Areas Of Karachi Research Articles

A Survey on Biosafety Practices in Lab Personnel in 12 Selected Areas of Karachi, Pakistan

The objective of this study was to realize the degree of biosafety precautions and measures recorded among different Private Hospitals and Diagnostic labs personnel situated in different areas of Karachi, Pakistan. One thirty two private hospital based laboratory technicians were selected from all 12 selected areas in Karachi. The laboratory technicians were interviewed then a survey form was completed by the interviewer. The survey was conducted in 3 months duration from May 2017 to July 2017. The total number of members in this study was 132, of which 85 were males and 47 were females. Results presented that 65% of the laboratory technicians did not use any type of PPE and 35% of the respondents recapped used syringes frequently while 25% recapped occasionally. For avoiding the reuse of syringes, Pakistani governments recommend that they be cut before discarding; however, only 65% of the respondents followed the given procedure. Even though mouth pipetting is considered outdated, 45% of the technicians continue to do so for numerous purposes. Results of this survey established an absence of awareness about good and proper lab practices and lab biosafety measures among lab technicians in Karachi, Pakistan.

Packaging Features Effecting on Milk Buying Behavior in Karachi

This paper examined the packaging features effecting milk buying behavior. Four packaging features were selected that included nutritional information, price, country of origin, & quality standards, and their impact on milk consumption and purchase behavior is analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The study was carried out in urban areas of Karachi, among 318 respondents using Likert scale based questionnaire. The findings suggested that all four packaging features have a significant positive impact on consumers buying behavior. Consumers are attracted towards those products which provides enough and adequate amount of information on its products’ packaging. Nutritional information is among one of the important element that needs more focus and it will surely results in a positive way to the manufacturers of dairy products. Hence, producers and marketers of milk should focus on their product’s packaging features especially on the verbal element as a primary strategy in order to influences consumers buying behavior.

Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication - Pakistan, January 2017-September 2018.

Among the three wild poliovirus (WPV) serotypes, only WPV type 1 (WPV1) has been reported in polio cases or detected from environmental surveillance globally since 2012. Pakistan remains one of only three countries worldwide (the others are Afghanistan and Nigeria) that has never had interrupted WPV1 transmission. This report documents Pakistan's activities and progress toward polio eradication during January 2017-September 2018 and updates previous reports (1,2). In 2017, Pakistan reported eight WPV1 cases, a 60% decrease from 20 cases in 2016. As of September 18, 2018, four cases had been reported, compared with five cases at that time in 2017. Nonetheless, in 2018, WPV1 continues to be isolated regularly from environmental surveillance sites, primarily in the core reservoir areas of Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar, signifying persistent transmission. Strategies to increase childhood immunity have included an intense schedule of supplemental immunization activities (SIAs), expanding and refining deployment of community-based vaccination implemented by community health workers recruited from the local community in reservoir areas, and strategic placement of permanent transit points where vaccination is provided to mobile populations. Interruption of WPV1 transmission will require further programmatic improvements throughout the country with a focus on specific underperforming subdistricts in reservoir areas.

Quantifying Urban Karachi’s Air Quality Effect on Human Health and Policy Recommendations

Today’s environmental issues are systematic in nature and cannot be tackled in isolation from man-made activities and impacts. The change in land use and land cover resulting from urbanization has aggravated air quality in urban centers of the country. One of the main sources of air pollution is the use of automobiles in human populated regions resulting in an excess of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen compounds. The emission of greenhouse gases in the form of carbon dioxide from 1990 to 2005 showed an increase of 97.4%. The main source of this increment were vehicular and industrial emissions due to which Pakistan is facing glacier melt in northern areas, earthquakes, flooding and lack of fresh water availability. The authors analyze the effects of vehicular emission on human health; this study is focused on the commercial and industrial areas of Karachi where the flow of heavy traffic and heavy vehicular exhaust emissions are common. The sampled areas are Port Qasim, University Road, Korangi and Mosmiyat. The purpose of this study is to evaluate perceptions of health factors due to air borne pollution in 4 different localities in Karachi. The results showed predominance of headache which is due to an excessive quantity of carbon monoxide and air borne dust in the survey areas as slight exposure of Carbon monoxide affiliated with headache, the second highest complain from respondents is the Eye Irritation, the exposure of NO 2 has acute health effects which include eye irritation, cough and asthma. Based on the above study, recommendations are made to reduce GHG and other pollutants.

