Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Physical Activity Levels Among School-Age Adolescents In The Rural And Urban Areas Of District Swat Kpk, Pakistan- An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study, Imran Uddin

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Obesity and overweight represent significant global public health concerns. Young adolescents are in particular increasingly experiencing obesity and overweight due to their sedentary lifestyles, excessive electronic media use, and lack of physical activity (PA). This trend is linked to the development of non-communicable diseases in later life. Moreover, data regarding the lack of PA is available in Pakistan, but a gap exists in the comparative analysis of physical activity levels between rural and urban adolescents. Rural and urban areas exhibit distinctions in both geographical settings and technological advancements, potentially influencing the PA levels of their respective inhabitants.
Purpose: The …

Seeds Of Trust Ripe As Luscious Fruits: Faculty Mentorship Forum At Aga Khan University Medical College, Rehana Rehman, Rahila Ali, Saira Khalid, Tazeen Saeed Ali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background & objective: Faculty members require mentoring in all stages of their professional development. Aga Khan University (AKU) has initiated mentorship programs for students and faculty at AKU Medical College (AKU- MC) and AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKU-SONAM). This study aimed to explore perceptions of mentors, mentees, administrators (chairs, co-chairs, founder members and coordinators of the mentoring program) and leadership and further investigate the strengths and challenges faced by 'Faculty Mentorship Program' at AKU- MC.
Methods: We conducted a qualitative exploratory study from February till December 2021 after approval from AKU using purposive criterion sampling. Mentors, mentees, administrators …

Progression Of Dyad Mentorship To Work Driven Model: Is This A Value Addition?, Rehana Rehman, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Rahila Ali

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Needs Assessment For Faculty Development In Health Professions Education At A Medical University In Karachi, Pakistan, Tabassum Zehra, Sana Saeed, Rahila Ali, Amber Sultan, Areeba Hussain

Department for Educational Development

Faculty Development (FD) embraces all educational activities used by teachers to improve their knowledge and skills for enhancing their academic competencies. This study aimed to identify the areas in Health Professions Education (HPE) in which formal faculty development is required. A needs assessment survey was conducted from among the faculty members at the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi, Pakistan, and the French Medical Institute for Mother and Children, Afghanistan. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.0 and reported frequencies and percentages according to various academic tracks. Competency-based curricula (51%), providing effective feedback (51%), developing Objective Structured Clinical Exam (51%), and clinical …

Assessing The Validity Of Admission Test Into The Internship Programme At A Private University In Pakistan, Qamar Riaz, Naveed Yousuf, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Department for Educational Development

Objective: To report the development and validity assessment of a comprehensive model of assessment method comprising written test and multiple mini interviews for selection in a medical internship programme.
Method: The psychometric validation study was conducted at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, and comprised anonymised scores of written admission test, multiple mini interviews and exit written exams for all the interns who completed their internships in 2018 and 2019. Correlation between admission and exit tests, and predictions were assessed. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.
Results: There were 160 interns; 80(50%) each in 2018 and 2019. Mean scores were …

Publication Dynamics: What Can Be Done To Eliminate Barriers To Publishing Full Manuscripts By The Postgraduate Trainees Of A Low-Middle Income Country?, Hafsa Majid, Lena Jafri, Sibtain Ahmed, Muhammad Abbas Abid, Mohammad Aamir, Aamir Ijaz, Aysha Habib Khan, Imran Siddiqui

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the publication rate of free paper abstracts presented by the postgraduate (PG) trainees and determine the reasons for non-publication. A mixed methods study was conducted. PG trainees presenting free papers at the at the Pakistan Society of Chemical Pathologist conferences from 2012 to 2018 were included. Three databases were searched to identify if the abstracts were published or not. The PG trainee authors of abstracts not published as full manuscript, were surveyed to determine the barriers and challenges in publishing a manuscript.
Results: The average rate of full manuscript publication was 51.8% (n = …

Development Of Evidence-Based Covid-19 Management Guidelines For Local Context: The Methodological Challenges, Sarah Nadeem, Salima Saleem Aamdani, Bushra Ayub, Nashia Ali Rizvi, Fatima Safi Arslan, Russell Seth Martins, Maria Khan, Syed Faisal Mahmood

Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented as a therapeutic challenge for clinicians worldwide due to its rapid spread along with evolving evidence and understanding of the disease. Internationally, recommendations to guide the management of COVID-19 have been created and updated continuously by the WHO and CDC, which have been locally adapted by different countries. Similarly, Pakistan's National Command Operation Center (NCOC), in its national COVID-19 management strategy, generated guidelines for national implementation. Keeping the guidelines updated has proved challenging globally and locally. Here, we present a summary of the process to assess the evidence, including a time-restricted …

Rates Of Publication Of Fcps Dissertations In International And National Peer-Review Journals Among Residents At Akuh; A Cross Sectional Review Of 15 Years, Ainulakbar Mughal, Syed Akbar Abbas, Abdul Basit Shah Vardag, Muhammad Wasif, Soubia Akhtar, Ayesha Abbasi

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Objective: To see the rate of publication of postgraduate residents' dissertation.
Methods: The single-centre retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised research publications from the residents of the departments of Surgery and Medicine who graduated between 2005 and 2020. The surgical subspecialties included Otolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Dentistry, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatric Surgery, Urology, Plastic Surgery and Cardiovascular Surgery. Data comprised demographics, current institution, current designation, information on dissertation/paper publication, topic of study, year of completion of dissertation, input from the research department, delay in exam due to incomplete dissertation and whether the paper got …

Navigating Through Our History In Research: An Altmetric Analysis For Publications By The Full-Time Operative Dentistry Faculty At The Aga Khan University Hospital In The Past Decade, Nighat Naveed, Fahad Umer

Section of Dental-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

Objective: To analyse the social dissemination of publications by fulltime faculty at a tertiary care facility.
Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised publication records of the fulltime Operative Dentistry faculty members between July 2011 till July 2021. The search was done on Google Scholar, Altmetric Explorer and PubMed electronic databases. After final screening, all the publications in PubMed-indexed journals, including in vitro studies, randomised controlled trials, original research articles, case reports and letters to the editor, for which the Altmetric Attention Score was available were included.
Results: Of the 225 publications …

A Nationwide Virtual Research Education Program For Medical Students In Pakistan: Methodological Framework, Feasibility Testing, And Outcomes, Ali Aahil Noorali, Maha Inam, Hamna Shahbaz, Hareem Rauf, Faiqa Binte Aamir, Farah Khalid, Saadia Abbas, Abdullah Saeed, Muhammad Daniyal Musharraf, Asma Altaf Hussain Merchant, Babar Hasan, Muneera A. Rasheed, Fyezah Jehan, Muhammad Tariq, Adil Hussain Haider

Medical College Documents

Introduction: Equipping young medical trainees with fundamental research skills can be a promising strategy to address the need for professionals who can understand and responsibly communicate evolving scientific evidence during a pandemic. Despite an ardent interest to partake in research, most educational institutions in Pakistan and other low-middle income countries have not yet adopted a comprehensive strategy for research skills education. The authors aimed to design and assess the feasibility of implementing the first nation-wide virtual research workshop for medical students in Pakistan.
Methods: The course "Beginners Guide to Research," designed as a nation-wide virtual research workshop series, was conducted …

Does Digital Literacy Empower Adolescent Girls In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review, Salima Meherali, Komal Abdul Rahim, Sandra Campbell, Zohra S. Lassi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: The vast majority (90%) of the world's adolescents aged 10-19 live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); and in those resource-limited settings, girls face distinct challenges across multiple health, social, and economic domains. Gender equality and girls' empowerment are key goals in their own right and are central to all other development goals. Digital literacy is a great enabler for the empowerment of young girls. This systematic review aims to assess the range and nature of digital literacy interventions implemented to empower adolescent girls in LMICs and identify evidence about adolescent girls' access and use of digital technologies in …

Exploring Community Perceptions, Attitudes And Practices Regarding The Covid-19 Pandemic In Karachi, Pakistan, Anam Shahil Feroz, Naureen Akber Ali, Ridah Feroz, Noshaba Akber, Salima Nazim Meghani

Community Health Sciences

Background: The Government of Pakistan is facing difficulty to contain the surge of COVID-19 due to the country's social, political, economical and cultural context. Experiences from the previous epidemic suggest that community perceptions, social norms and cultural practices can impede COVID-19 containment. To understand social responses towards COVID-19, the study aims to explore the understanding of COVID-19 and the acceptance of control measures among community members.
Methods: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a purposive sampling approach, at two communities of Karachi, Pakistan. In-depth interviews were conducted with community members including, young, middle-aged and older adults of both genders. …

