 pregnant women of third trimester attending antenatal care in Western Regional Hospital, Nepal. Semi-structured questionnaire, 24 hour recall tool andHousehold Food Insecurity Access Scale were used to collect information from participants. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis was done to assess the status, association as well as strength of association between study variables respectively. Results: The mean (±SD) Women's Dietary Diversity Score was 4.96 (±1.42). Pregnant women having education level < SLC compared to ≥ SLC were 74.7% less likely to have high dietary diversity to lowest dietary diversity (AOR: 0.253, CI: 0.103 – 0.620, p=0.003). Similarly, pregnant women having unpaid occupation of husbands compared to paid were 74.5% less likely to have high dietary diversity to lowest dietary diversity (AOR: 0.255, CI: 0.074 – 0.876, p=0.030). Conclusions: Consumption of medium dietary diversity was predominant among pregnant women. Education of the pregnant women and occupation of her husband werethe two significantly associatedfactors with dietary diversity.

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