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Introduction Home delivery is a predominant driver of maternal and neonatal deaths in developing countries. Despite the efforts of international organizations in Pakistan, home childbirth is common in the remote and rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. We studied women's position within the household (socio-economic dependence, maternal health decision making, and social mobility) and its association with the preference for home delivery. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional household survey among 503 ever-married women of reproductive age (15-49 years), who have had childbirth in the last twelve months or were pregnant (more than 6 months) at the time of the interview. A two-stage cluster sampling technique has been used for recruitment. Descriptive and bivariate analyses have been conducted. A binary logistic regression model was calculated to present odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for factor associated with home delivery. Results An inferior status of women, restrictions in mobility and limited power in decision making related to household purchases, maternal health care, and outdoor socializing are contributing factors of home delivery. Furthermore, women having faced intimate partner violence were much more likely to deliver at home (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.83.3.86, p < 0.001). Discussion We concluded that women are in a position with minimal authority in decision making to access and deliver the baby in any health facility. We recommend that the government should ensure the availability of health facilities in nearby locations to increase institutional deliveries in the study area., Author(s): Hussain Ali [sup.1] , Qaisar Khalid Mahmood [sup.2] , Aisha Jalil [sup.3] , Florian Fischer [sup.4] [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.440522.5, 0000 0004 0478 6450, Abdul Wali Khan University, [...]

This research study was designed to examine manifestation of online and offline political participation of educated Pakistani youth. The second objective of the study was to locate variation in political participation of the students on the basis of sociodemographic variables and the membership of Facebook pages of the users. The population of the study was university students studying in various degree awarding institutes of Lahore city, capital city of the Punjab province. The data were collected through structured questionnaire from 1245 students of various university students. Factor analysis was performed to see the manifestation of both kinds of political participation. Independent sample t-test and one way ANOVA were used to see differences in political participation of the students based on their sociodemographic variables and membership of Facebook pages. The findings confirmed that university students practiced both kinds of political participation. However, they were more inclined towards online political participation than offline political participation. The results also approved that sociodemographic variables and the membership of Facebook pages had significant effect on online and offline political participation of the students.

Several causes can contribute to delayed PhD graduation in Pakistani universities. One such aspect could be problems and procedural delays with the approval of research proposals, thesis submissions, and evaluation. This study will look into PhD scholars' topic approval timelines, concerns with their thesis submission process, and issues in thesis review. The study was done at four Pakistani universities, with 200 PhD scholars participating. A survey method was used, with data obtained using an online questionnaire. The key findings are that research proposals are approved by three forums. The first one is the board of studies. The second one is the board of faculty, and the third one is the board of advanced studies and research. The respondents reported that it took up to two semesters to get their research proposal or topic approved. Moreover, respondents also reported that there were fewer issues during the thesis submission process. Similarly, various issues were faced during foreign thesis evaluation, as it also took time. The findings of the study suggest that procedural delays need to be addressed and efforts should be made by university administration to facilitate PhD scholars in timely processing and evaluation of theses to facilitate timely attainment of PhD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been little research on the challenges facing special education teachers (SETs), since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify SETs predictors for stress and barriers to teaching effectiveness. Using a mixed methods cross-sectional design we sampled six public sector special needs institutes. A total of 205 quantitative surveys and 21 qualitative interviews were collected, respectively. Logistic bivariate regression results revealed seven factors predicting higher stress in SETs and qualitative themes further shed light on barriers to teacher efficacy. We conclude with key recommendations for the Special Education Sector and support for SETs, with implications for other developing regions. Abbreviations: SET: special edcation teachers; SSN: students with special needs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been no research in Pakistan about how to improve quality of life (QOL) of aging populations through intergenerational learning. In this study we aimed to deliver an intervention for intergenerational learning to assess the impact on QOL through a quasi-experiment research design. We also aimed to identify which types of intergenerational learning activities improve QOL and how the activities may be improved. We gained permission to deliver the intervention from a state-run old age center in Punjab. Though the intervention started with 42 participants, we were left with 18 participants at the end of the three-month intervention. The results show posttest improvement in: (i) sleep (t = 3.01, p <.05), (ii) life enjoyment (t = 2.26, p <.05), and (iii) psychological health (t = 2.04, p =.05). In addition, participants with more education exhibited significant improvement in QOL after the intervention. We were also able to compile a list of 19 suggestions by participants for overall changes in learning activities, changes in specific interventions delivered, and suggestions for more types of interventions. We conclude that intergenerational learning improves QOL, and recommend suggestions for life satisfaction, and the planning of old age home centers. This study has implications for aging policy across developing and South Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging people in Pakistan are a growing population who face a shortage of old age home facilities. There is critical need to develop state-run old age homes for poor older people but to plan them while identifying protective factors for life satisfaction in currently housed residents. Our sample consists of 139 aging residents from six public sector old age homes across four cities. The qualitative results highlight barriers to life satisfaction and coping strategies of the aging population. Bivariate regression results show that aging residents have higher odds for life satisfaction when they are content with: (i) quality of life overall (AOR 5.99; 95% CI: 2.38–7.06); (ii) health (AOR 2.50; 95% CI: 1.02–4.14); (iii) finances (AOR 1.98; 95% CI: 0.67–3.72); (iv) religious and spiritual associations (AOR 1.90; 95% CI: 0.81–2.45); and (v) opportunities for learning (AOR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.42–2.41). We conclude with four salient social policy recommendations to improve life satisfaction for older populations living in old age homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]