Final Year Research Articles

Methods and associations of suicidality in Kenyan high school students: clinical and public health implications.

Most evidence on suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts comes from Western countries; prevalence rates may differ in other parts of the world. This study determined the prevalence of suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts in high school students in three different regional settings in Kenya. This was a cross-sectional study of 2652 high school students. We asked structured questions to determine the prevalence of various types of suicidality, the methods planned or effected, and participants' gender, age and form (grade level). We provided descriptive statistics, testing significant differences by chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests, and used logistic regression to identify relationships among different variables and their associations with suicidality. The prevalence rates of suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts were 26.8, 14.9 and 15.7%, respectively. These rates are higher than those reported for Western countries. Some 6.7% of suicide attempts were not associated with plans. The most common method used in suicide attempts was drinking chemicals/poison (18.8%). Rates of suicidal thoughts and plans were higher for older students and students in urban rather than rural locations, and attempts were associated with female gender and higher grade level - especially the final year of high school, when exam performance affects future education and career prospects. Suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts are prevalent in Kenyan high school students. There is a need for future studies to determine the different starting points to suicidal attempts, particularly for the significant number whose attempts are not preceded by thoughts and plans.

Increasing Students’ Procedural Writing through Think Pair Share and Silent Demonstration

Writing English is a problem experienced by students. Some students were found to have difficulty applying their ideas into written form. It causes the information to be conveyed not be communicated properly. Similar to writing procedure text which expects the reader to be able to understand the steps contained in the text. Therefore, the writers are required to be able to develop their ideas in order to achieve the goals of the writing. This paper intends to focus on creating a solution for students in writing procedural text by combining the Think Pair Share and Silent Demonstration techniques. Approximately 60 final year students were selected purposively as the research sample. Using a static-group comparison research design, the students were divided into two different classes: control and experimental, were implemented in these techniques, where the control class only applied Think Pair Share, while a combination of the Think Pair Share and Silent Demonstration techniques utilized in the experimental class. Through the Independent Sample T-Test, the findings were that students with the integration of the integration Think Pair Share and Silent Demonstration techniques had higher writing achievements. The students were able to discuss with their classmates and also get a big picture of the procedures involved in doing or operating something. This was because they had seen several ideas in a video that could help them write down the whole procedure.

Connecting the dots: How parent support shapes career readiness through psychological capital

Orientation: In the digital era, adolescence is a critical stage in individual career readiness.Research purpose: This study has numerous goals. Firstly, this study investigates the impact of parental support on individual career readiness. Secondly, this study examines the role of psychological capital as a mediator between parental support and individual career readiness. Thirdly, this study analyses the role of individual trait personality as a moderator between parental support and individual career readiness.Motivation for the study: This research can contribute to a better understanding of how parents can best support their children in preparing for successful careers. By understanding the role of psychological capital and personality traits, this research can help individuals develop a more holistic approach to career development. This can lead to increased career satisfaction and success.Research approach/design and method: This study used a quantitative approach to examine the career readiness of individuals (final year undergraduate students) before entering the job market (N = 418), which was processed using SPSS PROCESS.Main findings: This study shows parental support influences individual career readiness. Psychological capital fully mediated the relationship between parent support and individual career readiness. The influence of parental support on individual job readiness is moderated by extroverted personality and conscientiousness. Meanwhile, emotional stability does not moderate the influence of parental support on individual career readiness.Practical/managerial implications: Parental support can be a meaningful mechanism to enhance career readiness among adolescents through psychological support.Contribution/value-add: The use of social career cognitive theory (SCCT) and trait activation theory (TAT) to uncover the function of mediating and moderating variables is expanded in this study to examine career readiness. This study is important because it examines the role of parental support in nations where it is prevalent.

Sustainable quality improvement: An essential ingredient for sustainability in modern medical curricula?

