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Most countries imposed lockdown restrictions on high-risk cities due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. Although individuals adopted social media use during the lockdown, it is unclear how online information-seeking experiences affected their health and quality of life. We conducted an online survey among people living in cities in Ghana, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan that were affected by lockdown restrictions. Using Colaizzi’s method, we thematically analyzed 166 participants’ (males = 93, females = 73) online text responses. We observed that uncertainties about COVID-19 and the feeling of boredom predisposed participants to become victims of misinformation. Once they were misinformed, they felt anxious about COVID-19. Consequently, some overused social media to obtain additional information while others decreased or avoided its usage entirely. Our study provides insight into a recent global phenomenon. There is a need for adequate psychological support services through social media to lessen the use of unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Low dietary diversity significantly interplays with children’s growth failure. However, evidence of its crucial role in children’s health remains inconclusive in developing countries such as India. This study attempts to find the association between dietary diversity and growth outcomes among children aged between 6 and 23 months in India using the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 2015–2016. A total of 67,278 mother-child pairs of children between the ages of 6–23 months and mothers aged 15–49 years were included in this study. Pearson’s chi-square significance test and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine the association between dietary diversity and child growth outcomes (stunted, wasted, and underweight). The study found that the prevalence of stunting and severe stunting among children aged between 6 and 23 months were 35.9% and 16.2%; 23.8% and 8.5% represented wasting, and severe wasting; and more than 32%, 10% were underweight and severely underweight respectively. This present study found that having an inadequate minimum dietary diversity (<4 food groups) significantly increases the risk of being stunted (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.21–1.38), wasted (AOR = 1.29; 95% CI; 1.21–1.38), and underweight (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI; 1.39–1.56). Further, it was noted that children who did not intake dairy products, eggs, and other fruits and vegetables were more likely to be stunted, wasted, and underweight and more likely to be severely stunted, wasted, and underweight. Therefore, additional nutrition-specific interventions are urgently needed to strengthen and enhance existing feeding interventions aimed at improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, including complementary feeding practices among children aged between 6 and 23 months in India. The Government should focus such interventions more on states or regions where the prevalence of adequate minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and malnutrition is high.

This study examined access to water, food, and nutrition programs among marginalized communities in Southern Punjab, Pakistan, and their effects on nutrition. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used in this study. We held two focus group discussions (one with 10 males and one with 10 females) and conducted in-depth interviews with 15 key stakeholders, including 20 mothers and 10 healthcare providers. A survey of 235 households was carried out to evaluate water and food insecurity, with the data analyzed using Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test, t-test, and Pearson’s chi-square test. The results revealed that 90% of households experienced moderate-to-severe water insecurity, and 73% faced moderate-to-severe food insecurity. Household water and food insecurity were positively correlated with each other (correlation coefficient = 0.205; p = 0.004). Greater household water (p = 0.028) and food insecurity (p < 0.001) were both associated with higher perceived stress. Furthermore, lower socioeconomic status was strongly related to higher levels of water (p < 0.001) and food insecurity (p < 0.001). Qualitative findings highlight the impact of colonial and post-colonial policies, which have resulted in water injustice, supply issues, and corruption in water administration. Women face significant challenges in fetching water, including stigma, harassment, and gender vulnerabilities, leading to conflicts and injuries. Water scarcity and poor quality adversely affect sanitation, hygiene, and breastfeeding practices among lactating mothers. Structural adjustment policies have exacerbated inflation and reduced purchasing power. Respondents reported a widespread lack of dietary diversity and food quality. Nutrition programs face obstacles such as the exclusion of people with low social and cultural capital, underfunding, weak monitoring, health sector corruption, and the influence of formula milk companies allied with the medical community and bureaucracy. This study concludes that addressing the macro-political and economic causes of undernutrition should be prioritized to improve nutrition security in Pakistan.

Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is a serious public health problem in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therapeutic programs are often considered the most effective solution to this problem. However, multiple social and structural factors challenge the social inclusion, sustainability, and effectiveness of such programs. In this article, we aim to explore how poor and remote households face structural inequities and social exclusion in accessing nutrition-specific programs in Pakistan. The study specifically highlights significant reasons for the low coverage of the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) program in one of the most marginalized districts of south Punjab. Qualitative data are collected using in-depth interviews and FGDs with mothers and health and nutrition officials. The study reveals that mothers’ access to the program is restricted by multiple structural, logistical, social, and behavioral causes. At the district level, certain populations are served, while illiterate, and poor mothers with lower cultural capital from rural and remote areas are neglected. The lack of funding for nutrition causes the deprioritization of nutrition by the health bureaucracy. The subsequent work burden on Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and the lack of proper training of field staff impact the screening of SAM cases. Moreover, medical corruption in the distribution of therapeutic food, long distances, traveling or staying difficulties, the lack of social capital, and the stigmatization of mothers are other prominent difficulties. The study concludes that nutrition governance in Pakistan must address these critical challenges so that optimal therapeutic coverage can be achieved.

Issue Biomedical approaches want to change locals’ behaviors without understanding the sociocultural rationales and contextualizing the cultural and structural backdrop of women’s agency. Objectives This study explored the perceptions and practices of rural mothers about fertility and reproductive health and further examine the lack of preference for contraception and birth spacing in Southern Pakistan. Methodology Using purposive sampling we recruited 15 healthcare providers and 20 mothers from Southern Punjab. Key informants and in-depth interviews were used for data collection. We extracted themes and sub themes to analyse qualitative data. Findings Five major themes identified preventing birth spacing and contraceptive use: (1) cultural barriers (2) economic difficulties and demographic factors; (3) gender-related hurdles; (4) spiritual and religious obstacles, and (5) medico-ethical complications. Nearly, ten sub-themes contributing to these major themes were: custom of girls’ early marriages, in-laws’ permission for contraception, women’s concern for medical complications and preference for safer methods, misuse of contraceptive methods by the medical community, mothers’ perception of contraception as sinful act and controlling birth is against faith, economic and rural-ethnic factors for high fertility, masculine disapproval of condom use, and wishing to give birth to male children. Suggestions We advocate for understanding the sociocultural explanations for low contraceptive use and urge practice of more natural methods of birth spacing over commercial solutions. The study suggests socio-economic development of less developed communities and empowerment of poor, illiterate, and rural women along with behavior change communication strategies.

This study accesses the impact of lady health worker (LHWs) visits in the community and distance to a healthcare facility on the nutritional status of under-five children. Additionally, it explores the perceptions and attitudes of the community about the performance of LHWs. A self-administered instrument was applied to gather data on different parameters, such as children’s height, age, weight, and socioeconomic status from 384 rural households in a marginalized district of Punjab province with the help of a purposive random sampling technique. The binary logistic regression model was employed for the computation of the probability of malnutrition. The prevalences of stunting, underweight children, and wasting in the district were 34.8%, 46.1%, and 15.5%, respectively. The logistic results illustrate that those households in which LHW visits occur regularly within 15 days (OR = 0.28 with 95% CI: 0.09–0.82) have a lower probability of malnutrition prevalence among their children. The distance to the health facility shows that the odds of malnutrition were higher from 3–4 Kilometers (Km) (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 0.85–8.14), and odds were also higher for the ≥5 km category (OR = 2.88, 95% CI: 0.94–8.82). Children from richer families had lower chances of being malnourished (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.07–1.14). Furthermore, the respondents show a positive attitude towards LHWs. They have given the first rank to their performance being beneficial to mothers and childcare, especially on checkups and safe deliveries, while they have shown negative responses and given lower ranks to their performance due to irregular visits (6th rank) and poor community awareness (7th rank). We conclude that LHWs’ regular visits to targeted households and less distance to healthcare facilities reduce the malnutrition risk in under-five children.

