Risk perception about communicable and vector borne diseases among international travellers to Pakistan: A cross sectional study.

With the rise in air travel, the risk of diseases travelling from one geographical area to another has also increased. Relatively little is known about how travellers know and perceive the health risks associated with travel and how they adopt preventive measures before and while travelling abroad. The objective of this study is to determine the risk perception about communicable and vector-borne diseases among international travellers arriving from different countries and to find any association between the level of risk perception and independent variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 426 participants enrolled through convenient sampling technique. An already validated questionnaire was used to collect information. Chi square test was applied to ascertain any significant association between dependent and independent variables. Out of 426 respondents, only 226 (53%) had a high risk perception, whereas 220 (47%) had a low risk perception. A significant association was noted between the level of risk perception and gender (x2=20.9, p=0.000), level of education (x2=42.9, p=0.000), nationality (x2=7.5, p= 0.006) and region of arrival of the passengers (x2=26.2, p= 0.000). The results of the study revealed that 220 (47%) of the travellers had a low risk perception that may lead to an increase in the burden on healthcare system in Pakistan as well as exporting any new disease from Pakistan to other parts of the world where it does not already exist.

Respectful Maternal Care Experience in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

Background and Objectives: Respectful maternity care promotes practices that acknowledge women's preferences and women and newborns' needs. It is an individual-centered strategy founded on ethical and human rights principles. The objective of this systematic review is to identify the impact of income on maternal care and respectful maternity care in low- and middle-income countries. Materials and Methods: Data were searched from Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, NCBI, CINAHL, National Library of Medicine, ResearchGate, MEDLINE, EMBASE database, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Maternity and Infant Care database. This review followed PRISMA guidelines. The initial search for publications comparing low- and middle-income countries with respectful maternity care yielded 6000 papers, from which 700 were selected. The review articles were further analyzed to ensure they were pertinent to the comparative impact of income on maternal care. A total of 24 articles were included, with preference given to those published from 2010 to 2023 during the last fourteen years. Results: Considering this study's findings, respectful maternity care is a crucial component of high-quality care and human rights. It can be estimated that there is a direct association between income and maternity care in LMICs, and maternity care is substandard compared to high-income countries. Moreover, it is determined that the evidence for medical tools that can enhance respectful maternity care is sparse. Conclusions: This review highlights the significance of improving maternal care experiences, emphasizing the importance of promoting respectful practices and addressing disparities in low- and middle-income countries.

Functional Gastrointestinal Diseases and Dietary Practices among Pakistani Children-A Schools Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGIDs) are an important yet highly under explored area among public health issues. FGIDs' complex etiology makes them of interest along with their prevalence in children steadily increasing, especially in the developing world. We aimed to determine the burden FGIDs pose on school-going children, and to determine its association with the dietary intake patterns in Pakistani children. METHODOLOGY: The study included 385 school-children from public and private schools in Pakistan through multistage random sampling, from March to August 2022. We used the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Rome IV Criteria for a comprehensive exploration of the issue. Associations between the FGIDs and dietary factors were analyzed using chi-square and Fischer's exact tests in SPSS version 26.0. RESULTS: Females constituted 77.4% (n = 298) of all respondents, while 44.9% (n = 173) of the total reported a family history of gastrointestinal diseases. FFQ analysis showed varying consumption frequencies for different food groups. Functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were the highest reported FGIDs with a prevalence of 38.7% (n = 149) and 24.9% (n = 96), respectively. Statistical associations were found between different FGIDs and gender, age, household income, family members, and dietary variables such as fruit, vegetable, beverage and pulse consumption. CONCLUSION: FGIDs were found to be associated with a number of socio-demographic and dietary factors which calls for small scale and large scale attention to the issue. Results from the current study and further studies may help develop guidelines to manage these disorders in Pakistan.

Knowledge and practices regarding hand-washing among mothers of children less than five years of age in rural areas of District Sialkot.

OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge and practices regarding hand-washing among mothers of children aged ≤5 years. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2015 in rural areas of Union Council Charwa, Tehsil Pasrur in District Sialkot, Pakistan, and comprised mothers of children aged ≤5 years. Data was collected using a pre-tested and validated structured questionnaire developed in line with World health Organisation guidelines on hand-washing technique. Data was analysed using SPSS 17. RESULTS: Of the 422 subjects, 319 (75.4%) had sufficient knowledge and 104 (24.6%) showed good practices regarding hand-washing. However, only 59 (14%) mothers were found adherent to the appropriate technique of hand-washing. CONCLUSIONS: Health education and behaviour-changing communication approaches must be implemented to educate the masses about proper hand-washing technique.