Determinants of occupational hazards knowledge and safety practices among textile workers in Karachi, Pakistan: a cross sectional study.

Objective: To determine the factors associated with good knowledge and safe practices regarding occupational hazards among textile workers.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi from September 2015 to February 2016, and comprised male workers from seven textile mills. A 45-item structured questionnaire was developed and pretested in Urdu, the local language.

Severity and relation of primary dysmenorrhea and body mass index in undergraduate students of Karachi: A cross sectional survey.

Objective: To determine the frequency of primary dysmenorrhea and its association with body mass index in female students.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March, 2018, in two districts of Karachi, and comprised female undergraduate students aged 15-25 years who had reached menarche at an appropriate age. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess dysmenorrhea while Seca scale was used for nutritional status.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss among an Occupational Group of Textile Workers in Karachi, Pakistan.

A cross sectional survey was conducted among textile workers of six textile factories of different industrial areas of Karachi to determine the frequency of hearing loss. A total of 264 workers were assessed for frequency of hearing loss with audiometric and otoscopic examination conducted by audiologist. About 79% workers had hearing impairment on audiometric assessment having hearing loss ≥25 dB.

Needs assessment regarding occupational health and safety interventions among textile workers: A qualitative case study in Karachi, Pakistan.

Objective: To determine the perceived health and safety needs identified by textile workers, managers and experts as well as direct observation of the prevailing health and safety practices in the textile industry.

Methods: The qualitative study using the needs assessment conceptual framework was conducted in July-August 2015 in Karachi, and comprised focus group discussions with textile workers, in-depth interviews with factory managers and health and safety officers, and key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders and experts. A walk-through survey was also conducted in selected mills for which the Checklist of hazards in textiles was used.

Application of the GPS technology to assess time-location pattern of undergraduate students at a private medical university in Karachi, Pakistan: A pilot study.

To compare time-location pattern of undergraduate university students through GPS and diary method, and with level of physical activity, a cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2012 - May 2013 involving 50 undergraduate students from Aga Khan University. Data were recorded through GPS, diary method, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L) and accelerometer (ActiGraph). Median self-reported time spent in the indoor-inside the campus, indoor-outside the campus and outdoor environment was 405 (IQR:300-540), 720 (IQR:465-840) and 300 minutes (IQR:180-495) respectively, while 52% of the students were in moderate, 40% vigorous and 8% in mild categories of physical activity.

Obesity, An Emerging Epidemic In Pakistan-A Review Of Evidence.

Background: In Pakistan, the disease pattern is facing a huge changeover from acute and communicable diseases to the non-communicable diseases. Moreover, an emerging epidemic of obesity is still under recognized in Pakistan. A detailed review and dissemination of the existing knowledge to determine the extent of burden of obesity can help understand this important public health issue.

Validation of respiratory questionnaire for lung function assessment among an occupational group of textile workers in Pakistan.

Objective: To determine the association of spirometric lung pattern with respiratory symptoms and to validate the American Thoracic Society respiratory questionnaire for lung function assessment among textile workers.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to December 2009 among adult textile workers of Karachi. Data was collected through the American Thoracic Society Division of Lung Disease respiratory questionnaire and the lung function was assessed by using a spirometer.

Epidemiology, determinants and dynamics of cholera in Pakistan: gaps and prospects for future research.

Cholera is one of the notifiable endemic diseases in Pakistan, but the reporting of cholera cases is still unsatisfactory. Most of the diagnosed cases are never reported to the relevant authorities. In the year 1993 - 2005, the country did not report any single case of cholera to the WHO.

Burden of asthma among children in a developing megacity: childhood asthma study, Pakistan.

Objectives: Global burden of childhood asthma has increased in the past few decades, particularly in low-income countries. In Pakistan, there is a lack of community-based epidemiological studies estimating the burden of asthma among children. This study determined the prevalence and predictors of asthma among children 3-17 years of age in Karachi, Pakistan.

An overview of the predictors of depression among adult Pakistani women.

Diseases of women that are due to their gender specific roles and responsibilities result from cultural and social factors prevalent in the environs. World Health Organization has put special emphasis on research need regarding gender related factors for diseases disproportionately affecting women in developing countries. The objective of this write up was to determine the prevalence of depression and the associated risk factors among adult women in Pakistan.

Research fatigue among injecting drug users in Karachi, Pakistan.

Background: Karachi is the largest metropolis of Pakistan and its economic hub attracting domestic migrants for economic opportunities. It is also the epicenter of HIV epidemic in the country. Since 2004, one pilot study and four behavioral and biological surveillance rounds have been conducted in Karachi.