Health care delivery contributes a significant carbon footprint in the United Kingdom, and paradoxically climate change is linked to poorer human health outcomes. New General Medical Council (GMC) requirements mandate medical graduates must be able to apply sustainable care to their practice. Implementation of sustainable health care (SHC) teaching is a new challenge for medical schools, and there are several identified barriers including an overcrowded curriculum, lack of expertise within faculties, lack of institutional support and inadequate assessment techniques. We established a new SHC curriculum spiralling throughout the overall medical curriculum, and as part of this introduced a sustainable quality improvement (susQI) project to our final year cohort. SusQI considers the environmental, social and financial impacts as well as patient and population outcomes. Our students undertook this in their final year GP assistantships. We sought multi-sourced data through focus groups, formal end of placement feedback, informal feedback and external feedback. We applied thematic analysis to focus group transcriptions and triangulated with the other data sources. We identified some common themes: First, susQI was enjoyed and valuable; second, it allowed meaningful participation; third, it created a co-learning environment; and fourth, timing and curriculum placement are important when integrating susQI. SusQI can implement SHC into the overcrowded medical curriculum in a low cost, low resource manner without the need for experienced faculty. SusQI is empowering for students and grants them an active team role. Expansion into secondary and tertiary care is feasible, and we contend that susQI can be placed in other health care curricula.

Determining the psychometric properties of a written test to assess safe dental practice

IntroductionSafe practice in medicine and dentistry has been a global priority area in which large knowledge gaps are present.Patient safety strategies aim at preventing unintended damage to patients that can...

From plate to profile: investigating the influence of dietary habits and inactive lifestyle on lipid profile in medical students at clerkship

BackgroundDietary habits have a strong association with body lipid levels and hyperlipidemia increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Dietary habits have been a major concern among medical students due to busy schedules and demanding tasks. This study was designed to know the dietary habits and lifestyle of medical students and its association with their lipid profile.MethodsWe recruited 120 medical students at clerkship of the age of 18 and above. Weekly dietary habits were evaluated by an 18-item questionnaire. Five ml blood was drawn from the students and lipid profiles were measured at Dow Diagnostic Research and Reference Laboratory (DDRRL). Data was analyzed by SPSS V.22.ResultsWe found 70% of students were not involved in any physical activity throughout the week. Only 15.83% were following a regular diet plan. 65% of students were eating junk food for more than 3 days a week in their weekly diet. Moreover, 19.2%, 39.2%, 32.5%, and 25.84% of students were having their total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL levels above the optimum ranges respectively which were frequently found in students of final year (p < 0.05). There was high total cholesterol and LDL in males as compared to females (p value < 0.05). Total cholesterol and LDL were associated with skipped meal, use of junk food and carbonated drinks for more than 3 days a week (p < 0.05).ConclusionThere was a notable number of students with poor dietary habits, inactive lifestyle and lipid levels above the optimum ranges defined by American Heart Association (AHA) that have an association with dietary habits. This is alarming and can impact the health of future healthcare workers. There is a need to investigate the factors and remedies to help medical students to follow a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

A Combined Platform for Meeting and Collaboration in the Learning Ecosystems

The effectiveness of software projects hinges on smooth information exchange among different teams involved, including project managers, team members, developers, designers, and clients. Given that many software companies handle multiple projects simultaneously, there's a pressing need for streamlined project management and virtual collaboration. Manual oversight of students' final year projects is arduous. This project seeks to develop an automated system for overseeing student activities, offering functionalities for project management, supervision, monitoring, and virtual teamwork. This system caters to the needs of students, project coordinators, and guides by facilitating seamless sharing and interaction.

Learning approaches of undergraduate medical students at exit and entry of their medical schools.

Objective: To Compare the learning approaches of medical students at the exit and entry of their medical school, to evaluate the influence of gender and to look for factors leading students towards a change in their learning approach, if any, through interviews. Study Design: Concurrent Mixed Method study. Setting: Ameer-ud-deen Medical College, Lahore. Period: March 2021 to March 2022. Methods: Sequential mixed method 100 first year and 100 Final year MBBS students were included in the study for quantitative analysis. ASSIST Questionnaire is used for identifying student’s approach to studying as either deep, surface or strategic and the correlation of gender with preference of study approach. Descriptive statistics wer`e performed. Student’s t-test was used for statistical comparisons. Qualitative data was collected through in depth semi structured interviews of final year students. Thematic analysis was done to interpret the data and triangulation method was used for validation. Results: There is an over-all predominance of deep approach in the both first and final year MBBS students. The number of first-year students employing a strategic approach were significantly in majority as compared to final year students doing the same. No significant difference is seen in the learning approaches of male and female students. Interviews indicated reasons of shifting away from strategic learning approach in the final year medical students. No significant difference was seen in the selection of approach between female and male students of both groups. Conclusion: Study suggests that there is a predominance of deep approach in the medical students both at exit and entry points. This is due to their clinical exposure and environment, assessment methodologies, curriculum planning, seniors and peer pressure and most importantly their immediate teachers. The more we understand these learning styles, the better we can guide our future generations towards deep learning and improve their attitude and professional skills.