Mentorship In Surgical Training: Where Do We Stand?, Saleema Begum, Muhammad Rizwan Khan, Madeeha Safa

Section of General Surgery

Mentorship in medicine aims at professional and personal development of trainees in the early stages of their careers. It is more popular in surgical subspecialties since transfer of technical skills is an integral part of surgical training, which makes it distinct compared to other specialties. Effective mentoring in surgery plays a crucial role in academic success, professional development, career guidance and personal growth of residents, and provides guidance and support to mentees to excel in their respective fields, and increases the likelihood of success by enhancing motivation with positive impact on burnout among residents. Efforts have been made by accreditation …

Peer Victimization And Experiences Of Violence At School And At Home Among School Age Children With Disabilities In Pakistan And Afghanistan, Rozina Somani, Julienne Corboz, Rozina Karmaliani, Esnat D. Chirwa, Judith Mcfarlane, Hussain Maqbool Ahmed Khuwaja, Nargis Asad, Yasmeen Hassan Somani, Ingrid Van Der Heijden, Rachel Jewke

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Children with disabilities are more likely to experience violence or injury at school and at home, but there is little evidence from Central Asia.
Objective: To describe the prevalence of disability and associations with peer violence perpetration and victimization, depression, corporal punishment, school performance and school attendance, among middle school children in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Method: This is a secondary analysis of data gathered in the course of evaluations of interventions to prevent peer violence conducted in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the 'What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls Global Programme'. In …

Paradigm Shift In The Surgical Training: The Era Of Innovation, Simulation And Beyond, Syed Shahabuddin, Shiraz Hashmi, Yasir Khan, Shahid Ahmed Sami

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

This is an era of transformation of surgical education and training. Modern methods of training are being introduced at a rapid pace and are being adopted in surgical practice not only to improve the outcomes and patient satisfaction, but also to provide an opportunity to develop a new well-structured training curriculum by integrating both traditional and modern approaches to teach and learn surgical skills. Various surgical simulators are in use as training aids and are constantly undergoing further refinement and development. To achieve a smooth transition in surgical training to modern methods, a structured programme has to be developed and …

Inculcating Research Curriculum In Operative Dentistry - Endodontics Residency Programme: Experience And Outcomes, Farhan Raza Khan, Rabia Ghafoor, Fahad Umer, Munawar Rahman

Section of Dental-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

Incorporating research education and training in residency curriculum increases the understanding of evidence-based decision-making among doctors in training. Evidence suggests that the addition of research is linearly associated with improvement in clinical competence, and encourages the residents to shape their career as clinical investigators. The current paper was planned to share the experience of adding research into the core curriculum of Operative Dentistry-Endodontics residency programme at a tertiary care university hospital, and to evaluate the outcome achieved with that change.

Teaching The 'Comprehensive Dental Care' In Formative Years Of Education And Training: A New Model For Dental Internship, Farhan Raza Khan, Syed Murtaza Raza Kazmi, Syed Sheeraz Hussain, Syed Mahmood Haider

Section of Dental-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

There is a need of a new model of education and training to be implemented in the Bachelors of Dental Surgery curriculum in the relevant Pakistani institutions. The current review article was planned to suggest such a model in the light of literature aimed at building the capacity of dental graduates in a competency-driven approach with the objective of offering safe, efficient and comprehensive care to dental patients. The outcome of the reforms suggested shall prepare dental graduates suitably geared towards providing community-oriented family dental care right from their formative years. Moreover, the suggested internship model can also help to …

Peer-Taught Virtual Research Workshops For Surgical Residents: Protocol For A Novel And Sustainable Solution To Improving Surgical Research In Pakistan, Russell S. Martins, Ronika Devi Ukrani, Mohummad Hassan Raza Raja, Maria Khan, Haissan Iftikhar, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Saulat Fatimi

Medical College Documents

Objective: To generate a protocol describing the methodology for a study assessing the effectiveness of a comprehensive series of peer-taught online research workshops for surgical residents across Pakistan in terms of improving research-related knowledge and skills, and long-term research involvement and output.
Methods: The quasi-experimental study will consist of a series of six online research workshops conducted over Zoom for surgical residents across Pakistan. An online sign-up form will be circulated on social media to current surgical residents throughout Pakistan. Curricular content covered in the workshops will be developed in collaboration with experienced research faculty at the Departments of Surgery …

