Risal, Ajay http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1352-858X
Manandhar, Sabina
Manandhar, Kedar
Manandhar, Nirmala
Kunwar, Dipak
Holen, Are
Funding for this research was provided by:
University Grants Commission-Nepal (FRG-74/75-HS-15)
Article History
Accepted: 16 July 2020
First Online: 28 July 2020
Compliance with ethical standards
:
: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
: Ethical approval for the study was obtained from The Institutional Review Committee of the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (IRC-KUSMS), Dhulikhel Hospital, Kavre, Nepal. Participants provided informed consent. The authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committees.
: Prior to the interviews, all prospective participants were given information about the study. Those who were literate, read the written information that had been approved by the ethics committees. The information described the nature and the purpose of the study. For those who were illiterate, field interviewers read out loud the same information in the presence of other family members. Ample opportunity was allowed for all participants and their family members to ask questions and to discuss what it meant. Fingerprints, signature, or verbal informed consent were given by each participant according to their literacy status. Illiterate participants provided consent in the presence of at least one reliable or legally authorized family member.
: The information sheet read by the literate participant or read out to the illiterate participant as explained above clearly mentioned that those who participated also gave their consent to utilize the information in a de-identified format for scientific and popular paper publications.