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Objective: To explore the factors which motivate or hamper our youngsters for blood donation and to understand the behavior of youth regarding blood donation through which we can rise voluntary blood donation. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore, from Jan 2017 to Sep 2017. Methodology: A self-designed detailed questionnaire was designed, comprised of the demographic status of the subject, various aspects of the attitudes, perceptions, and drives toward blood donation including the questions regarding earlier blood donation, their experience, future planning for blood donation and reasons for not donating the blood. Results: Out of the 789 participants, only 284 (36.01%) were blood donors including 231 (81.39%) males and 53 (18.61%) females. Altruism, sense of social responsibility, volunteerism, spiritual pleasure and gaining experience were major factors for blood donation while never asked for donation, objection from elders, fear for the needle, fear of adverse effects, weight gain/loss were the barriers which impede our youngsters for blood donation. Conclusion: Blood donation can be up surged with proper counseling, diminishing out spread myths and false perception among young population of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Social Issues Advocacy Scale (SIAS) was published in 2011 as a tool to assess attitudes and behaviors associated with social justice advocacy. The scale was later revised to reflect updated theories and research, resulting in the 78-item scale, SIAS-2. Given the length of SIAS-2, this article reports on three studies with the aims to shorten the number of items and provide reliability and validity data. In Study 1, we developed SIAS-2 Short Form, consisting of 38 items and 8 subscales, measuring different aspects of social justice advocacy, replicating the scale structure of SAIS-2. In Study 2, we confirmed the scale structure, using confirmatory factor analysis, and examined construct validity. As expected, SIAS-2 SF was positively associated with political engagement, cultural openness, social justice self-efficacy, and engagement, and negatively associated with belief in a just world and cultural dominance. Total scale Cronbach’s alpha was .94 (subscale alphas: .74–.87). As in Study 3, we examined test–retest reliability, with a score of r = .84 for the total scale score. The results revealed a 38-item scale with 8 subscales that appears valid and presents with good to excellent internal reliability. Limitations and implications are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the effects of airborne endotoxin on lung function impairment in exposure-response relationships among the workers of textile industry., Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan, from January to August 2014, and comprised textile mill workers. The participants were divided into exposed and control groups. A questionnaire was used to ask workers about the potential adverse health effects of their occupation. The pulmonary function test was carried out by spirometer. Endotoxin levels in the samples were determined using the key quality characteristics limulus amebocyte lysate. The data was analysed to determine the correlation between the endotoxin exposure duration and pulmonary function test parameters., Results: There were 200 subjects subdivided into 100 each inexposed and control groups. Overall, 160(80%) were not aware of safety measures and the remaining 40(20%) were partially practising. Changes in pulmonary function due to endotoxin exposure showed decreased force vital capacity, flow rate and peak expiratory flow parameters significantly different (p<0.05, p<0.001). The endotoxin concentration was between 12EU/m3 and 300EU/m3. Airborne endotoxin concentrations in textile plants exceeded the Dutch health-based guidance limit of 90EU/m3 and was associated with respiratory health effects., Conclusions: Prolonged exposure to airborne endotoxin caused constant lung impairment. Proper safety measures should be adopted to avoid the inhalation of cotton dust.