Background Traditional medicine has always been Pakistan’s cultural heritage, providing health care to a large part of its population. Thus, we aimed to assess and compare the knowledge, attitude, and perception about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) between pharmacy and non-pharmacy students, the results of which may be helpful in devising national health-education policy. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling 937 students, pharmacy (437) and non-pharmacy (500), of Punjab University, Lahore. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS. (IBM v22). Results Data suggested that majority of students knew about the use of traditional herbs and considered massage ( P : 84.4%, NP : 82%, p = 0.099), homeopathy, herbs ( P : 86.5%, NP : 81%, p = 0.064], yoga [ P : 357 (81.7%), NP : 84%), p = 0.42] and spiritual healing ( P : 85.6%, NP : 86.2%, p = 0.55) as effective and least harmful CAM modalities. The pharmacy students had better knowledge about CAM modalities compared to non-pharmacy students. Despite utilizing non-reliable sources of CAM information and their belief that CAM is practiced by quacks, the majority of students had positive attitudes and perceptions about CAM usage. Students also believed that CAM had a positive impact on health outcomes [ P : 3.19 ± 1.04, NP : 3.02 ± 1.09, p = 0.008] and acceded to include CAM in the pharmacy curriculum. However, non-pharmacy students scored higher in their beliefs that CAM usage should be discouraged due to the non-scientific basis of CAM ( P : 3.04 ± 0.97, NP : 3.17 ± 1.02, p = 0.028) and a possible threat to public health ( P : 3.81 ± 1.74, NP : 4.06 ± 1.56, p = 0.02). On the other hand, pharmacy students believed that patients might get benefits from CAM modalities ( P : 4.31 ± 1.48, NP : 4.12 ± 1.45, p = 0.02). Majority of students perceived that spiritual healing is the most useful and safer CAM modality, while acupuncture ( P : 25.4%, NP : 21.8%, p = 0.0005), hypnosis ( P : 26.8%, NP : 19.6%, p = 0.001) and chiropractic ( P : 18.8%, NP : 11.6%, p ...
Pakistan has one of the highest unmet needs for family planning among low and middle-income countries. Postpartum family planning (PPFP) is considered to have the potential of significantly improving the contraceptive prevalence rate and reducing the unmet need for family planning. Jhpiego (John Hopkins Affiliate) implemented a PPFP pilot project in the district headquarter hospital of Mandi Bahauddin. The key interventions of the Jhpiego pilot were to improve services pertinent to PPFP. Based on the successes of the pilot, the interventions were scaled up to other health facilities. The present study aims to identify the factors associated with the utilization of the postpartum family planning health project implemented in the health facilities once the scale-up activities ended and comparing it with the pilot facility. A cross-sectional survey with a sample of 410 women using postpartum care services in the facilities was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The findings indicated that the complete set of interventions were not present in the facilities. Postpartum family planning method uptake was low (26%) along with the shortage of contraceptives supplies. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify the predictors for the current use of postpartum family planning. The predictors identified that women with the age of 25 years and above with 3 or more children, who attended antenatal care visits and were counselled on PPFP were more likely to adopt/use PPFP in the postpartum period. The findings indicated scale-up was limited and the interventions were not sustained once the donor support ended.
Abstract Objective: To investigate the effect on maternal and infant health of iron plus folate and multiple micronutrient supplements, along with deworming and health education session provided to pregnant women in rural, non-agrarian and food-insecure areas. Methods: The quasi-experimental study was conducted in Tharparker and Umerkot districts, Sindh, Pakistan, in 2013-14, and comprised pregnant women in their earlier weeks of pregnancy. The enrolment and follow-up phase entailed 3 visits to each subject. Areas covered by lady health workers were designated as intervention areas, and those with non-LHW population were labelled as non-intervention areas. Results: Of the 1204 subjects, 600(49.8%) were in the intervention group and 604(50.2%) were in the non-intervention group. By the end of the follow-up phase, significantly more women had increased number of meals in the intervention group compared to the non-intervention group (p<0.001). There was a significantly higher increase in mean haemoglobin levels and body mass index of women in the intervention arm after 3 and 6 months of interventions (p<0.05). Significantly higher mean birth weight was recorded in intervention areas compared to non-intervention areas (p<0.05). Conclusion: Community-based provision of multiple micronutrients to women along with deworming, health education and dietary counselling significantly reduced the prevalence of anaemia and reduced the incidence of low birth weight. Key Words: Maternal anaemia, Low birth weight, Multiple micronutrients, Nutrition. Continuous...
