Assessment Of Awareness About Importance Of Millets Amongst Nursing College Students Of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute Of Medical Sciences In Lucknow City: An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Foods like millet are very high in nutrients and non-glutinous. In India, millets usually consist of sorghum, pearl millet, and a range of small millets. Millets are a good source of iron, manganese, phosphorus, antioxidants, magnesium, and vitamin B. They are well-known for their endurance, capacity to cope with high temperatures and deteriorated soils, and minimal need for water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Millets aid in the advancement of the digestive system and help remove issues such as cramps, bloating, constipation, and excessive gas. By controlling the digestive processes, eating millet helps to prevent gastrointestinal disorders like ulcers and colon cancer. Maintaining regular digestion and the removal of harmful components also supports the body's immunological, liver, and kidney systems. Increasing rates of lifestyle disorders such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and micronutrient deficiency disorders are the sheer result of our ignorant behavior toward our nutritional intake.

Objective:  To assess awareness about the importance of millets amongst nursing college students at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow City.

Methodology: This observational study was carried out on 100 nursing students at the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India. The data was collected on socio-demographics, millet frequency patterns, and KAP. Direct interviews using the self-structured questionnaire method were used to collect data.

Results: In the present study, the chi-square and Phi’s and Cramer’s V strengths are used to test the association between the frequency of millet consumption. The findings of the study revealed that not all demographic factors, except a few, influence the consumption pattern of millet.

Conclusion: People can incorporate millet, a very nutrient-dense food, into their everyday diets. Not only does it have a high nutritional content, but it also has many additional advantages, like being gluten-free, helping the body detoxify, being non-acidic, and being easily digested. The consumption pattern of millets is mostly unaffected by demographic considerations. Therefore, it is necessary to search for additional elements to encourage individuals to consume millet.