Right To Play's Intervention To Reduce Peer Violence Among Children In Public Schools In Pakistan: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, Rozina Karmaliani, Judith Mcfarlane, Hussain Maqbool Ahmed Khuwaja, Yasmeen Hassan Somani, Shireen Shehzad, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Nargis Asad, Esnat D. Chirwa, Rachel Jewkes

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Peer violence is common globally, but a little researched topic in low-and middle-income countries. This study presents the evaluation of a two-year randomized controlled trial of a structured play-based life-skills intervention implemented in schools in Hyderabad, Pakistan.
Objective: To determine the impact of the intervention on school-based peer violence (victimization and perpetration) and depression among school children.
Methods: 40 single-sex public schools were randomized into two study arms (20 per arm 10 of each sex). A total of 1752 grade 6 students (929 from intervention and 823 from control schools) were enrolled in the trial. The two-year intervention was …

Impact Of Humanities And Social Sciences Curriculum In An Undergraduate Medical Education Programme, Kulsoom Ghias, Kausar S. Khan, Rukhsana Ali, Shireen Azfar, Rashida Ahmed

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To evaluate the impact of humanities and social sciences curriculum in an undergraduate medical education programme.
Methods: The qualitative study was conducted from May 2016 to May 2017 at a private medical college in Karachi where humanities and social sciences subject is an art of the undergraduate curriculum as a 6-week module at the start of Year 1 of the five-year programme. Focus group discussions were held with students from all the five years as well as with faculty related to humanities and social sciences, basic sciences and their clinical counterparts. The views of alumni of the undergraduate programme …

Reorienting Nurturing Care For Early Childhood Development During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Kenya: A Review, Constance Shumba, Rose Maina, Gladys Mbuthia, Rachel Kimani, Stella Mbugua, Sweta Shah, Amina Abubakar, Stanley Luchters, Sheila Shaibu, Eunice Ndirangu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

In Kenya, millions of children have limited access to nurturing care. With the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is anticipated that vulnerable children will bear the biggest brunt of the direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic. This review aimed to deepen understanding of the effects of COVID-19 on nurturing care from conception to four years of age, a period where the care of children is often delivered through caregivers or other informal platforms. The review has drawn upon the empirical evidence from previous pandemics and epidemics, and anecdotal and emerging evidence from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Multifactorial impacts …

Gender Discrimination Against Female Surgeons: A Cross-Sectional Study In A Lower-Middle-Income Country, Mahin Janjua, Hina Inam, Russell S. Martins, Nida Zahid, Abida K. Sattar, Shaista Khan, Sadaf Khan, Aneela Darbar, Nuzhat Faruqui, Sharmeen Akram, Ather Enam, Adil H. Haider, Mahim Malik

Department of Surgery

Introduction: Although gender discrimination and bias (GD/bias) experienced by female surgeons in the developed world has received much attention, GD/bias in lower-middle-income countries like Pakistan remains unexplored. Thus, our study explores how GD/bias is perceived and reported by surgeons in Pakistan.
Method: A single-center cross-sectional anonymous online survey was sent to all surgeons practicing/training at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. The survey explored the frequency, source and impact of GD/bias among surgeons.
Results: 98/194 surgeons (52.4%) responded to the survey, of which 68.4% were males and 66.3% were trainees. Only 19.4% of women surgeons reported 'significant' frequency of GD/bias …

Effectiveness Of High-Fidelity Simulation In Nursing Education For End-Of-Life Care: A Quasi-Experimental Design, Salma Rattani, Zohra Kurji, Amina Aijaz Khowaja Ap, Jacqueline Maria Dias, Anila Naz Alisher

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Providing end of life (EOL) care is a component of palliative care but dealing with dying patients and their family members is stressful for the healthcare providers. To prepare them for providing EOL care, the high-fidelity simulation could be used as a pedagogy in which real-life scenarios are used on the computerized manikins mimicking the real patients.
Aims: The aim of this study was to measure the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation to teach EOL care in the palliative nursing course in the undergraduate nursing education program at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Aga Khan University which is …

Insight Into Covid-19 Responses And Initiatives From Pakistan, Salima Farooq, Sonia Ijaz Haider, Saima Sachwani, Yasmin Parpio

School of Nursing & Midwifery

The coronavirus pandemic is a rapidly evolving outbreak that has tremendously distressed people worldwide. The paper aims to present some key rapid responses and initiatives to COVID-19 undertaken in Pakistan. The information has been gathered by reviewing material and documents pertinent to COVID-19 in the context of Pakistan. The incidences of COVID-19 cases are gradually increasing; however, the case fatality rate is relatively lower in Pakistan as compared to developed countries. The government has taken massive actions, in terms of lockdowns, quarantine homes, testing facilities, closure of schools, and mass gatherings at places, to combat COVID-19. However, the measures seem …

