19 research outputs found
Intimate partner violence against women and its related immigration stressors in Pakistani immigrant families in Germany
No full textZakar R, Zakria Zakar M, Faist T, Krämer A. Intimate partner violence against women and its related immigration stressors in Pakistani immigrant families in Germany. SpringerPlus. 2012;1(1): 5.This paper addresses the issue of intimate partner violence against women and its related immigration stressors in Pakistani immigrant families in Germany. Drawing on 32 in-depth interviews with Pakistani women in three cities in Germany, we found that psychological violence was the commonly reported violence among the study participants. The data showed that the process of immigration exacerbated tensions between spouses because of various immigration stressors such as threats to cultural identity, children’s socialization, and social isolation. In order to cope with the stressful spousal relations, women applied various indigenous strategies, but avoided seeking help from the host country’s formal care-providing institutions. This study also debunks some stereotypes and popular media clichés about the “victimhood of women from conservative developing countries” and provides an understanding of the issue of intimate partner violence within an immigration context. Further research with a larger sample will be helpful to understand immigration-induced stress and intimate partner violence in immigrant families
Harnessing information technology to improve women’s health information: evidence from Pakistan
No full textZakar R, Zakria Zakar M, Qureshi S, Fischer F. Harnessing information technology to improve women’s health information: evidence from Pakistan. BMC Women's Health. 2014;14(1): 105.Background
More than half of Pakistani women are illiterate, marginalized, and experience myriad health problems. These women are also disadvantaged in terms of their restricted mobility and limited access to public space. Nonetheless, user-friendly information and communication technologies (ICTs) have opened up new opportunities to provide them with information that is essential for their health and well-being.
Methods
We established an Information and Communication Centre (ICC) in a village in Sialkot (Pakistan) on a pilot basis in 2009. The basic philosophy of the ICC was to provide women with health-related information by exposing them to modern sources of information on their doorstep. By design, the ICC was a community-based and community-managed institution where women could access information through online (e.g., internet, mobile phone etc.) and offline (e.g., CDs, TV etc.) resources. The ICC was managed by a group of local volunteer women who had the capacity and skills to use the devices and tools of modern ICTs.
Results
We noted an overwhelming participation and interest from local women in the activities of the ICC. The women wanted to receive information on a wide range of issues, from family planning, antenatal care, and childcare to garbage disposal and prevention of domestic violence. Overall, the ICC was successful in initiating a meaningful “information dialogue” at community level, where much-needed information was retrieved, negotiated, mediated, and disseminated through intimate and trusted relations.
Conclusion
We conclude that ICTs have the capacity to cross the barriers of illiteracy and can reach out to disadvantaged women living under a conservative patriarchal regime
Intimate partner violence and its association with women's reproductive health in Pakistan
No full textZakar R, Zakria Zakar M, Mikolajczyk RT, Krämer A. Intimate partner violence and its association with women's reproductive health in Pakistan. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. 2012;117(1):10-14.Objective: To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Pakistan and its association with reproductive health outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 8 hospitals in Lahore and Sialkot between October 2008 and January 2009. Information from randomly selected ever-married women of reproductive age was collected via a structured interview. Psychologic, physical, and sexual violence was categorized as "no" or "severe" violence. Associations between reproductive health outcomes and violence were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. Results: Among 373 women interviewed, 75.9% reported severe psychologic, 34.6% reported severe sexual, and 31.9% reported severe physical violence at least once in marital life. Women who experienced severe physical violence were more likely to have their husband's noncooperation in using contraceptives (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.31; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 1.93-5.68), poor prenatal care (AOR, 2.11; 95% Cl, 1.23-3.69), unplanned pregnancies (AOR, 2.29; 95% Cl. 1.39-3.76), and poor self-reported reproductive health (AOR, 2.95; 95% Cl, 1.71-4.91) as compared with non-abused women. Similar associations existed for other types of violence. Conclusion: The results highlight the magnitude of violence and its association with reproductive health of women. Urgent action is needed to mitigate the violence and its consequential damage to health. (C) 2011 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
Klimawandelbedingte Wasserknappheit: Auswirkungen auf Gesundheit durch politische und soziale Konflikte
No full text
Istihsan (juristic preference) : the forgotten principle of Islamic law
No full textEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Exploring parental perceptions and knowledge regarding breastfeeding practices in Rajanpur, Punjab Province, Pakistan
No full textAbstract Background Exclusive breastfeeding is significantly associated with strong infant immunity and optimal development. The importance of breastfeeding is underestimated. Parental lack of knowledge and unhealthy practices regarding breastfeeding deprive infants of their basic right to mother’s milk. In developing countries, including Pakistan, with high child mortality and malnutrition, healthy breastfeeding practices can bring positive changes in child health status. From this perspective, the present study aims to understand parents’ knowledge, attitudes and practical encounters with breastfeeding practices and the factors that prevent them from adopting such practices. Methods A qualitative study was carried out in both rural and urban settings in Rajanpur District of Punjab Province, Pakistan. We conducted 12 focus-group discussions (FGDs) that involved 38 mothers and 40 fathers with children aged under two years who were being breastfed. A thematic content analysis of data collected through FGDs was performed manually. The themes were both inductive and deductive in nature. Results The study found that a majority of participants believed that the first thing given to an infant after birth should not be breast milk but honey, rose flower, or goat’s milk from the hands of an elder in the family or a religious person. No cleanliness measures were practised in this regard. The participants had misconceptions about the benefits of colostrum, which frequently prevented it being given to newborns. Participants reported many factors, such as: insufficient milk syndrome (slow growth of infants due to insufficient daily breast milk intake), a mother’s high workload, lack of social support, the influence of culturally designated advisors, and the promotion and marketing strategies of infant formula companies, that undermined exclusive breastfeeding efforts and encouraged mothers to switch to infant formula. Conclusions Culturally acceptable and integrated public health interventions are needed to improve the breastfeeding-related health literacy and practices of parents, grandparents and communities. This will ultimately reduce the high infant mortality and malnutrition rates in Pakistan
Factors associated with non-utilization of child immunization in Pakistan: evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey 2006-07
No full textBugvi A, Rahat R, Zakar R, et al. Factors associated with non-utilization of child immunization in Pakistan: evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey 2006-07. BMC Public Health. 2014;14(1): 232.Background
The proportion of incompletely immunized children in Pakistan varies from 37-58%, and this has recently resulted in outbreaks of measles and polio. The aim of this paper is to determine the factors associated with incomplete immunization among children aged 12-23 months in Pakistan.