Early literacy, early numeracy and executive functions of French Kindergartners in Montessori and conventional environments

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to observe the relationship between the partial or total use of Montessori education (ME) and academic (literacy, numeracy) and developmental (executive functions) outcomes in 105 French Kindergartners (children in preschool’s final year, [M = 5.53 years, SD = 0.29]). We conducted a quasi-experimental study comparing three groups. The first group (n = 48[18 girls], M  = 5.53 years, SD = 0.29) used a conventional teaching method, the second group (n = 40[21 girls], M  = 5.56 years, SD = 0.28) partially used the ME in addition to the conventional method, and the third group (n  = 17 [7 girls], M = 5.42 years, SD = 0.29) fully implemented the ME. Equivalence between the experimental and control groups has been verified in terms of age, gender, overall cognitive ability, and socioeconomic background. We assessed children’s competencies in early literacy, early numeracy, and executive functions. Results show better outcomes in the numeracy and inhibition control tests in the fully ME group, followed by the partial ME group. The group of children who had received conventional education obtained the lowest results. Finally, the differences in literacy scores were not significant.

Relationship between the Profile of Agricultural Students and their Career Aspiration about Prospects of Agripreneurship

Career aspiration refers to a long-term professional aim or goal that a person sets for themselves in their chosen career or profession. Aims: To ascertain the relationship between the profile of students and their career aspiration about prospects of agripreneurship. Study Design:  Expost facto research design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was taken at four State Agricultural Universities of Gujarat. August 2023 – March 2024. Methodology: The study was conducted among the students from the agriculture faculty in four State Agricultural Universities of Gujarat which are Navsari Agricultural University, Junagadh Agricultural University, Anand Agricultural University and Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University. The respondents were M.Sc. (Agri.), Ph.D. (Agri.) and final year B.Sc. (Agri.) students from the main campus of each university. Expost facto research design was used. By simple random sampling technique, 25 students from each degree from four universities were selected. Thus, the total sample is 300. By interview method, responses were collected using an interview schedule. The relationship between the independent and dependent variable were analysed using statistical tools such as correlation and stepwise regression. Results: The variables such as age, source of information, risk taking ability, achievement orientation, leadership ability, critical thinking, self-confidence and innovativeness were significantly correlated with the level of career aspiration about prospects of agripreneurship at 1 per cent level of significance. The variables such as the source of information, achievement orientation, critical thinking, innovativeness and age were accounting influences and 41.00 per cent variation in career aspiration of the students. Conclusion: Hence, these variables should be taken care and need to improve for the change in career aspiration.

Simulation-based interprofessional education for teaching evidence-based medical practice.

Objective: To achieve consensus on opinions of expert medical educationist on utilization of simulation-based interprofessional education as teaching strategy for evidence based practice teaching in undergraduate medical education. Study Design: Qualitative Case study. Setting: Bahria University Health Sciences Campus. Period: March 2023 to August 2023. Methods: Research using modified Delphi technique was done under ERC 16/2023-BUMDC. Communities of practice and transformative learning theory were used for guiding research design. Non-probability, snow-ball sampling technique was used to select expert panel as participants. Inclusion criteria were medical educationist with masters in health professional education and ten year of experience in department of medical education. Content analysis was used for analyzing data and atlas ti-9 was used for organizing data collected through online email interviews. Results: Final consensus of participants was attained on, third year, Simulation-based interprofessional education/ Assignments/ Journal Clubs/Case-based discussions, Fourth year, Simulation-based interprofessional education/ Journal Clubs/Case-based discussions, Content: Final year, Simulation-based interprofessional education/ Clinical setting/ Journal Clubs. Conclusion: Expert showed ninety percent consensus that simulation-based interprofessional education is good teaching strategies for teaching evidence –based practice in undergraduate medical.

