School-based study to assess the nutritional status (BMI based) of adolescents of Gojra city of district Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Pakistan

Adolescence is the make-or-break stage of life. Major physical, mental, and psychological growth takes place at this age. Adequate and balanced nutrition is a vital requirement to support this phase. Adolescents living in developing and low-income countries are more likely to face nutritional challenges. Poor nutritional status during adolescence is an important determinant of health outcomes.Objective: To analyze the nutritional status (BMI based) of school-going adolescents in Gojra city, Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional survey was carried out covering 635 (6-8 grade) school-going adolescents (boys and girls) from public schools in Gojra city. Data were collected through anthropometric measures taken. Symptoms of malnutrition were also assessed. Mean and frequencies were reported for demographic variables and symptoms of malnutrition while two sample Independent T-test was used to compare the means of groups under study using SPSS version-23.Results: The overall prevalence of underweight in boys was found (33.9%) as compared to adolescent girls (32.3%). It was also found that malnutrition and related health complications were higher in adolescents with lower BMI values.Conclusions: Adolescent boys and girls were found with a high prevalence of malnutrition along with other symptoms

Integration of health promotion into nursing practice: a case study in Pakistan.

The purpose of this study was to understand the concept of health promotion and perceptions related to the integration of health promotion in nursing practice in Pakistan. The study utilized the qualitative single case study approach to explore and describe the concept of health promotion, its significance and ways to integrate health promotion strategies in nursing practice. The data were collected from three different sources; focus group discussion among final year Post-RN BScN students, key informant interviews of practicing nurses, faculty, and MScN students, as well as a document review of the Post-RN BScN curriculum. Data analysis included a content and thematic analysis, yielding four major themes—”Health Promotion as Diverse”, “Health Promotion as Necessary”, “Health Promotion as Nursing Role”, and “Health Promotion as a Strategic Imperative”. Further, the findings highlighted the competencies, support mechanisms, and barriers which select nurses faced while integrating the health promotion strategies in practice

Potential benefits and perceived need for health promoting hospitals in Pakistan: a healthcare stakeholder\u27s perspective

OBJECTIVES: To explore perceptions of healthcare stakeholders\u27 about health promoting hospitals, potential benefits and need in Pakistan.METHODOLOGY: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted between July-August 2007. The data was collected through key-informant (KI) interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) with purposively selected hospital administrators, healthcare providers, health policy makers, and UN-donor agency representatives. The thematic analysis was done using QSR NVivo 2.0; and nodes representing themes were generated.RESULTS: The study participants perceived health promotion, a concept synonymous to health education. Those participants with public health background were better able to relate their perceptions to a more holistic view of health promotion; than those without public health background. Participants largely revealed HPH to benefit not only patients, but also community, hospital staff and hospitals at large. HPH transition was also perceived as \u27opportunistic step\u27 for controlling triple burden of diseases, curtailing morbidity and mortality toll, and \u27sole answer\u27 to promote population health, and wellbeing. Given the view, HPH was strongly recommended as Need of the hour for Pakistan.CONCLUSION: The HPH settings would bring positive change in the healthcare delivery system, by empowering patients and local community. Technical trainings on health promotion for healthcare providers, constant policy dialogue, political will and support from community stakeholders will further strengthen the scope of health promoting hospitals in Pakistan

Are we empowered? A qualitative approach to unfold the experiences of female nurses in Pakistan

The disparity of men and women in certain societies, such as Pakistan, is a growing concern. The disparity, unchanging mind-set, and definitions rooted in traditions do not free individuals from the socially bound gender identities. In such circumstances, educational institutions can become a way of transforming social structures. Considering female nurses in Pakistan as a case study, this paper explores the notion of “empowerment” and the factors responsible for empowerment or disempowerment of female nurses. The study also evaluates the role of a leading nursing institution in Pakistan namely the Aga Khan University- School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKUSONAM) in empowering female nurses. The data is collected through five focus group discussion among forty-five alumni of AKU-SONAM. The findings of the study presents an “inside-out” understanding of the term “empowerment” by female nurses of Pakistan and; enlists the challenges faced by women in Pakistan in becoming and working as nurses. The study also put forward recommendations for nursing professional bodies such as Pakistan Nursing Council and Pakistan Nursing Federation and other nursing institutions in Pakistan. The paper would serve as a guide to enhance further development in nursing and women empowerment

Transition towards health promoting hospitals: adapting a global framework to Pakistan.

