Relationship Between Physical Inactivity and Obesity in the Urban Slums of Lahore.

Introduction There are several factors such as physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, and diet that can be responsible for weight gain or obesity. Regular physical activity is important for better physical and emotional well-being. The objective of the study is to observe the prevalence of obesity or over-weight and how lack of physical activity contributes to weight gain and other health issues. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shalamar Town, Lahore on 646 participants. Data was collected using the WHO STEPS instrument. The inclusion criteria were a minimum age of 30 years and residents of Shalimar Town, Lahore for more than five years. The exclusion criteria were participants with comorbid conditions like HIV, TB, and terminal stage of cancer. Test of association and binary logistic regression analysis was performed to observe a significant association between demographic variables and non-communicable diseases among the participants involved in performing physical exercise. Results About 22.1% of the participants had normal BMI, 5.3% were underweight whereas 34.2% of the participants were overweight and 32.4% obese. Male participants were found to be more physically active compared to females. Hypertension and diabetes were statistically significantly associated with physical activity. BMI and waist-hip ratio were found to be associated with moderate physical exercise. Conclusion Most of the participants were not involved in moderate physical activity. Overall, an alarming 66.6% of the participants were either overweight or obese. In general, males were found to participate more in intense physical activity.

Needle stick injuries among nurses of two tertiary care hospitals of Lahore: A KAP study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of needle-stick injuries in female nurses of a public and private hospital and compare the findings. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at one public and one private tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, from March to June 2015, and comprised female nurses who were selected using non-probability purposive sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to interview the subjects. Data analysis was done using SPSS 17. RESULTS: Of the 386 participants, there were 193(50%) from each of the two hospitals. The prevalence of needle-stick injuries was found to be 85(44%) in public and 51(26.4%) in the private hospital. The highest proportion of injuries in both hospitals occurred while disposing or recapping needles, 36(42.4%) and 32(62.7 %) in public and private hospitals, respectively, especially in the morning shift, i.e. 42(49.4%) in public and 32(62.7%) in private hospital. Syringe needles were mostly involved, 51(60%) in public and 45(88.2%) in private hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of needle-stick injuries was higher in public hospital.

Pattern of addiction and its relapse among habitual drug abusers in Lahore, Pakistan.

This study assessed the pattern of drug abuse and the reasons for relapse of addiction among male drug addicts seeking rehabilitative services in different centres in Lahore, Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on male drug abusers from April to December 2016. Nonprobability purposive sampling was done to collect a sample of 119 participants. A structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used for data collection. Out of 119 participants, 71.4% were in the age group 15-35 years. Educational levels were low in the majority, with 68.1% below secondary education. Unmarried (51.3%) and unemployed (44.5%) participants were at the greatest risk of using drugs. The age of addiction in 45% of patients was < 18 years and 40% had been abusing substances for > 5 years. Reasons for starting drug abuse were recreation (37%), curiosity (34.5%), and lifechanging events (14.3%). Reasons for relapse included association with former addicts, negative reactions from family, inability to manage the craving and work/social stress.