Strengthening Recruitment and Retention: Mitigation Strategies in Two Longitudinal Studies of Pregnant Women in Pakistan.

PURPOSE: Global health researchers have a responsibility to conduct ethical research in a manner that is culturally respectful and safe. The purpose of this work is to describe our experiences with recruitment and retention in Pakistan, a low-middle-income country. DESCRIPTION: We draw on two studies with a combined sample of 2161 low-risk pregnant women who participated in a pilot (n = 300) and a larger (n = 1861) prospective study of psychological distress and preterm birth at one of four centers (Garden, Hyderabad, Kharadar, Karimabad) of the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. ASSESSMENT: Challenges we encountered include economic hardship and access to healthcare; women's position in the family; safety concerns and time commitment; misconceptions and mistrust in the research process; and concerns related to blood draws. To mitigate these challenges, we developed culturally acceptable study incentives, involved family members in the decision-making process about study participation, partnered with participants' obstetrician-gynecologists, accommodated off site study visits, combined research visits with regular prenatal care visits, and modified research participation related to blood draws for some women. CONCLUSION: Implementation of these mitigation strategies improved recruitment and retention success, and we are confident that the solutions presented will support future scientists in addressing sociocultural challenges while embarking on collaborative research projects in Pakistan and other low-middle-income countries.

Individual and collective contribution of antenatal psychosocial distress conditions and preterm birth in Pakistani women.

BACKGROUND: We determined whether dimensions of psychosocial distress during pregnancy individually and collectively predicted preterm birth (PTB) in Pakistani women as it may be misleading to extrapolate results from literature predominantly conducted in high-income countries. METHODS: This cohort study included 1603 women recruited from four Aga Khan Hospital for Women and Children in Sindh, Pakistan. The primary binary outcome of PTB (i.e., livebirth before 37 completed weeks' gestation) was regressed on self-reported symptoms of anxiety (Pregnancy-Related Anxiety (PRA) Scale and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y-1), depression (Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS)), and covariates such as chronic stress (Perceived Stress Scale) assessed with standardized question and scales with established language equivalency (Sindhi and Urdu). RESULTS: All 1603 births occurred between 24 and 43 completed weeks' gestation. PRA was a stronger predictor of PTB than other types of antenatal psychosocial distress conditions. Chronic stress had no effect on the strength of association between PRA and PTB and a slight but non-significant effect on depression. A planned pregnancy significantly lowered risk of PTB among women who experienced PRA. Aggregate antenatal psychosocial distress did not improve model prediction over PRA. CONCLUSIONS: Like studies in high-income countries, PRA became a strong predictor of PTB when considering interactive effects of whether the current pregnancy was planned. Women's resilience and abilities to make sexual and reproductive health decisions are important to integrate in future research. Findings should be generalized with caution as socio-cultural context is a likely effect modifier. We did not consider protective/strength-oriented factors, such as resilience among women.

Psychological and situational factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intention among postpartum women in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Contributing factors to COVID-19 vaccination intention in low-income and middle-income countries have received little attention. This study examined COVID-19-related anxiety and obsessive thoughts and situational factors associated with Pakistani postpartum women's intention to get COVID-19 vaccination. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study administering a survey by a telephone interview format between 15 July and 10 September 2020. SETTING: Four centres of Aga Khan Hospital for Women and Children-Garden, Kharadar, Karimabad and Hyderabad-in Sindh Province, Pakistan. PARTICIPANTS: Women who were enrolled in our longitudinal Pakistani cohort study were approached (n=1395), and 990 women (71%) participated in the survey, of which 941 women who were in their postpartum period were included in the final analysis. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE AND FACTORS: COVID-19 vaccine intention, sociodemographic and COVID-19-related factors, Coronavirus anxiety, obsession with COVID-19 and work and social adjustment were assessed. Multiple multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with women's intentions. RESULTS: Most women would accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves (66.7%). Only 24.4% of women were undecided about vaccination against COVID-19, and a small number of women rejected the COVID-19 vaccine (8.8%). Women with primary education were less likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine willingly than those with higher education. COVID-19 vaccine uncertainty and refusal were predicted by having no experience of COVID-19 infection, childbirth during the pandemic, having no symptoms of Coronavirus anxiety and obsession with COVID-19. Predictors for women's intention to vaccinate themselves and their children against COVID-19 were similar. CONCLUSION: Understanding the factors shaping women's intention to vaccinate themselves or their children would enable evidence-based strategies by healthcare providers to enhance the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine and achieve herd immunity against Coronavirus.

Assessing the adherence of obstetricians towards postpartum diabetes screening guidelines: a pre- and post-intervention study at secondary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the adherence level of obstetricians towards postpartum diabetes screening guidelines. METHODS: The quasi-experimental pre- and post-intervention study was conducted from May 2014 to April 2015 at Aga Khan Hospital for Women-Karimabad, Karachi, and comprised all obstetricians practicing at the time. All the booked women with gestational diabetes delivered in the 6 months before refresher lecture (group 1) and those delivering in the 6 months following the intervention (group 2) were included. Data was analysed using SPSS 19. RESULTS: Of the 550 cases, 275(50%) each were in groups 1 and 2. All pregnant women had live-birth. The intervention made it thrice likely (95% confidence interval: 7.83) that a physician advised postpartum oral glucose tolerance test. Caesarean section increased the chances of getting test advice almost 4 times (95% confidence interval: 1.70, 9.10) compared to women who delivered vaginally. Women managed on insulin with / without metformin were 4 times likely to being advised the test compared to women managed on diet (confidence interval: 1.00, 17.09). Full-time employees advised 7 times more than the visiting obstetricians (confidence inter val: 1.33, 35.16). CONCLUSIONS: It is time for more strategic planning regarding patient education the benefits of detection of abnormal glucose tolerance in early postpartum period.