Validation of the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire (RLCQ) for stress measurement among adults residing in urban communities in Pakistan.

Background: Recent Life Changes Questionnaire (RLCQ) developed by Richard Rahe has enabled quantification of stress by analyzing life events. The overall aim of the study was to create a reliable version of the Rahe's RLCQ for measuring stress in individuals living in developing countries and assess its validity. This paper discusses criterion validation of the adapted RLCQ in urban communities in Pakistan.

Making prescriptions "talk" to stroke and heart attack survivors to improve adherence: Results of a randomized clinical trial (The Talking Rx Study).

Background: We developed and tested the effectiveness of a tailored health information technology driven intervention: "Talking Prescriptions" (Talking Rx) to improve medication adherence in a resource challenged environment.

Methods: We conducted a parallel, randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded trial at the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi, Pakistan. Adults with diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosed least one month before enrollment, on anti-platelets and statins, with access to a mobile phone were enrolled.