Methods
Secondary analysis was conducted on nationally representative cross-sectional survey data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, 2006-07. The analysis was limited to ever-married mothers who had delivered their last child during the 23 months immediately preceding the survey (n = 2,435). ‘Complete immunization’ was defined as the child having received twelve doses of five vaccines, and ‘incomplete immunization’ was defined if he/she had missed at least one of these twelve doses. The association between child immunization status and determinants of non-utilization of vaccines was assessed by calculating unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals using a multivariable binary logistic regression.
Results
The findings of this research showed that nearly 66% of children were incompletely immunized against seven preventable childhood diseases. The likelihood of incomplete immunization was significantly associated with the father’s occupation as a manual worker (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.10-1.97), lack of access to information (AOR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.09-1.66), non-use of antenatal care (AOR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.07-1.66), children born in Baluchistan region (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.12-2.70) and delivery at home (AOR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.14-1.69).
Conclusions
Despite governmental efforts to increase rates of immunization against childhood diseases, the proportion of incompletely immunized children in Pakistan is still high. Targeted interventions are needed to increase the immunization rates in Pakistan. These interventions need to concentrate on people with low socioeconomic and educational status in order to improve their knowledge of this topic
High-dose vitamin D3 in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition: a multicenter double-blind randomized controlled trial.
No full textThis is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition following peer review. The version of record Saleem, J., et al. (2018). "High-dose vitamin D3 in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition: a multicenter double-blind randomized controlled trial." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 107(5): 725-733. is available online at:https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy027Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common in children with severe acute malnutrition, in whom it is associated with severe wasting. Ready-to-use therapeutic food (the standard treatment) contains modest amounts of vitamin D that do not reliably correct deficiency. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether high-dose oral vitamin D3 enhances weight gain and development in children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition. Design: We conducted a randomized placebo-controlled trial of high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in children aged 6-58 mo with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in Pakistan. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 2 oral doses of 200,000 IU vitamin D3 or placebo at 2 and 4 wk after starting ready-to-use therapeutic food. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants gaining >15% of baseline weight at 8 wk after starting ready-to-use therapeutic food (the end of the study). Secondary outcomes were mean weight-for-height or -length z score and the proportion of participants with delayed development at the end of the study (assessed with the Denver Development Screening Tool II), adjusted for baseline values. Results: Of the 194 randomly assigned children who started the study, 185 completed the follow-up and were included in the analysis (93 assigned to intervention, 92 to control). High-dose vitamin D3 did not influence the proportion of children gaining >15% of baseline weight at the end of the study (RR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.94,1.15, P = 0.47), but it did increase the weight-for-height or -length z score (adjusted mean difference: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.49,1.65, P < 0.001) and reduce the proportion of participants with delayed global development [adjusted RR (aRR): 0.49; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.77, P = 0.002], delayed gross motor development (aRR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.64, P = 0.002), delayed fine motor development (aRR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.91, P = 0.018), and delayed language development (aRR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.96, P = 0.036). Conclusions: High-dose vitamin D3 improved the mean weight-for-height or -length z score and developmental indexes in children receiving standard therapy for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in Pakistan. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03170479.Supported by a grant from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan
under its International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP), reference
no. 1-8/HEC/HRD/2016/602
Fekete-Szegö and Hankel inequalities related to the sine function
No full textThe Fekete-Szegö inequality is one of the inequalities for the coefficients which associated with the famous Bieberbach conjecture. Other issues associated with this inequality are determining the Hankel determinant denoted as Hd inequalities which are involved in the study of the singularities and integral coefficients in the Taylor series representations. In this investigation, we discuss such inequalities for certain mappings g for which [Figure: see text](g′(z))α[2zg′(z)g(z)−g(−z)](1−α)≺1+sinz,(0≤α≤1) lies in the image domain starlike about 1 and symmetric about real axis. Particularly, we obtain certain inequality for functions involving Poisson distribution. Furthermore, we also find the second Hankel determinant and other inequalities related to this newly defined class
