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OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency and severity of depression and anxiety, social support and demographic characteristics that could be associated with their disease. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study with TD-BTM patients was conducted from four different thalassemia centres (Kashif Iqbal, HELP, Saylani, and Omair Sana Foundation) located in Karachi from December 2018 to May 2019, 197 young (8-18 years) males and 203 (50.8%) young females requiring at least one unit of packed red cells in a month were included with the convenient sampling technique. Psychometrically standardized tests were used. RESULTS: Eleven percent patients suffered severe depression, and a majority (44.2%) had high anxiety. Male patients, patients with comorbid conditions, and patients not satisfied with their treatment had significantly more significant depression; and male patients, patients with no schooling and patients not satisfied with their treatment had significantly greater anxiety. Patients who were schooled belonged to lower socioeconomic status and were not satisfied with their treatment had significantly more significant support from family. Patients who were schooled and had no comorbid conditions were significantly supported by friends. Finally, patients with comorbid conditions were significantly supported by others. CONCLUSION: In the TD-BTM patients we sampled, most suffered from anxiety and less so with depression. Most patients had strong family support, followed by friends and others. Assessment of depression, anxiety and social support are discussed in the context of psychotherapeutic interventions, which could attenuate full-blown mental disorders in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-accidental acid burn injury is considered as a terrible type of violence in which a victim experiences the persistent facial disfiguring and as well as blindness (Mannan, Ghani, Sen, Clarke, & Butler, 2004). It has been observed that these kinds of injuries result in dreadful traumatic experiences for the victim and leading to perturbed psychological condition. The objective of the current study was to investigate and analyze the psychosocial problems and body image discontentment of acid burn victims in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. A sample of 24 female acid burn victims with ages ranging between 20 to 40 years (M=29.34; SD=9.18) were approached through purposeful sampling from various burn centers and hospitals of Karachi. It was a qualitative research study carried out with the help of Focus group discussions. Outcomes were critically evaluated and analyzed through content analysis. It was found that the victims suffer a high level of pain and frustration during the burn care treatment. Due to pain and trauma resulting from the horrific memories of violent attacks, they were unable to deal and cope with daily routine and had to struggle to carryout day to day activities of life. The impact adversely effects the psychological, physical, and emotional wellbeing resulting in various psychopathologies. Due to the body image dissatisfaction their confidence level had reduced thus resulting in social withdrawal and isolation. However, it was found that some had effectively learned to cope up with trauma and return to their normal lives. The general themes of shaming, social rejection, lacking confidence, dissatisfaction with body were common in acid burn victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the association body mass index and the status of dental decay and gum health in women serving prison sentences. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation took place at the Central Jail for Women, Pakistan, spanning from January 2021 to February 2022. The study included all incarcerated women and those awaiting trial aged between 18 and 65 years, while individuals who declined participation were excluded. Convenience sampling was employed, and each participant underwent examinations for dental caries and periodontal status. Sample size was calculated by considering the total number of women in prison to be 205, keeping the margin of error as 5%, and a confidence level of 95%, a sample size of 134 was calculated. Oral health was measured through DMFT index. Body mass indexes were recorded by measuring the height and weight of the participants. Furthermore, nutritional habits including height, weight, source of food and frequency of food were also documented. Oral health conditions were evaluated in 131 women currently serving prison sentences. Results: About 23.7% (n=31) were overweight and 6.1% were obese. Total 71.7% (n=94) of women had at least one decayed tooth, 63 (48.1%) had at least one missing tooth, and 7 (5.3%) had at least one filled tooth. The logistic regression analysis indicated a significant association between being overweight and the DMFT score, with an Exponentiation of B of 1.19 and a 95% confidence interval ranging from 1.03 to 1.38. The associated p-value was 0.021. Conclusion: It was found that high BMI was significantly associated with higher DMFT score. The results of this study drives the attention of clinicians and researchers towards the unidentified health needs of incarcerated women. Among other medical conditions, sensitization to oral hygiene and oral health must also be prioritized. Further efforts should be directed towards making oral health accessible to the incarcerated population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To highlight the prevalence and severity of depression among undergraduate students in public and private universities in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: In this cross-sectional study a total of 408 undergraduate students from both public and private universities in Karachi, Pakistan completed Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) questionnaire to appraise the presence and extent of depression among the participants. Their socio-demographic characteristics such as age, gender and course of study as well as drug use data were also collected and analyzed. Results: Depression prevalence was 53.43 % (38.07 % for males and 61.00 % for females). A significant disparity in the prevalence of depression across ethnicity was observed. Less than 50 % (n = 163) of the students were satisfied with their duration of degree course work while 111 (27.20 %) participants were not sure about this. The intensity of depression increased with declining satisfaction level (Gamma = 0.264, p = 0.001) which affected the performance and results of students during their studies. A majority of the participants (89 %, n = 358) of our study have never used medicines to alter their mood. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the importance of understanding the unique strains and mental health effect of university education on undergraduate students, especially female students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine normal macular thickness and its variation by age and gender in healthy eyes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, two hundred and twenty eyes of 220 healthy subjects underwent raster scanning using Topcon SD-OCT system, at the Department of Ophthalmology, Dow University of Health Sciences and Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan. Macular thickness from all 9 regions of the ETDRS map was documented for each subject. Variations in macular thickness measurements by age and gender were determined. Results: The 220 subjects had a mean age of 45.3 years (16-80 years). Using the ETDRS map, foveal thickness for all subjects was measured to be 229±20.46 μm. Mean macular thickness for all subjects was 262.8±13.34 μm. Male gender was associated with greater foveal (p<0.0001) and mean macular (p<0.0001) thickness compared to females. There was no association of mean macular thickness (r2 = 0.01; p<0.05) and foveal thickness (r2 = 0.00004; p>0.05) with age. Conclusion: We have provided normative data for macular thickness using Topcon SD-OCT system. Our results are comparable to some and vary from other reports using the similar OCT system. Our results suggest that male gender is associated with greater macular thickness, while macular thickness has no association with age in healthy eyes. This is the first normative data for macular thickness from Pakistan; benchmark for diagnosing and monitoring macular pathologies. The values obtained in this study may be useful for comparison with other populations, other SD-OCT systems and future imaging technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a statement by Sumbul Sohail, professor at Karachi Medical & Dental College and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, during the Otsuka Lucky draw in connection with an awareness campaign against Hepatitis held at the office of pharmaceutical firm Otsuka on June 15, 2014. Topics discussed include the importance of preventive strategy against the disease, the need to educate the public about hepatitis and the role of pharmaceutical companies in awareness programs.