Psychological disorders; old age and prevalence

Psychological anthropology is one of the most current academic discipline; the intellectual study of the association between the individual and culture debatably instigated in the late nineteenth century, when W. H. R. Rivers and his contemporaries commenced an expedition to Melanesia to examine the perceptions of the local people. objective of the study is to find relationship between old age and psychological disorders. Cross sectional. The study was conducted in Rawalpindi city. A structured questionnaire was designed to investigate all the variables of the study. A sample of 500 respondents were drawn from the older population [older persons] of Rawalpindi city by using convenient sampling technique. Data entry and analysis was done by using SPSS. There was a significant relationship found between old age and psychological disorders. According to this study, older people are suffering from psychological disorders namely; anxiety, sadness, depression, isolation, insomnia, dementia, and feeling of being useless. Older persons are more vulnerable to the mental illness and psychological problems. Some problems are prevailed in high proportion among elder persons such as anxiety, insomnia and feeling of being useless. Good mind is bound with good health, this clearly depicts that older persons are not suffering from poor psychological health but also they are facing adverse health conditions. Statistical observations show that some of the older adults facing more than one psychological problem, their ratio is 6.2% of total sample

Role of traditional birth-practices causing maternal and neonatal mortality in Faisalabad: an anthropological approach of household decision making

Anthropology is a holistic science that targets the study of man in its social, cultural, economic, psychological, political, geographical and ecological settings. Anthropology views major's interventions in areas of health to be planned with the complete cognizance of cultural factors that largely effect the target populations regarding their participation in all such major interventions. The Social Impact Assessment [SIA] referred by Anthropology basically demand scientific verifications of all such hurdles that may later on impede the acceleration of such heavy funded programs. The objective of the study was to investigate the decision-making regarding Safe Child Birthing Process among pregnant females and role of their in-laws. Cross Sectional Study This study was commissioned to the research team on behalf of Pakistan National Council on Ageing [PNCA] based in Islamabad. The data collection was done in the BHU of Chak # 474 GB, Tehsil Samundari, District Faisalabad. The study duration was three months and lasted from July 2012 to September 2012. Structured questionnaire was developed to collect information on child birth practices as well as opinion of females of respective sample area. In this regard, an extensive questionnaire was designed and pre-tested vigorously. Questionnaire contained bio-informatics including demographic information of clients and the second part covered areas of decision making, role, agents and other stakeholders. Questionnaires were filled with the help of LHVs and LHWs after getting the permission from their senior authorities. Results show that 29.2% of the respondents were illiterate, while 33.4% of the respondents pass their primary education. Ratio of birth attendant at last delivery was 58.1% for TBA/Dai and 17.2% respondents used the services of doctor for delivery proposes. Mother-in-law was the most influential decision maker in the family. As result explains that, for antenatal visit 118 time, for normal delivery 135 times and for EmONC 128 times decision taken by mother-in-law [n=267]. The decisions regarding child birth largely remain a female issue and rest with the mother-in-law mostly. The second dominant agents are husband and the father-in-law/brother-in-law. On statistical level, the result show strong association between clients and in-laws. The study verifies that the para-medical staff is also required to get training on the importance of cultural factors and means to convince the target population with threatening their cultural mind-set. A complete cognizance of such cultural variable may lead to promotion of safe child birthing as well as contributed in reducing the maternal mortality rates among the rural women