Search

To investigate the psychosocial factors having an impact on persons with a stuttering problem.The correlation study was conducted from October 2016 to February 2018 at hospitals, speech clinics and educational institutes of Lahore. The sample comprised of young adults aged 16-30 years of either gender with stuttering problem. Data was collected using Stuttering Severity Instrument-4, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale-Urdu, Big Five Measure-20, Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering and the Urdu version of the shortened form of the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced inventory. Data was analysed using SPSS 23.Of the 78 subjects, 66(84.6 %) were males and 12 (15.4 %) were females. There were 21(27%) subjects aged 16-19 years and 57(73%) with age range of 20-30 years. The overall mean age was 21.96±3.89 years. Mean age of onset was 4.59±1.29 years, while gradual onset and progressive stuttering was reported by 74(94.9 %). The Bilingual users 49(63%) reported to have frequent stuttering. Among the 43(55.1%) who had received treatment, 30(38%) received speech therapy and 26(33.3%) reported dissatisfaction. Stuttering severity and social anxiety were significantly positively correlated with all domains of impact of stuttering (p0.05). Age, and duration were negatively correlated with day-to-day communication (p0.05) and previous speech treatment showed negative association with impact on general knowledge about stuttering (p0.05). Avoidance coping strategy had a significant relationship with all domains of impact (p0.05).Severity of stuttering and social anxiety were found to have repercussions on people who stuttered, while avoidance coping was practised more to deal with the negative impact on reactions toward stuttering and quality of life.

To find out the prevalence and associated factors of undernutrition in a semi-rural setting.The community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehsil Battagram of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, in January and February 2020 after approval from the ethics review committee of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China, and comprised children aged 6-59 months who had no physical or mental disability. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric data was analysed using the World Health Organisation Anthro software. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to find out the association between dependent variables, like wasting, underweight and stunting, and independent variables, like socioeconomic, child, maternal and environmental characteristics. Data was analysed using SPSS 21.Of the 504 children, 257(51%) were girls and 247(49%) were boys. The largest group was aged 36-47 months 127(25.2%), while the smallest group was aged 6-11 months 56(11.1%). Overall, 94(18.7%) children were wasted, 167(33.1%) were underweight and 248(49.2%) were stunted. Children whose family income was high had low odds for being wasted (odds ratio: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.25-0.71), underweight (odds ratio: 0.30, 95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.72) and stunted (odds ratio: 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.30-0.80). Similarly, those children who were exclusively breastfed had low odds of being wasted were (odds ratio: 0.45, 95% confidence interval: 0.32-0.53), underweight (odds ratio: 0.56, 95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.78) and stunted (odds ratio: 0.62, 95% confidence interval: 0.51-0.97). Children who were not immunised had higher odds of wasting (odds ratio: 4.16, 95% confidence interval: 2.18-7.93), underweight (odds ratio: 4.45, 95% confidence interval: 2.77-7.14) and stunted (odds ratio: 4.36, 95% confidence interval: 2.32-8.71). Children of mothers who did not have antenatal care visits had higher odds of being wasted (odds ratio: 1.91, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-3.22), underweight (odds ratio: 1.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-2.13) and stunted (odds ratio: 1.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.32-2.62). Children who did not have a latrine facility had higher odds of being wasted (odds ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: 1.29-1.58), underweight (odds ratio: 1.76, 95% confidence interval: 1.36-3.84) and stunted (odds ratio: 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-2.12).Undernutrition among children aged 6-59 months was widespread. Nutrition awareness, interventions and multi-sectoral approaches were found to be needed to cope with the problem in the study area.

To determine the frequency of use of various psychoactive drugs among medical students in an urban setting, and to assess the risk category and intervention needs.The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2018 at four medical education institutions of Karachi; 2 each randomly selected from registered public and private sectors. From the clinical classes of each institution, fourth year was randomly chosen by lottery method. Data was collected using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test version 3.0. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.Of the 445 respondents, 270(60.7%) were male and 175(39.3%) were females. The overall mean age was 21.3±1.7 years (range: 17-27 years). Of the total, 273(61.3%) had never used any psychoactive substance, 97(21.8%) had used at least one, 34(7.6%) at least two, 23(5.2%) three, while 18(4%) had tried four or more psychoactive drugs in their lifetime. The most commonly used drug was tobacco, reportedly used by 117(26.3%) respondents, and, among them, 40(34%) were in low risk/no intervention category, 71(60.6%) in moderate risk/brief intervention category and 6(5.1%) in high risk/intensive treatment category. The use of psychoactive drug was significantly more in male compared to female students(p0.05).Tobacco was the most commonly used psychoactive drug among medical students though the use of cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, amphetamine, inhalants and sedatives was also significant. Psychoactive drug use was more common in males compared to females.

Objective: To study the moderating role of perceived group normative support on the effect of group identification on scepticism and advocacy domains of attitude towards polio vaccination. Method: The cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at the National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, in June 2020, and comprised adult residents of Pakistan who were approached through online platform Psytoolkit. Data was collected by means of Attitude towards Polio Vaccination Scale, Group Identification Scale, and a measure of Perceived Group Normative Support for Polio Vaccination. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Results: Of the 310 participants, 69(22.3%) were men and 240(77.4%) were women. The overall mean age was 25.62+/-8.47 years (range: 18-72 years). Further, 242(78.1%) participants were single and 62 (19.7%) were married, 166(53.45%) were from Punjab, 80(25.8%) from the federally-administered tribal areas, 26(8.3%) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 7(2.2%) from Sindh and 7(1.93%) from Balochistan. Group identification significantly increased advocacy (p

Objective: To compare the effect of Pakistani and American almonds on serum concentration of liver enzymes in coronary artery disease patients. Methods: The randomised controlled trial was conducted at the Cardiology Clinics of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from February to July, 2012, and comprised patients who were randomised into intervention PA and AA groups and the control NI groups. Subjects in the intervention groups were provided Pakistani and American varieties of almonds 10g/day respectively with instructions to soak them overnight, remove the skin and eat them before breakfast for 12 weeks. The control group underwent no intervention. Serum concentrations of aspartate transaminase, Alanine transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transferase were analysed and compared. Results: Of the 150 subjects, 110(73.3%) completed the study. Of them, there were 38(34.5%) in PA group, 41(37.3%) in AA, and 31(28.2%) in the NI group. Dietary almonds significantly reduced serum concentrations of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transferase in the two intervention groups compared to the controls group (p