DEPRESSION IN WORKING AND NON-WORKING WOMEN IN PAKISTAN: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to explore the difference of depression between working and non-working women of Pakistan. The sample comprised of 250 (125 working, 125 non-working) women. The target group’s age range was between 28 to 45 years. The women were selected from different organizations and areas of Karachi, Pakistan through purposive sampling technique. After taking the permission from authorities and informed consent from the participant demographic forms were filled then in order to measure the depression, Lovibond and Lovibond DASS Scale (1995) was administered, individually. Descriptive statistics and t-test for independent mean were used to analyze the data through Statistical Package Social Science Version 12(SPSS V 12). It was hypothesized that ’’the working-women will score lower on the variable of Depression ascompared to non-working women. The findings show that non-working women scored higher on the scale of depression than working-women in Pakistan. The Mean score of the age was (M =34.126) and the standard deviation was (SD=4.129). The Mean score of Depression of Non-working women was 14.28 and the Mean score of Depression of working women was10.26. The scores depict the lower level of depression in working women compared to non-working women.

Express TV: Competing In a Cluttered World of Media for Consumer Preferences and Viewership Patterns

Express News TV Channel found some reports that their TV channel viewership was declining. In Pakistan, however, the viewership data is managed, still the system is not properly managed and has many loopholes. This can be imagined through the information that one of the most populated area of Karachi, Gulshan Iqbal, TV viewing patterns are evaluated through less than ten people meters. Express news therefore decided to conduct a full survey that included the viewership patterns, the most preferred TV shows, and hosts, morning shows, and anchors. The study revealed interesting facts about the standing of Express News programs and TV viewers’ preferences of the same.

Teachers’ perceptions and efficacy to deal with adolescent students’ behaviour disorder in schools of low-income area of Karachi

This qualitative study is to investigate the teachers’ perception and efficacy to deal with adolescent students’ behaviour disorder in schools of low-income areas of Karachi. It is observe that when children enter the age of 12 or 13 some emotional, hormonal and physical changes occur in them. Which in turn results in the behavioural changes in them. This study aim to investigate that whether the teachers of these age group students in low-income areas of Karachi have proper awareness of the causes and reasons of the behavioural disorders of these students and up to what extent they are capable of dealing with such students. For the purpose of study, interviews of three teacher from three different schools situated in various parts of Karachi were conducted. The study revealed that the teachers of low-income areas of Karachi are well aware of the behaviour problems of adolescent students and they are quite capable of dealing students with major behaviour problems. It is evident that physical and psychological changes occur with the start of the adolescent. Due to these changes students’ thought process are changed. They want their self-respect; boys become more confident while girls become diffident and reserved. If not dealt properly they may become aggressive, disobeying, lack of seriousness in their studies etc. These behaviour problems can disturb the classroom environment. Proper counseling, motivation, negative reinforcement, appreciation, proper care, appropriate punishments if necessary, involving them in-group activities, making them responsible and adopting friendly behaviour are some strategies suggested by the respondents to deal with such students.

