Public Health Commons^™

Body Mass Index Or Body Fat! Which Is A Better Obesity Scale For Pakistani Population?, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Rehana Rehman, Bushra Chaudhry

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Ojective: To compare two methods of classifying obesity based on body mass index and body fat percentage.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2012 to August 2013 at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Male and female volunteers between the ages 15-65 years were selected using simple random sampling. They were classified into different groups for body mass index and body fat percentage measured through bioelectrical impedance scale. The subjects were sub-grouped into underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. SPSS 11 was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The mean age of the 828 healthy volunteers was 25.67±10.10 years. A …

The Impact Of Polio Eradication On Routine Immunization And Primary Health Care: A Mixed-Methods Study, Svea Closser, Kelly Cox, Thomas M. Parris, R Matthew Landis, Judith Justice, Ranjani Gopinath, Kenneth Maes, Hailom Banteyerga Amaha, Ismaila Zango Mohammed, Rashid Jooma

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: After 2 decades of focused efforts to eradicate polio, the impact of eradication activities on health systems continues to be controversial. This study evaluated the impact of polio eradication activities on routine immunization (RI) and primary healthcare (PHC).
Methods: Quantitative analysis assessed the effects of polio eradication campaigns on RI and maternal healthcare coverage. A systematic qualitative analysis in 7 countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa assessed impacts of polio eradication activities on key health system functions, using data from interviews, participant observation, and document review.
Results: Our quantitative analysis did not find compelling evidence of widespread and …

Integration Of Non-Communicable Diseases Into Primary Health Care: A Snapshot From Eastern Mediterranean Region, Shehla Zaidi, Abdul Latif Khan, Aftab Ali Mukhi, Yousuf Memon, Slim Slama, Samer Jabbour

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Prevalence Of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Barbers And Their Knowledge, Attitude And Practices In The District Of Sukkur, Sindh ., Imran Naeem Abbasi, Zafar Fatmi, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Nalini Sathiakumar

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Several occupations in developing countries lag behind in ensuring the safety of their workers in occupational settings. Lack of implementation of safety guidelines at workplaces can expose workers to health risks. In Pakistan, barbers are one of the un-regulated occupational groups. Low literacy, increased frequency of direct skin contact and blade/razors use can expose barbers to body fluids including blood of the customers. We conducted this study in order to determine hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence among barbers and their knowledge, attitude and practices in a peri-urban district of Sindh.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Three hundred eighty-five barbers from …

A Risk Prediction Model For The Assessment And Triage Of Women With Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In Low-Resourced Settings: The Minipiers (Pre-Eclampsia Integrated Estimate Of Risk) Multi-Country Prospective Cohort Study, Beth A. Payne, Jennifer A. Hutcheon, J. Mark Ansermino, David R. Hall, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Shereen Z. Bhutta, Christine Biryabarema, William A. Grobman, Henk Groen, Farizah Haniff, Jing Li, Laura A. Magee, Mario Merialdi, Annettee Nakimuli, Ziguang Qu, Rozina Sikandar Sultanali, Nelson Sass, Diane Sawchuck, D. Wilhelm Steyn, Mariana Widmer, Jian Zhou, Peter Von Dadelszen

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Background: Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia are leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, particularly in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). We developed the miniPIERS risk prediction model to provide a simple, evidence-based tool to identify pregnant women in LMICs at increased risk of death or major hypertensive-related complications.

Methods and Findings: From 1 July 2008 to 31 March 2012, in five LMICs, data were collected prospectively on 2,081 women with any hypertensive disorder of pregnancy admitted to a participating centre. Candidate predictors collected within 24 hours of admission were entered into a step-wise backward elimination logistic regression model to predict a composite …