Purpose: The current study was designed to examine the relationship between health anxiety, cyberchondria (its constructs), and metacognitive beliefs. In addition, it also evaluated the moderating role of metacognitive beliefs in this relationship. Design and Method: The present study used the purposive sampling technique to acquire a sample of (N = 500) adults, among them (N = 256) women and (N = 244) men, and the age of the sample ranged from 20 to 50 years. Short Health Anxiety Inventory, Cyberchondria Severity Scale, and Metacognitions Questionnaire–Health Anxiety were used to operationalize the present study variables. Findings: The descriptive statistics revealed that all instruments have good psychometric properties, as Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for all scales are ≥0.70. In addition to this, the Pearson correlation showed that all variables of the present study have a significant positive correlation with each other. Furthermore, the regression analysis described that health anxiety and metacognitive beliefs (biased thinking and beliefs about uncontrollable thoughts) were the significant positive predictors of cyberchondria. Moreover, moderation analysis showed that metacognitive beliefs significantly strengthened the association between health anxiety and cyberchondria and its constructs. Practical Implications: The present study will help medical practitioners to understand how metacognitive beliefs and health anxiety can cause an increase in cyberchondria. This will help them to design better treatment plans for people with cyberchondria.

Introduction Aside from personal beliefs, young adults’ intention to uptake the COVID‐19 vaccine can be influenced by their fear of COVID‐19 and perceived infectability of COVID‐19. The present study incorporated fear of COVID‐19 and perceived infectability with the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to form an expanded TPB to analyze factors affecting Pakistani young adults’ intentions to uptake the COVID‐vaccine in Pakistan. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted and recruited participants from Pakistani social media users. The proposed extended TPB model was examined by using structural equation modeling. Results A total of 1034 individuals replied to the survey. The three factors of the original theory of planned behavior and the fear of COVID‐19 were positively related to their intention to uptake COVID‐19 vaccination (r = 0.25‐0.66). Moreover, the perceived infectability positively influenced the three theories of planned behavioral factors and the fear of COVID‐19 (r = 0.27‐0.60), also affecting the participants’ intentions to uptake COVID‐19 vaccination. Conclusions Perceived infectability was positively related to the participants’ intentions to uptake COVID‐19 vaccination, and perceived behavioral control was the strongest mediator. More evidence‐based information concerning treatments and COVID‐19 vaccination are needed to encourage individuals to uptake the vaccine.

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to seek the impact of social support on mental well-being in pregnant women. A sample of 150 pregnant women with 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-time pregnancies in the third trimester was selected using purposive sampling technique from different hospitals of Sargodha and Rawalpindi. The age range of the sample was 25 to 30 years with mean age of (M= 26.34 ±SD = 3.53). The Social Support Scale (Malik, 2002) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (Stewart-Brown et al., 2009) were used to measure the study variables. Linear Regression Analysis was employed to test the hypothesis of the present study. The correlational analysis reveal that social support and its constructs i.e. informational, tangible, and emotional, esteem positively correlated with mental well-being except for social network support. Linear Regression Analysis revealed that social support predicted mental well-being in pregnant women. Hence, these results highlight the protective role of social support for psychological health of pregnant women. Present study's limitations and future endeavors suggestions have also been elucidated.

ABSTRACT Objective: The prime objective of the current study was assimilating and extending the knowledge as well as insights which are from earlier researches and exploring the impact of social adjustment, emotional stability on hope, and happiness of old age home residents. Design: Cross-sectional survey research design with purposive sampling was used. Place and duration of study: Present study was conducted in Pakistan in Feb-Dec 2020. Subject and Method: Older adults (N = 150), including Men (n = 75) and women (n = 75) age range 65 years to 85 years (M= 69.65; SD= 5.58), from old homes in Lahore and Rawalpindi of Pakistan, completed the Social Adjustment scale, Neuroticism subscales of NEO FFI), Subjective Happiness Scale), and Dispositional Hope Scale. Results and Conclusion: Pearson correlation indicated a significant correlation among all study variables. Linear regression analysis indicated that social adjustment and emotional stability are positive predictors of hope and happiness. Moreover, the effect of demographic variable (gender) was also determined. Findings from the t-test depicted that emotional stability, happiness and hope is high in older men than older women. So as a current study planned to investigate the impact of social adjustment, emotional stability on hope and happiness of old age home residents, the study's findings revealed that social adjustment and emotional stability are a significantly positive impact on hope and happiness. The findings are also beneficial for its implication in issues related to gerontology.