Comparison of Aerosol Optical Depth Products from Multi-Satellites over Densely Populated Cities of Pakistan

Air pollution in Pakistan is causing damage to health, environment and quality of life. Air pollution in Pakistan is not effectively monitored due to heavy cost involved in setting up ground stations. However, Satellite remote sensing can effectively monitor the air pollution in terms of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at regional as well as global level. However, algorithms used to derive AOD from different sensors have some inherited differences which can pose challenges in monitoring regional AOD at high temporal resolution using more than one sensor. Therefore, this study focuses on comparison of four major satellite based AOD products namely Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS), Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), Ozone Monitoring Instrument multiwavelength (OMI) aerosol product and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) with the ground based AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) AOD which is only available from Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan. The correlation of various AOD products with AERONET AOD is estimated statistically through coefficient of determination (R2), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), slope and intercept. It is noticed that MODIS is relatively accurate and reliable for monitoring air quality on operational bases over the land cover area of Lahore (R2 = 0.78; RMSE = 0.18 ), whereas MISR over the coastal areas of Karachi (R2 = 0.82; RMSE = 0.20 ). The results of the study will help the stakeholders in planning additional ground stations for operational monitoring of air quality at regional level.

Comparison of Aerosol Optical Depth Products from Multi-Satellites over Densely Populated Cities of Pakistan

Air pollution in Pakistan is causing damage to health, environment and quality of life. Air pollution in Pakistan is not effectively monitored due to heavy cost involved in setting up ground stations. However, Satellite remote sensing can effectively monitor the air pollution in terms of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at regional as well as global level. However, algorithms used to derive AOD from different sensors have some inherited differences which can pose challenges in monitoring regional AOD at high temporal resolution using more than one sensor. Therefore, this study focuses on comparison of four major satellite based AOD products namely Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS), Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), Ozone Monitoring Instrument multiwavelength (OMI) aerosol product and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) with the ground based AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) AOD which is only available from Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan. The correlation of various AOD products with AERONET AOD is estimated statistically through coefficient of determination (R2), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), slope and intercept. It is noticed that MODIS is relatively accurate and reliable for monitoring air quality on operational bases over the land cover area of Lahore (R2= 0.78; RMSE = 0.18 ), whereas MISR over the coastal areas of Karachi (R2= 0.82; RMSE = 0.20 ). The results of the study will help the stakeholders in planning additional ground stations for operational monitoring of air quality at regional level.

Social support intervention to promote resilience and quality of life in women living in Karachi, Pakistan: a randomized controlled trial.

This study tested the efficacy of a 6-week social support intervention for enhancing resilience and quality of life among women living in low socioeconomic areas of Karachi, Pakistan. One hundred and twenty women were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 60) or control group (n = 60). Women in the intervention group attended a 6-week social support program, while those in the control group attended a single mental health awareness session. Outcome variables were measured via the resilience scale-14 item (RS-14), the resilience scale for adults (RSA), and World Health Organization quality of life brief scale (WHOQOL-BREF). Compared to participants in the control group, women in the intervention group reported improvements in resilience measured by RS-14 (p = 0.022) and the structured style subscale of the RSA (p = 0.043). A medium effect size was also measured on the structured style subscale (d = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.62874, 2.57126). No significant findings were noted on QOL scores. Community-based social support interventions are a gender-sensitive-, culturally appropriate-, and resource-sparing approach to promote women's resilience and improve their mental health.

Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on the Nutritional Status of Elementary School's Children in Rural Areas of Karachi (Pakistan)

This article determines children's nutritional status of (1-5) years in a rural setting in Karachi, i.e., Gadap. It also analyzes the impact of socioeconomic factors on nutritional status of children. Nutrition has a deep influence on well-being all the way through the individuals' lives, which is connected inextricably with their social as well as psychological development, especially in earlier childhood. In environments with inadequate social and material resources, they are unable to attain their optimal development. The higher level of fatalities as a consequence of malnutrition is undesirable. The present article examines whether the rural area's parents exhibit a positive and favorable attitude towards their children's nutritional status as a result of increasing awareness regarding nutritional foods through endeavors and macro level initiatives.

