Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Metabolic Syndrome And Obesity Among Marginalised School-Going Adolescents In Karachi, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Hina Sharif, Sana Sharif Sheikh, Tooba Seemi, Hira Naeem, Unab Khan, Shah Sumaya Jan

Department of Family Medicine

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors which increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS among adolescents living in slums aged 11-18 years in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: Data were collected from 689 adolescents attending five schools in two slum areas of Karachi, Korangi and Baldia, from February 2023 to March 2023. Measurements of weight, height, waist circumference, and blood pressure were obtained from the study participants. Blood samples were collected to assess fasting plasma glucose, High density lipoprotein HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels as …

Child Maltreatment And Neglect In The United Arab Emirates And Relationship With Low Self-Esteem And Symptoms Of Depression, Syed M. Shah, Gul Nowshad, Fatima Al Dhaheri, Mariam H. Al-Shamsi, Alfan M. Al-Ketbi, Alaa Galadari, Priyam Joshi, Heba Bendak, Michal Grivna, Danilo Arnone

Department of Family Medicine

Objectives: To our knowledge, this study is the first in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to investigate the prevalence of child maltreatment in relation to depressive symptoms and self-esteem.
Study design: Exposure to physical maltreatment, emotional abuse and neglect was evaluated in 518 adolescents (86% response rate) randomly selected from schools in Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure self-esteem and depressive symptoms by using multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Results: The mean age of study participants was 14.3 years. Emotional abuse was the most frequent form …

Sleep And Its Relation With Academic Performance Among Adolescents: An Analytical Cross Sectional Study In Gulshan Town, Karachi, Zainab Mohammad Anjarwala, Niloufer Sultan Ali, Kashmira Nanji, Anum Arshad Beg, Veena Kumari Karmani

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: To determine the prevalence of sleep patterns and their relationship with academic performance among adolescents.
Methods: The analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2015 in Gulshan Town of Karachi and comprised students in grades 6 to 8 who were selected from six government and private schools. Data was collected regarding their sleeping time, wake-up time, sleep latency and total sleep duration. Paediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale was administered to calculate daytime sleepiness. Academic performance of students was taken from school academic records. Data was analysed using SPSS 22.
Results: Of the 440 subjects, 234 (53.2%) were boys …

Self-Perceived Health Among School Going Adolescents In Pakistan: Influence Of Individual, Parental And Life Style Factors?, Asad Ali Khan Afridi, Komal Motwani, Saleem Khawaja, Adeel Khoja, Zafar Fatmi, Iqbal Azam Syed, Muhammad Masood Kadir

Department of Medicine

BACKGROUND: Adolescents are at substantial risk of acquiring behaviors which might influence their health status. This study was aimed to assess the proportion of school going adolescents (both males and females) with poor self-perceived health and its associated factors.

METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three major cities of Pakistan i.e. Karachi, Lahore and Quetta. From each city, six (6) secondary schools were randomly selected (3 public and 3 private). Pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to students. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine independent factors associated with poor self-perceived health.

RESULTS: Approximately 29% adolescents (119/414) reported poor …

Preventable Lifestyle Risk Factors For Non-Communicable Diseases In The Pakistan Adolescents Schools Study 1 (Pass-1)., Ali Khan Khuwaja, Saleem Khawaja, Komal Motwani, Adeel Khoja, Iqbal Azam Syed, Zafar Fatmi, Badar Sabir Ali, Muhammad Masood Kadir

Department of Medicine

Objectives: The rising burden of preventable risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among adolescents is a major public health challenge worldwide. We identified the preventable risk factors for NCDs in adolescents.

Methods: In a school-based study, pre-tested structured questionnaires were completed by 414 adolescents (14 to 17 years) at six schools in three cities in Pakistan. The chi-squared test and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated in a multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Results: Over 80% of the adolescents had unhealthy diets, and 54% were physically inactive. Most adolescents were exposed to passive smoking, and 14% …