The World Health Organization encourages hospitals to become Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) but adapting this concept to Pakistan has not been investigated. We explore perceptions of healthcare stakeholders about strategies and a priority action-plan to encourage HPHs in Pakistan. We conducted a qualitative study in 2007 where key-informant interviews and focus group discussions were held with healthcare stakeholders in Karachi. Thematic analysis was done and emerging themes were categorized. The HPH core components were perceived as the standard framework , however more emphasis was placed on priority actions as to satisfy basic needs of Patients, staff and the community. This included basic facilities of comfort, health, hygiene, safety, security and emotional support. A change in the traditional mindset from cure to care and identification of key personnel, awareness-raising and cooperation would strengthen advocacy efforts for HPH in Pakistan

Attitudes toward intimate partner “honor”-based violence in India, Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) and ‘honor’-based violence (HBV) are major concerns throughout the world, little research has investigated the acceptance of these forms of abuse outside of the West. This study therefore responds to this gap in the literature by exploring attitudes towards HBV in a fictional depiction of IPV across four Asian samples: India, Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan. Participants (n=579) read a hypothetical scenario in which a husband, despite his own marital infidelity, verbally abuses and physically assaults his wife after discovering that she has been unfaithful. Participants then completed a questionnaire that assessed perceptions of damage to the husband’s honor, approval of intimate partner HBV against the wife, and perceptions of both the victim-wife and the perpetrator-husband. Findings revealed that more males than females, across all four nations, were endorsing of honor-adhering attitudes in response to the perceived threat to the husband’s reputation resulting from the wife’s infidelity. Additionally, of the four samples, Pakistani participants were the most approving and Malaysians least endorsing of honor-adhering attitudes. Results are discussed in relation to studies of honor-adherence in Asian populations. This study provides an original glimpse into the perceptions of intimate partner HBV in these not-often sampled nationalities

In the name of Riwaj: An ethnographic study to explore the notion of women empowerment among BISP recipients in rural Sakhro-Sindh, Pakistan

Women empowerment is a national agenda for Pakistan and, one of its manifestations is the nationwide cash transfer program namely Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). With the help of Bourdieu methodological paradigm of “habitus” this paper analyses empowerment among BISP recipients in their social settings where various social actors such as her husband and wadera of the village dominate her agency but, at the same time, women herself submits her agency to these social actors under the veil of riwaj (social customs). This ethnographic study reveals that the performance of submission among women follows an inner drive for conformation to riwaj that becomes a significant part of their habitus. Women’s continuous physical performance of submission inscribes moral ideas onto their body and, fuses both her outer obedience and inner feelings to a point where she herself endorses submission of agency to riwaj

Needs assessment regarding occupational health and safety interventions among textile workers: A qualitative case study in Karachi, Pakistan

Objective: To determine the perceived health and safety needs identified by textile workers, managers and experts as well as direct observation of the prevailing health and safety practices in the textile industry.Methods: The qualitative study using the needs assessment conceptual framework was conducted in July-August 2015 in Karachi, and comprised focus group discussions with textile workers, in-depth interviews with factory managers and health and safety officers, and key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders and experts. A walk-through survey was also conducted in selected mills for which the Checklist of hazards in textiles was used.Results: A total of 6focus group discussions, 6 in-depth interviews and 5 key informant interviews were conducted. Workers were found to have limited knowledge of occupational hazards, preventions and diseases. They identified lack of awareness and non-existent safety mechanisms as areas for improvement. Managers thought preventive practices and health services were not standardised while influence of buyers in the form of international business regulations and legislations were thought to be the enabling factors for enforcing health and safety standards. Poor governance, lack of knowledge regarding labour rights, low literacy level, poor compliance and low wages were the barriers for health promotion at workplace, as identified by the experts. Walk-through survey found mechanisms in place for fire safety, but the workers and managers were generally not using Personal Protective Equipment despite the presence of several hazards at workplace.Conclusions: There was found a need for context-specific occupational health and safety interventions at individual, organisational and policy levels

Behavioral change communication tool kit to promote hygiene among school children

https://ecommons.aku.edu/books/1098/thumbnail.jp

Intimate partner violence against women: A comprehensive depiction of Pakistani literature

Background: Intimate partner violence against women is a significant problem in Pakistan associated with an alarming set of mental health issues.Aims: To identify the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Pakistan and the causes, health effects and coping strategies used by women.Methods: A comprehensive search based on the identified keywords was conducted using Google Scholar and PubMed. Relevant literature was also searched and included. Abstracts were then shortlisted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, and 25 studies were selected. Quantitative studies on intimate partner violence were included in the review. The review comprises only reports published in English from 2008 to 2018.Results: The review accounts for the overall prevalence of violence and its various subtypes against women in Pakistan: psychological 31.3-83.6%, physical 10.0-98.5%, sexual 2.5-77.0%, physical and sexual combined 1.0-68.0% and any other type 6.9-90.0%.Conclusion: The evidence generated will help notify policy-makers and health officials about the determinants and effects of intimate partner violence, making it easier to address these issues and identify victims as early as possible. It also sheds light on the limitations of this study: tools used by the published studies not specifically designed for Pakistan and there is no standardized definition of violence against women. This calls for more studies to be conducted to help find a solution