Effect of Mobile Phone Text Message Reminders on Routine Immunization Uptake in Pakistan: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundImproved routine immunization (RI) coverage is recommended as the priority public health strategy to decrease vaccine-preventable diseases and eradicate polio in Pakistan and worldwide.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to ascertain whether customized, automated, one-way text messaging (short message service, SMS) reminders delivered to caregivers via mobile phones when a child is due for an RI visit can improve vaccination uptake and timelines in Pakistan.MethodsThis was a randomized controlled trial, conducted in an urban squatter settlement area of Karachi, Pakistan. Infants less than 2 weeks of age with at least one family member who had a valid mobile phone connection and was comfortable receiving and reading SMS text messages were included. Participants were randomized to the intervention (standard care + one-way SMS reminder) or control (standard care) groups. The primary outcome was to compare the proportion of children immunized up to date at 18 weeks of age. Vaccine given at 6, 10, and 14 weeks schedule includes DPT-Hep-B-Hib vaccine (ie, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus; hepatitis B; and Haemophilus influenza type b) and oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Data were analyzed using chi-square tests of independence and tested for both per protocol (PP) and intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses.ResultsOut of those approached, 84.3% (300/356) of the participants were eligible for enrollment and 94.1% (318/338) of the participants had a working mobile phone. Only children in the PP analyses, who received an SMS reminder for vaccine uptake at 6 weeks visit, showed a statistically significant difference (96.0%, 86/90 vs 86.4%, 102/118; P=.03).The immunization coverage was consistently higher in the intervention group according to ITT analyses at the 6 weeks scheduled visit (76.0% vs 71.3%, P=.36). The 10 weeks scheduled visit (58.7% vs 52.7%, P=.30) and the 14 weeks scheduled visit (31.3% vs 26.0%, P=.31), however, were not statistically significant.ConclusionsAutomated simple one-way SMS reminders in local languages might be feasible for improving routine vaccination coverage. Whether one-way SMS reminders alone can have a strong impact on parental attitudes and behavior for improvement of RI coverage and timeliness needs to be further evaluated by better-powered studies and by comparing different types and content of text messages in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01859546; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01859546 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xFr57AOc)

Profile: Health and Demographic Surveillance System in peri-urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan

The Aga Khan University’s Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in peri urban areas of Karachi was set up in the year 2003 in four low socioeconomic communities and covers an area of 17.6 square kilometres. Its main purpose has been to provide a platform for research projects with the focus on maternal and child health improvement, as well as educational opportunities for trainees. The total population currently under surveillance is 249,128, for which a record of births, deaths, pregnancies and migration events is maintained by two monthly household visits. Verbal autopsies for stillbirths, deaths of children under the age of five years and adult female deaths are conducted. For over a decade, the HDSS has been a platform for a variety of studies including, calculation of the incidence of various infectious diseases like typhoid bacteremia, pneumonia and diarrhea, evaluation of effectiveness of various treatment regimens for neonatal sepsis, assessment of the acceptance of hospitalized care, determination of the etiology of moderate to severe diarrhea, assessment of burden and etiology of neonatal sepsis and a multi-centre cohort study measuring the burden of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths. We have also established a bio-repository of a well-defined maternal and newborn cohort. Through a well-established HDSS rooted in maternal and child health we aim to provide concrete evidence base to guide policy makers to make informed decisions at local, national and international levels.

A Survey of Biosafety Practices in Clinical Laboratories Personnel from 12 Selected Areas of Karachi, Pakistan