Knowledge and Perception of Soft Skills Among Medical Students and Postgraduate Residents at Services Hospital Lahore

Background and Objectives: Soft skills have emerged as a novel focal area for health care practitioners. Objective of this study was to assess the perception of medical students and postgraduate residents regarding soft skills and the need of incorporating these skills into the curriculum.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences and Services Hospital in Lahore from January 1st to March 31st, 2023. A total of 192 participants, divided into two groups on the basis of their academic and clinical experience(Group 1 medical students final year and group 2 postgraduate residents of SHL (1st year) were included in the study after informed consent. Participants were given a pre-designed, validated questionnaire to record their details and assess their soft skills.Results: Postgraduate doctors were more effective at educating and motivating patients regarding treatment plans (84.4% vs. 15.6%, p &lt; 0.0001), problem solving in critical situations (83.3% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.0001), and managing ethical conflicts (82.3% vs. 17.7%, p &lt; 0.0001) compared to medical students. Doctors reported being taught communication skills (88.5% vs. 67.7%, p = 0.0005), critical thinking and problem- solving skills (81.3% vs. 31.3%, p=0.0001), time management skills (89.6% vs. 10.4%, p = 0.0001), and leadership skills (77.1% vs. 57.3%, p = 0.0035) more than medical students. A higher proportion of doctors had been assessed by their supervisors on communication skills (71.9% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.00003), critical thinking and problem-solving skills (49.0% vs. 27.1%, p = 0.0018), and leadership skills (74.0% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.0001) compared to medical students.Conclusion: Postgraduate doctors exhibit stronger aptitude in essential soft skills as compared to medical students therefore efforts should be made to integrate soft skills in healthcare educational program for better patient care and prepare medical students and residents for the multifaceted challenges they will face in their career.Key words: soft skills, perception, curriculum.  

Physical Activity of Undergraduate Students in Medicine and Physiotherapy Programmes in a Nigerian Medical University

Background: There appears to be dearth of empirical data to ascertain the physical activity level of Nigerian undergraduate students, especially among medical students. Hence, there would be need to investigate the physical activity level of students in a Nigeria university community. Aim: The aims of the study were to assess and compare the physical activity of undergraduate students studying Medicine and Physiotherapy. Methods: Two hundred and sixteen undergraduate students studying Medicine and Physiotherapy were recruited using Stratified sampling technique. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered to each student and the data generated was used to compute the Physical activity scores of each participant. Descriptive statistics and Inferential statistics of ANOVA and Independent t-test (student) were used to compare physical activity of the students. Results: The results obtained from this study showed skewness in the mean Physical Activity of students at different studying levels due to some that are physically hyperactive.  There was no significant difference in the overall Physical Activity of students studying medicine and physiotherapy.  However, there were significant differences in the vigorous physical activity of the students (F= 2.54, p = 0.04).  The mean vigorous physical activity of 500 level students studying physiotherapy was significantly higher than that of the 400 level students studying in both programmes (p=0.003 and p = 0.032 respectively). There were no significant differences between in the vigorous activity of the final year students in physiotherapy and medicines; and between male and female, although, the sitting PA of female undergraduate students was significantly higher that of male. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the total physical activity of students studying medicine and physiotherapy. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the physical activity of male and female students, excluding that of sitting component of physical activity score which was higher for the later.

Psychiatry as a career choice: determinants of attraction towards psychiatry among final year medical students in a Nigerian university

Background: Despite an increase in the overall number of medical students, the shortage of psychiatry trainees in Nigeria and worldwide reflects diminishing interest in psychiatry among medical students. The study examined the degree and factors influencing attraction towards psychiatry as a career choice. Method: A cross-sectional study of 71 final-year medical students who enrolled at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto State (UDUS), Northwest Nigeria between 2006/07 and 2013/14 academic session were interviewed in 2021 while in 600 level. The questionnaires were adapted from similar studies. Results: The ATP-30 revealed a high prevalence of negative attitudes towards psychiatry, the degree of preference for psychiatry as a career option was classified as low and high. Almost half (47.9%) of the participants had a low degree of preference for psychiatry as a career choice. Most (92.9%) of the participants rated job satisfaction (p&lt;0.001) and intellectually challenging (86.7%) (p&lt;0.001) poorly, as negative influences for not being attracted towards psychiatry as a career choice. A low proportion (8.5%) of the participants selected psychiatry as their most preferred area of specialization. Generally, the majority (85.7%) viewed psychiatry as not attractive. Among the participants, the majority perceived psychiatry as unattractive. Students' misconceptions about job satisfaction and the negative view of not being intellectually challenging were the associated factors for the negative views towards psychiatry. Conclusion: There is a need for strategy and policy to promote interest in psychiatry early in medical school and residency programs as recommended by the World Psychiatric Association.

