Journal of Pakistan Medical Association 

About: Journal of Pakistan Medical Association is an academic journal published by Pakistan Medical Association. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Population. It has an ISSN identifier of 0030-9982. Over the lifetime, 9621 publications have been published receiving 73411 citations. The journal is also known as: Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association.

Validity and reliability.

Abstract: For the statistical consultant working with social science researchers the estimation of reliability and validity is a task frequently encountered. Measurement issues differ in the social sciences in that they are related to the quantification of abstract, intangible and unobservable constructs. In many instances, then, the meaning of quantities is only inferred. Let us begin by a general description of the paradigm that we are dealing with. Most concepts in the behavioral sciences have meaning within the context of the theory that they are a part of. Each concept, thus, has an operational definition which is governed by the overarching theory. If a concept is involved in the testing of hypothesis to support the theory it has to be measured. So the first decision that the research is faced with is \" how shall the concept be measured? \" That is the type of measure. At a very broad level the type of measure can be observational, self-report, interview, etc. These types ultimately take shape of a more specific form like observation of ongoing activity, observing video-taped events, self-report measures like questionnaires that can be open-ended or close-ended, Likert-type scales, interviews that are structured, semi-structured or unstructured and open-ended or close-ended. Needless to say, each type of measure has specific types of issues that need to be addressed to make the measurement meaningful, accurate, and efficient. Another important feature is the population for which the measure is intended. This decision is not entirely dependent on the theoretical paradigm but more to the immediate research question at hand. 6/14/2016 2 A third point that needs mentioning is the purpose of the scale or measure. What is it that the researcher wants to do with the measure? Is it developed for a specific study or is it developed with the anticipation of extensive use with similar populations? Once some of these decisions are made and a measure is developed, which is a careful and tedious process, the relevant questions to raise are \" how do we know that we are indeed measuring what we want to measure? \" since the construct that we are measuring is abstract, and \" can we be sure that if we repeated the measurement we will get the same result? \". The first question is related to validity and second to reliability. Validity and reliability are two important characteristics of behavioral measure and are referred to as …

Self-medication amongst university students of Karachi: prevalence, knowledge and attitudes.

Abstract: Objective To determine the prevalence, attitude and knowledge of self-medication amongst university students of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods This cross-sectional, study was conducted from Jan-Feb 2007. A convenience sample was taken from 2 medical and 2 non-medical universities of the city of Karachi, Pakistan. Data was analyzed using SPSS v 14 and associations were tested using the Chi square test. Results Of the 572 participants (mean age=21 +/- 1.8 years, Male: Female ratio=1:1.5), 295 were medical and 277 were non-medical students. The prevalence of self-medication was 76%. Forty three percent students stated that they alter the regimen of prescribed medicines while 61.9% stated that they stop taking a prescribed medicine without consulting a doctor. The most common reason for self-medication was previous experience (50.1%) and the most common symptoms were headache (72.4%), flu (65.5%), and fever (55.2%). Commonly used medicines were analgesics (88.3%), antipyretics (65.1%) and antibiotics (35.2%). Eighty seven percent of students thought self-medication could be harmful and 82.5% students thought that it was necessary to consult a doctor before taking a new medicine. There was no significant difference between the self medication practices of medical and non medical students (p=0.8) Conclusion Prevalence of self-medication is high in the educated youth, despite majority being aware of its harmful effects. There is a need to educate the youth to ensure safe practices. Strict policies need to be implemented on the advertising and selling of medications to prevent this problem from escalating.

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety and their associated factors among medical students in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract: Objective To estimate the prevalence of anxiety, depression and their associated risk factors among students of a public medical college in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods A cross sectional study was done on the students of a public sector, who had spent more than six months in the medical college and had no physical or mental illness other than anxiety and depression. A self administered questionnaire was given out to students who were randomly selected from the list of names obtained from the college administration. Primary outcome was anxiety and depression which was defined as a cut of score 19 or above on AKUADS. Multivariable models were built and logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors independently associated with the primary. Results The mean (SD) age of the students was 21.3 (1.88) years. Majority of the students were females. A very high prevalence of anxiety and depression (70%) was found among students. Students using substance abuse, having family history of depression and anxiety and those who had lost a relative in last 1 year were 2.66, 2.35, 3.4 times more likely to be depressed and suffered from anxiety, respectively. Conclusion This study suggests that there are certain risk factors other than academic stressors which predispose a medical student to psychological morbidity such as anxiety and depression.

Prevalence of anxiety and depression among medical students of private university.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To assess anxiety and depression levels among medical students of a private university by using a self-administered anxiety and depression questionnaire. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional study was done on the students of Ziauddin Medical University, who had spent more than six months in the medical school. A self-administered questionnaire was given to the students, present in the class and willing to participate in the study. During the survey students of 5th year were not available. The instrument used to asses the anxiety and depression levels was the, Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale (AKUADS). Additional questions regarding socioeconomic variables were also included in the survey instrument, such as student's birth order, monthly income, number of siblings, and monthly expenditure on education. Data analysis was done on Epi info version 6. RESULTS: There were 252 students in 4th year MBBS to 1st year MBBS. Of these 189 were present during the survey. Using anxiety and depression scale it was found out that 113 (60%) students had anxiety and depression. Prevalence of anxiety and depression in students of 4th year, 3rd year, 2nd year and 1st year was 49%, 47%, 73% and 66% respectively. It was significantly higher in 1st year and 2nd year, as compared to 3rd and 4th year (p < 0.05). It was seen that birth order, monthly income, number of siblings and monthly expenditure on education did not affect the prevalence of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that medical students experience anxiety and depression, the finding is consistent with other western studies, however there is no local data available to support our findings. The study finding highlights the need of psychiatric counseling and support services available to vulnerable students. These findings should be further explored in longitudinal studies to identify the stressors leading to these outcomes and appropriate interventions.