The objective of this study was to realize the degree of biosafety precautions and measures recorded among different Private Hospitals and Diagnostic labs personnel situated in different areas of Karachi including SITE Area, Orangi Town, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, New Karachi, Sadar, Malir Cant, Gulshan-iqbal, Gulistan-johar, Tariq road, Quaid Abad and F.B Area in Karachi, Pakistan. One thirty two private hospital based laboratory technicians were selected from all 12 selected areas in Karachi. The laboratory technicians were interviewed then a survey form was completed by the interviewer. The survey was conducted in 3 months duration from May 2017 to July 2017. The total number of members in this study was 132, of which 85 were males and 47 were females. Results presented that 65% of the laboratory technicians did not use any type of PPE, and 35% of the respondents recapped used syringes frequently while 25% recapped occasionally. For avoiding the reuse of syringes, Pakistani governments recommend that they be cut before discarding; however, only 65% of the respondents followed the given procedure. Even though mouth pipetting is considered outdated, 45% of the technicians continue to do so for numerous purposes. Moreover, standard operating procedures were not obtainable in 59.9% of the labs, and accidental records were not maintained in 72.5%. Results of this survey established an absence of awareness about good and proper lab practices and lab biosafety measures amongst lab technicians in Karachi, Pakistan.

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE; COMPARISON OF KNOWLEDGE AND ALERTNESS AMONG GENDERS

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant health problem with potential long-term consequences for victims, therefore knowledge regarding sexual abuse is essential for children. Educating children about body parts, good and bad touch develops positive body image and self-confidence. Informed and confident children are more likely to prevent themselves from abuse and reach out for the help. This quantitative descriptive survey based study evaluates and compares the knowledge and alertness against CSA among children of both genders. 100 participants of age bracket 6 to 12 years old both genders from different areas of Karachi were selected through simple random sampling technique. Informed consent was taken from the parents of the participants. The survey of 20-25 minutes was done in a course of 2 weeks in a semi structures setting. Each question was explained to children taken in group of 5, in simple and comprehensible Urdu language. Assessment was done using The Child Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire - Rev II (CKAQ-REV II). Result indicates negligible difference of knowledge and skills about CSA between girls and boys. More than average of the children in the study have marked ‘False’ and ‘I don’t know’ on the application based questions that depict poor practical skills. Mean score of girls and boys on CKAQ-REV II is 16 and 17 respectively that shows children of Pakistani society are at high risk of CSA. Similar study can be performed to find the correlation of knowledge and awareness of CSA between children and their parents.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss among an Occupational Group of Textile Workers in Karachi, Pakistan.

A cross sectional survey was conducted among textile workers of six textile factories of different industrial areas of Karachi to determine the frequency of hearing loss. A total of 264 workers were assessed for frequency of hearing loss with audiometric and otoscopic examination conducted by audiologist.About 79% workers had hearing impairment on audiometric assessment having hearing loss ≥25 dB. Of these, 19% of the workers had conductive deafness while 71% had mixed hearing loss. Otoscopic examination revealed that 38% had wax, 41.8 % had ear discharge and 1.6 % had perforation. The multiple logistic regression model shows sound level more than 25 dB aOR: 1.15; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.30 and ear discharge aOR: 2.23; 95%CI: 1.27, 3.92, was found as a strong risk factor of hearing loss (p<0.05). Hearing impairment affects a large proportion of the workers in Pakistan. There is a need for screening of workers exposed to occupational noise. Efforts should be made by the health care system to prevent the problem from an early stage and require effective management of ear-related diseases.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Family Planning Methods among Married Men and Women

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning methods among the married men and women in Pakistan. Methodology: A quantitative study using a descriptive crosssectional design was conducted in a community located in one of the urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan from October 2014 to December 2014. Two hundred participants were recruited, including 72 men and 128 women who were interviewed regarding their knowledge, attitude, and practices of family planning methods through a predesigned questionnaire. A two-stage sampling technique was used including systematic and convenient sampling to collect the data. Women with infertility, non-reproductive age (49 and above), widows, and widowers, separated and divorced individuals were excluded from this study. Results: Mean age of the participants was 30 ± 3 years. Results of the study showed that majority of the participants had knowledge of few contraceptive methods, but they lack awareness about all the family planning methods. Among men (100%) and women (97.7%), the most common method known was a male condom. Private hospitals and internet appear to be the key sources of information related to family planning. Regarding the practice of family planning methods, 54% of men and women were using few contraceptive methods. 74% men and 71.3% women had positive attitudes regarding family planning methods. The most common reasons for not using family planning methods among men and women were fear of side effects and desire of a male child. Conclusion: The study concludes that most of the men and women have the comprehensive knowledge and assertive attitudes regarding the use of contraceptive methods, however, the practice of family planning methods is still low.