Impact Of Wellness Indicators On Intellectual Dimensions Of Medical Teachers Of Karachi: Findings From Cross Sectional Study, Rehana Rehman, Sadiqa Syed, Mehwish Hussain, Tayyab Raza Fraz, Saif Ullah Shaikh

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To measure impact of social, spiritual, occupational, physical, financial and emotional wellness on intellectual wellness of medical teachers.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at 8 medical universities in the Sindh province of Pakistan from January 2012 to December 2014, and comprised faculty members. Using a self-administered questionnaire, teachers' responses on physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational and financial spokes of the wellness wheel that were graded on a 4-point Likert scale. Generalised linear models were executed to find the best predictive scores for intellectual wellness.
Results: Out of 300 subjects approached, 261(87%) returned the questionnaire fully completed. Of …

Teaching "Shock Pathophysiology" By Flipped Classroom: Views And Perspectives, Rehana Rehman, Satwat Hashmi, Rozmeen Akbar, Syeda Sadia Fatima

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Flipped classroom (FCR) is an active learning pedagogical method in which the students prepare prior to class using different modalities, for example, reading materials and videos, and afterward spend the time in class discussing the content and reinforcing the concepts. We chose to replace one problem-based case on "Shock" with flipped-style teaching in the respiration circulation module of a private medical university. Our objective was to use the clinical presentation of "Shock" to open a window to interrelate basic science concepts of cardiovascular physiology and pathology. It aimed to merge the case-based discussion with small-group discussions in the form of …

A Qualitative Study On Adequate Sleep In Preschool Children – Can We Sleep On It?, Seema Zainulabdin Lasi, Noreen Afzal, Somal Kayani

Human Development Programme

Sleep is a significant marker of physical and psychological health. The present research was undertaken to explore perceptions of parents, teachers and pediatricians about preschool children’s sleep patterns, habits, and problems from urban Karachi, Pakistan. A qualitative research approach was employed; data collection methods were Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The themes identified were children’s sleep patterns, sleep environment, sleep rituals, distractions, sleep problems, the impact of inadequate sleep, and recommendations to improve. Emergent themes were inconsistency of rules from parents, lack of opportunities for outdoor physical activity, different kinds of stresses, social and cultural events …

Gender Based Violence And Health Effects, Tazeen Saeed Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Gender Based Violence (GBV) violates the basic human right of a person’s physical, sexual and emotional integrity and health ([i]) such that globally, one out of every three women is subject to some form of violence, ranging from verbal and physical abuse to emotional blackmailing and psychological torture eventually leading to futile despair and hopelessness. The ironical perception of gender equality in our society is the root cause of gender based violence, with women being more afflicted by such a form of gender discrimination than men. [i]. Ali TS, Krantz G, Gul R, Asad N, Johansson E, …

Perception Of Nursing Students Regarding Blended Learning Implementation At University Of Lahore, Pakistan, Muhammad Afzal, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Syed Amir Gilani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background and objectives: Blended learning (BL) is positive development in education. This method provoke the learner’s critical thinking and given different ways for implementation of their knowledge in real life. There are several advantages of blended learning to the faculty, students and institutions as well.
Methods: The Cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from nursing students. The study was carried out at Lahore School of Nursing, The University of Lahore, Pakistan. All nursing undergraduates students enrolled at elective practicum blended learning course at Lahore School of Nursing, The University of Lahore, Pakistan academic year 2016-2017 were included in …

Factors That Influence Transition To Advanced Roles By Rn To Bsn Nurses, In Three Selected Hospitals Of Central-Uganda, John Baptist Asiimwe, Mercy Muwema, Karen B. Drake

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background

Despite the global rise in the number of nurses upgrading from Registered Nursing (RN) to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), studies have indicated that successful role transition is difficult once the nurses return to their previous workplaces. Guided by the Transitional Theory, this study investigates the factors that influence the transition from basic to advanced roles among RN to BSN nurses in Uganda, Africa.

Methods

This study employed a descriptive correlational design. Using convenience sampling, fifty-one (51) RN to BSN nurses completed the semi-structured questionnaires.

Results

All the study participants (100%) described themselves as having transitioned from …