IntroductionSince April 2004, Government policy in England upholds that clinicians should send copies of their clinical letters to their patients. However, some argue that patients already have the right to access their records under the Data Protection Act, 1998. Others suggest it wiser not to provide a letter in certain circumstances. Little evidence is available examining the factors that impact on and underlie patients’ views in relation to this.AimTo inform professionals about patients’ views on receiving clinical letters.ObjectivesTo establish the proportion and characteristics of patients who would like to receive clinical letters and to elicit underlying reasons for decisions.MethodsSubjects were randomly sampled from an outpatient clinic and data collected using an 11-item questionnaire, between October 2010 and July 2013.ResultsThe majority (60%) of patients wished to receive their clinical letter. Most (62%) favoured wanting to know about treatment primarily. Of those who did not wish to have a copy, greatest concerns were of loss in the post and ‘unnecessary paperwork’ (each 11%). This group of patients were characteristically male, aged 61-80, of asian ethnicity, unmarried and unemployed. Patients with a diagnosis of adult personality and behaviour (ICD-10 F60-69) were most likely to opt to receive their clinical letter.ConclusionsAlthough the majority preferred to receive clinical letters, reasons for preferences varied widely. With an increasing drive towards greater transparency in the health service, approaches to enhancing patient involvement will need to be flexible to the individual to enable truly meaningful patient participation.
Abstract This descriptive cross-sectional research study was conducted to determine the characteristics of the women who intend to use a modern family planning method. For this 154 women were selected in a small village and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The findings indicate that 86 (56%) women intended to use a contraceptive method. The regression model indicates that women who had the knowledge about different methods, those who had previously ever used family planning method and those who had never used any traditional method are more likely to adopt modern contraceptive methods. Keywords: contraception, practices, family planning...
Oral clefts are divided into cleft lip, cleft palate and cleft lip along with cleft palate. Cleft palate is defined as an inability of palatal shelves to approximate and close during the first months of embryogenic period thus leaving an opening in the roof of the mouth and forming communication between the nasal and oral cavities.Objective:To determine the relationship of risk of oral clefts with parental health and social support.Study Design: Case Control Study.Study Setting and Duration:Various hospitals in Lahore and 3 month duration.Materials and Methods:A Case Control Study was conducted. A total of 100 subjects (50 cases, 50 controls) were included. Sampling was done by purposive method. Data was collected with the help of Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaire and Social Support Questionnaire after taking their informed consent. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe quantitative variables like age. Test of significance were applied.Results:56% of cases were females and 44% were males. Mean age of mothers was 27 and fathers was 31. Most mothers were uneducated (36%) while most fathers were educated till matric (34%). Income of most parents was in the range of 10,000-20,000 PKR (44%). 24% of controls were females and 76% were males. The associations of oral cleft was found significant with parental respiratory, cardiovascular, gastro-intestinal, musculoskeletal, skin-related, genitourinary health, easy fatigability, health habits, anxiety, anger, paternal nervous system health, sensitivity, and mater-nal frequency of illness, depression and feeling of inadequacy (p < 0.05). Maternal social support catego-ries indicated that cases were less supported than con-trols: number of persons available and level of satisfaction (p < 0.05).Conclusion:Oral clefts have a multi-factorial etio-logy. Hence, an effective preventive program should take into account parental health and social support factors.Key Words:Non-syndromic Oral Clefts, Parental Health, Social Support.
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