THE SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE EMERGENCE OF A CULTURE OF POVERTY (SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS) DISCUSSED WITH REFERENCE TO PAKISTAN

The present study explores the social and economic dimensions affecting the poverty culture existing in the slum areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The significance of the study highlights the major causes of hindrance in community development poverty and lack of social indicators-which are becoming a culture of the people as their value system along with feelings of powerlessness, meaninglessness, isolation, social exclusion, and self-estrangement in their group relations. This is a qualitative as well as an exploratory research that highlights the emergence of poverty culture in Pakistan for which the researchers have developed an idiographic model to identify the major variables of poverty culture. The researchers in the present study provide the positive and constructive counter-narratives and recommendations against myths about the culture of the poor people. In the present study, researchers have used facts and figures from the United Nations and World Bank Report of Poverty Reduction.

Characterization of atmospheric corrosion near the coastal areas of Arabian Sea

Atmospheric corrosion near the coastal areas of Karachi is a subject of great interest where seasonal variation of north Arabian Sea, high onshore activities, high levels of atmospheric pollutants, high humidity, and low temperature range affects the service life of structural materials. Mild steel test coupons were exposed at the two atmospheric corrosion stations located in National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and Karachi Port Trust (KPT) along the coastal line of Karachi, Pakistan for a period of 12 months. During the exposure period, the sulfur dioxide and chloride levels, corrosion rates and kinetics parameters were determined. The corrosion rates are high on both sites, but the corrosivity found in NIO is higher (C5) than in KPT (C4). Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the corrosion products. Lepidocrocite is the main compound in NIO corrosion products, while in KPT are goethite and magnetite. The composition and morphology of corrosion products help to explain the difference in the corrosivity of both sites.

Feasibility of mHealth intervention to improve uptake of antenatal and postnatal care services in peri-urban areas of Karachi: a qualitative exploratory study

Background: In Pakistan, poor antenatal and postnatal coverage, has accounted for nearly 70% of preventable maternal deaths. Interventions implemented to improve uptake of antenatal and postnatal care (PNC) services have not shown significant improvements. Recent increase in cellphone penetration has brought forward mHealth as a potential strategy to enhance antenatal care (ANC) and PNC uptake. The objective of this study was to explore if mHealth technology is a feasible strategy to improve uptake of preventive maternal healthcare services in peri-urban areas of Karachi. Methods: The study employed an exploratory qualitative research design using focus group discussions (FGDs) and key-informant interviews. FGDs were conducted with pregnant women, women in the postnatal period and lady health workers (LHWs) whereas key-informant interviews were conducted with maternal neonatal and child health experts and mHealth experts. The study data was analyzed using NVivo version 11. Results: This research found that women, healthcare providers and technology experts consider mHealth strategy has high potential to address barriers related to provision and utilization of ANC and PNC services. Healthcare providers and women understand the term mHealth and knew the benefits of mHealth services. Few of the women and healthcare providers are currently using mHealth for providing and receiving ANC and PNC services. Women and healthcare provider seemed ready for mHealth use however expressed challenges such as, illiteracy, cultural restrictions, lack of trustworthiness and misuse of technology. Conclusions: This study informs that mHealth is operationally feasible, culturally acceptable and technologically appropriate strategy. For successful integration of mHealth technology in to existing maternal neonatal and child health service delivery structure, it is considered imperative to build a sustainable model of mHealth by involving government, local communities, telecommunication personnel, health care providers and mHealth and maternal neonatal and child health experts and through tailoring the design of the mHealth solutions in such a way that it benefits majority of women.