Background:  Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during the first six months of life is considered a high impact, but low-cost, measure for improving nutritional status, and reducing morbidity and mortality among children. However, providing prelacteal feed to a newborn, a widely practiced custom in rural India, is a major barrier to the practice of EBF.  The present study evaluated the association between provision of prelacteal feeding and continuation of EBF among children up to 3 months age in Bihar, a resource-poor Indian state. Methods: Data from four rounds of a population-based multi-stage sampling survey, conducted in 8 districts of Bihar between 2012 and 2013, were used for the present analysis. Using simple and adjusted logistic regression modelling, we tested the association of providing prelacteal feeding with two outcome measures - 1) giving only breastmilk during the last 24 hours, and 2) exclusively breastfed (EBF) since birth (excluding the first 3 days of life). Results: Among 10,262 children for whom prelacteal feeding data was available, 26% received prelacteal feeding. About 55% mothers reported that their children were exclusively breastfed, whereas 82% mothers provided only breastmilk to their children during the previous 24 hours. Children who received prelacteal feeding had approximately 60% lesser odds of being breastfed exclusively during the previous 24 hours [AOR = 0.39(0.33-0.47)] and 80% lesser odds of receiving continued EBF since birth [AOR = 0.20(0.17-0.24)]. Conclusions: Frontline workers (FLW) provide nutritional counselling to mothers and children of rural India. In order to improve uptake of EBF, the families practicing prelacteal feeding should be identified early and educated on the harmful effects of prelacteal feeding for EBF and subsequently on infant health. Midwives/nurses at the public and private facilities as well as the home birth attendants should also be made aware about the negative effects of prelacteal feed.

PurposeThe study aims to model the factors influencing online learning adoption by Indian students as well as examine the mediating effect of attitude on the proposed relationships.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted online using a well-structured questionnaire. The target respondents of the study were students of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in India. Structural equation modeling was employed on a final sample of 402 respondents to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results reveal that there is a significant impact of the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, peer influence and self-esteem on attitude toward online learning. Further, attitude significantly mediates the impact of these factors on intention to adopt online learning.Originality/valueThe study is one of the initial attempts in the backdrop of the pandemic to examine the mediating role of attitude in affecting intention to adopt online learning by university students in India.

Background:  Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during the first six months of life is considered a high impact, but low-cost, measure for improving nutritional status, and reducing morbidity and mortality among children. However, providing prelacteal feed to a newborn, a widely practiced custom in rural India, is a major barrier to the practice of EBF.  The present study evaluated the association between provision of prelacteal feeding and continuation of EBF among children up to 3 months age in Bihar, a resource-poor Indian state. Methods: Data from four rounds of a population-based multi-stage sampling survey, conducted in 8 districts of Bihar between 2012 and 2013, was used for the present analysis. Using simple and adjusted logistic regression modelling, we tested the association of providing prelacteal feeding with two outcome measures - 1) giving only breastmilk during the last 24 hours, and 2) exclusively breastfed (EBF) since birth (excluding the first 3 days of life). Results: Among 10,262 children for whom prelacteal feeding data was available, 26% received prelacteal feeding. About 55% mothers reported that their children were exclusively breastfed, whereas 82% mothers provided only breastmilk to their children during the previous 24 hours. Children who received prelacteal feeding had approximately 60% lesser odds of being breastfed exclusively during the previous 24 hours [AOR = 0.39(0.33-0.47)] and 80% lesser odds of receiving continued EBF since birth [AOR = 0.20(0.17-0.24)]. Conclusions: Frontline workers (FLW) provide nutritional counselling to mothers and children of rural India. In order to improve uptake of EBF, the families practicing prelacteal feeding should be identified early and subjected to intensive counselling by FLWs.

Purpose Automobile industry has been the backbone of manufacturing sector in any country. During the past decade, passenger car industry has emerged as the one of the growing sectors in the Indian economy. Technological features in the passenger cars industry has been evolving in the global market, and customers have been the most important stakeholders to judge the requirement of these features. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the customers’ need for these emerging technologies using Kano model of customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach This paper has used the Kano model to assess the customer satisfaction for Indian passenger car companies. Overall, 250 customers of passenger cars from Northern India have been surveyed using well-structured questionnaire designed as per the Kano model. On the basis of responses, this study has categorized the technological attributes of passenger cars as attractive, must be, one-dimensional and indifferent. Findings “Auto Gear Shift” system has emerged as a must be attribute. “Premium surround system” has been categorized under one-dimensional attribute. “Communication between vehicles,” “integration with smart phone,” “connecting applications,” “dual-stage airbags,” “in-dash navigation system,” “rearview camera,” “heated and cooled seats,” “built-in fourth generation long term evolution,” “Wi-Fi system” and “automated window cleaning system” have emerged as attractive features. The customers have been indifferent about “gesture control,” “reality display on car wind screen” and “run-on-flat tyre.” In contradiction to the popular belief, this study has found that customers have shown Indifferent attitude toward “hydrogen fuel-operated cars” and “battery cars.” Research limitations/implications This present study gives insight about the acceptability of various emerging technological features in Indian car market. This study has fulfilled the existing dearth in assessing the customers’ insight about the implementation of these emerging technologies in Indian cars. This paper will be helpful to the manufacturers to inculcate the voice of the customers in designing the new technologies for the passenger cars. Originality/value Previous studies across the globe have applied Kano model for assessing customers’ satisfaction in various industries, but according to the authors’ knowledge, hardly any study was conducted in context of technological attributes for Indian passenger car companies.

PurposeThe current study employs a modified framework of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to predict students' intention to adopt online learning in India. The moderating role of openness to change in influencing the proposed relationships is also assessed.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was emailed to 650 students enrolled in various courses in public and private universities in India. In total 424 responses were considered for analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM). Moderation analysis was carried out with multi-group SEM and chi-square difference tests.FindingsThe results reveal that there is a significant impact of performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FS) and perceived security (PS) on students' intention to adopt online learning. Further, openness to change moderates the impact of PE, FS and PS on intention of students to opt for online learning.Originality/valueThis study is one of the initial efforts to examine the factors affecting students' intention to adopt online learning at the onset of third wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in India. Besides the factors of the UTAUT model, this study highlights the importance of PS and openness to change in influencing students' intention to opt for online learning.