Christian Final Year College Student: Preparedness and Consciousness in Adopting Biblical Principles to Survive and Thrive in Exile During the One-Year NYSC Program

This research aims to investigate the level of awareness and readiness of final year Christian students in adopting a biblical-based exile lifestyle model. Two research questions and two hypotheses were proposed to guide this study. A descriptive survey research design was employed. The sampling technique used proportional multistage stratified random sampling method to obtain a sample size of 340 final year Christian students in State-owned colleges in Imo Province. The researcher-developed assessment scale titled "Christian Students' Awareness and Readiness Scale for Facing Life Challenges in Exile (CAPLCERS)" was utilized for data collection. This assessment scale comprises two clusters, A and B, with internal consistency reliabilities measured using Cronbach's Alpha of 0.78 and 0.82 respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions, while z-test was employed to test hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05. The research findings indicate that the level of awareness among final year Christian students regarding life challenges in exile during the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program is significantly below the expected average. Meanwhile, their readiness level to adopt biblical models for survival and growth in exile is significantly above the expected average. Based on these findings, the research recommends several actions: college authorities need to equip final year students with awareness of potential life challenges they may face during the one-year NYSC program; campus Christian fellowships also need to help prepare their members with biblical models and principles that can assist Christians in surviving and thriving in exile situations; and Christian fellowships or organizations in NYSC training camps need to assist Christian Corps members in integrating and striving for welfare in their placement areas while learning to love and contribute to the growth of communities that may differ in beliefs and cultures.

Case-based learning in undergraduate orthodontic education: A cross sectional study

Introduction Student centric learning approaches have been reported to be effective in introducing higher order cognitive skills required by the health professionals. However, learners’ perceptions must be constructively aligned with new learning interventions to achieve a positive impact on their learning. The aim of this study was to explore the learning experiences of undergraduate dental students with case-based learning in orthodontics. Methods A case-based learning model was introduced on orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning for final year students on a Bachelor of Dentistry programme toward the end of their academic year. A survey was conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of the participants. The research instrument was based on a previously validated questionnaire and included information on demographics and consisted of 12 items aimed at evaluating the benefits and challenges of cased based learning. Results All 67 students in the final-year cohort participated in study, yielding a response rate of 100 percent. Participants across the board perceived CBL to be an effective strategy to learn the subject content and helpful in improving the students’ skills in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning and team-working. CBL did not pose any significant challenges or barriers to student learning. Discussion Participants reported high acceptance of CBL in orthodontic teaching and learning and a positive impact on their educational experiences. CBL was perceived to be an appropriate strategy to enhance the diagnostic, treatment planning and team-working skills of dental students.

Exploring the Perception and Attitude of Engineering Students towards Communication Skills Course

This study explores the perception and attitude of engineering students in Accra Technical University towards Communication Skills as a  course. Attitude towards Communication Skills is an important concept because it plays a key role in language learning, as well as career  performance. However, with the ever-growing age of globalisation, international and cross-cultural communication, the need for  communication skills has increased, especially among engineers who feed on ideas from local and international collaborations. It has  become imperative for engineering graduates to acquire a range of skills to maintain relevance with the global setting of the new era.  Communication skills is one of the vital skills recognised by academia and industry alike. This quantitative study examines students’  perception and attitude towards communication skills as a course, and bring to bear some reasons for the perceived poor performance  in the course. The research instruments used to collect data were questionnaires and observation. The study observed that most of the students in the first year of their study had negative perception and attitude towards communication skills, contrary to students in the  final year who had positive responses towards the course. 

