Browsing by Author "Liyanage, B."

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Food consumption and wastage patterns in a student canteen - data from Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Lakshani, U.; Liyanage, P.; Liyanage, B.; Sewwandi, B.; Weerasooriya, T.
Background - Food wastage has become one of the most concerning global issues. While one-third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted, one-ninth of the world population does not have enough to eat. Hence, the reduction of food wastage and proper waste management is of paramount importance for global sustainability. Objectives - To determine the amount of food consumed and wasted at the faculty canteen during lunchtime; to determine the students’ perceptions of food wastage and make recommendations to avoid food wastage. Method – – A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2019 to December 2019. Plate waste of the students who consumed lunch at the main canteen of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya was measured for six days to determine the percentage of food waste. A questionnaire was given to 200 students to obtain information regarding their reasons for food wastage and the knowledge of food waste management methods at the Faculty of Medicine. Results - Out of 420.48kg of food served during lunchtime of the six days observed, 110.87kg (26.4 %) was wasted. The mean food wastage per student was 139.5g. Among the reasons for food wastage, “poor smell/taste” and “lack of variation of the food” were the main reasons. The majority stated that they would waste less food if the presentation of the food were better. If the results were extrapolated to all state universities, the total waste is 15.96 tons at the cost of 1.368 million rupees per day. Conclusion - - Simple interventions such as making students aware of its economic impact and changing food serving methods may minimize waste.
Stroke patient's knowledge about stroke
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2001) Gunatilake, S.B.; Biyanwila, C.; Liyanage, B.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about stroke patient's general knowledge about stroke symptoms, risk factors, pathology and available treatments. This information is important for implementation of preventive programs. OBJECTIVE: This study attempts to determine the knowledge of stroke patients about the illness after they were discharged from hospital. METHODS: Consecutive patients attending the outpatient clinics following discharge from hospital after a first-ever stroke were included in the study. A structured, standardised interview using a questionnaire was performed by two doctors. Age and sex matched patients attending the clinic for non-vascular illnesses were used as a control group. RESULTS: During a period of two months 48 patients were recruited. Of them 17 had been educated upto GCE ordinary level. All 48 patients knew of at least one stroke symptom and over 90% knew that paralysis, speech disturbance and walking difficulty are stroke symptoms. Only 20 (42%) knew that the primary organ involved was the brain and of them only five knew that a stroke is due to thrombosis or haemorrhage. Thirteen patients (27%) were not aware of any risk factors and 33 (73%) knew that hypertension is a risk factor. Smoking was identified as a risk factor by 21 (44%), but 29 (60%) didn't know that stopping smoking reduces the stroke risk. Only 30 patients (62%) knew that stroke can be prevented and 37 (77%) said that stroke is an emergency. All except four patients had sought medical advice the same day. CONCLUSIONS: Our patients have a good knowledge of stroke symptoms and seek medical advice early. Awareness of risk factors are average but the knowledge about the organ involved and the pathology was poor.