Sleep quality and associated factors among undergraduate medical students in Delhi

Sleep quality and associated factors among undergraduate medical students in Delhi

A qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives of the current system of assessing pharmacists’ readiness for independent practice in Ireland

Abstract Introduction Pharmacy students in Ireland are supervised by an approved tutor pharmacist (preceptor) during placement in the final year of the MPharm programme. Since 2020, students must pass two assessments of their readiness to practise – a Competency Assessment completed by their preceptor and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) referred to as the Professional Registration Examination (PRE), prior to registration and independent practice. The Schools of Pharmacy in Ireland are collectively responsible for the PRE, including design and delivery of the national registration examination. A recent scoping review of the methods and processes used to determine pharmacists’ readiness for independent practice identified that Ireland is the only country globally where the Schools of Pharmacy are responsible for the national registration examination.[1] Aim This study aimed to explore pharmacy graduates’ and pharmacy preceptors’ perspectives of the current system of assessing pharmacist’s readiness for independent practice in Ireland. Methods Online, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with preceptors and recent pharmacy graduates. Purposive sampling was used to invite potential participants for interview. Preceptor participants were invited to take part via newsletter invitation and graduates were recruited via social media (Twitter advertisement). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The topic guides were developed based on findings from a linked scoping review and the research team’s experience of the assessments.[1] The topic guides were piloted and refined. Key topics included participants’ awareness and perceptions of current assessments to determine readiness for independent practice and participants’ views regarding the readiness of newly registered pharmacists for independent pharmacy practice. Recruitment continued until thematic saturation was reached. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Fifteen interviews were conducted with preceptors (n=7, female=5, male=2) and recent graduates (n=8, female=5, male=3). The key themes identified were: The Competency Assessment Process, The Professional Registration Examination, Pharmacy Curriculum, Placement Training, Alternative Assessment Methods and Challenges Post-Registration. The most frequently noted issues relating to pharmacy curriculum and training were lack of training and practise in development of soft skills, people management and conflict resolution. Participants expressed concern regarding the fact that legal constraints were preventing students from developing skills required of pharmacists, especially in relation to decision making and prescription checking, and this is considered an impediment to fully preparing students for independent practice. Readiness to practise of graduates is considered context-specific with concerns expressed in relation to locuming practices of newly registered pharmacists. Conclusion This study has highlighted a number of stakeholder concerns regarding the current system of assessment of readiness to practise of pharmacists in Ireland, in particular in relation to the Competency Assessment process. While the interview technique facilitated collection of detailed information, the sample size would prevent generalisation to the target population. The possibility of interviewer bias and/or social desirability bias in participants should be acknowledged. Further research is required to explore the feasibility of the improvements proposed by participants.

Insights into The Prenatal and Postnatal Knowledge &amp; Critical Observations of Parents with Children who Have Down Syndrome: A Single Center Study

Introduction: Down syndrome (DS) is one of the many genetic syndromes commonly confronted by pediatricians. These people commonly share a few features which include a low level of muscle tone (hypotonia), learning disabilities, and abnormalities of the cranium and facial parts. Aims and Objectives: To assess the pre and postnatal knowledge, of parents with Down syndrome children. Place and Duration of study: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Shifa International Hospital (SIH), by Final year medical students, in association with the Cytogenetics Department. between December 2019 to September 2021 Material and Methods: All the chidren diagnosed with Down Syndrome at the SIH and their parents were invited to participate in our study. Convenience sampling was used depending solely on the number of parents who had accepted our invitation. A total sample size of 35 was included, of which 15 agreed to participate. A detailed questionnaire having both close ended and open questions in English and Urdu was filled out by those parents who consented. Data was entered and analysed using SPSS version 24.0. pvalue ?0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Our results showed that 11 of the 15 DS children i.e., 73.3% were male and 4 out of 15 i.e., 26.6% were females. None of these children had siblings with the same disorder. 13 of the 15 cases (86.6%) were diagnosed post- natally only 2 cases (13.3%) pre-natally. All the cases i.e., 100% were diagnosed by a pediatrician and none were diagnosed by an obstetrician. Surprisingly increasing age of either parent seemed to increase the incidence of DS offspring. 60.0% (9 of the 15) of parents did not know the condition could be diagnosed prenatally. While 10 of 15 (66.6%) of them were aware of its general complications. Answering open ended questions parents identified the lack of awareness, special educational institutes, and presence of communication gap between them and doctors as some of the factors that hindered the welfare of DS children. Conclusion: Only one parent knew about DS complications pre-natally and only a few were aware that a pre-natal diagnosis could be formed. Postnatal knowledge of parents was sketchy also, especially regarding the future complications faced by DS children, Parents critically observed insufficient public awareness, societal taboos, paucity of local DS data and prenatal medical DS training, and consequently lack of govermnnental support required by special needs DS children in our country.