Sara Rizvi Jafree

Forman Christian College · Department of Sociology

Background:Although Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is recognized to improve maternal and child health outcomes globally, there are cultural concerns for uptake in Pakistan. In this study we aim to (i) identify socio-demographics of mothers who opt for the KMC program, and (ii) to compare the growth and development milestones, mortality, and other healt...

The effectiveness of higher education institutes and the learning and quality of graduating students is highly dependent on the quality of university faculty. In turn, the productivity and quality of faculty is dependent on their experiences of gender bias and workplace satisfaction. This study aimed to present evidence about gender bias and predic...

Background Chronic liver disease (CLD) is one of the leading disease burdens in Pakistan. Until now, there has only been limited focus in the country on providing health services through tertiary services in urban cities, whereas there is almost no research in Pakistan on the mental health and quality of life of CLD patients. This study aimed to un...

Post the COVID-19 pandemic, delivery of telehealth services to elderly people has become a necessity across the world. However, countries like Pakistan suffer from technological poverty and also low digital literacy in aging populations. Pakistan, with its large 250 million population and an estimated 35 million elderly population, is a good landsc...

Background: Pakistan’s primary health services have a sound infrastructure but remain ineffective in serving the needs of the nation. A significant area of concern is the lack of support to improve teambuilding of the multi-speciality primary healthcare providers (HCP). This study had two phases: First, to deliver a teambuilding intervention using...

The theory of lived religion proposes that people who are socialized by their early education system about religious beliefs have a stronger commitment to practice religion. At the same time, the integrative theory of peace argues that higher religiosity can play an instrumental role in peacebuilding within a nation. The aim of this study is to und...

Intersectarian marriages in Islam have been an area of interest, but with very little empirical research. Scholarship suggests that Muslim Shia women believe that intersectarian marriages with Sunni men would have negative consequences on their wellbeing, overall family quality of life, and create tension for any children born (Cappucci in J Muslim...

Pakistan has a patriarchal culture with majority people having beliefs which promote conservative responsibilities in males and females. However, research shows that diplomatic beliefs about male-female responsibilities are an important predictor for an individual's wellbeing. The diplomatic beliefs of university teachers are important as teachers...

The theory of lived religion proposes that people who are socialized by their early education system about religious beliefs have a stronger commitment to practice religion. At the same time, the integrative theory of peace argues that higher religiosity can play an instrumental role in peacebuilding within a nation. The aim of this study is to und...

Background Academic research has highlighted the gendered impacts and amplifications of gender disparities of COVID-19. Traditionally, Pakistan is a patriarchal society, where it is a parenthood norm to socialize specific gender social roles. Objectives The current research asserts that these normative gender roles may influence individuals throug...

Objectives The objective of this review is to (1) identify barriers and facilitators with respect to women’s health services at a primary care level based on a systematic review and narrative synthesis and (2) to conclude with recommendations for better services and uptake. Design Systematic review and narrative synthesis. Data sources PubMed, BM...

The government of Pakistan has been relying on the microfinance industry to reduce poverty among poor women in Pakistan. Using a theoretical framework that argues for limiting the abilities and capacity of existing microfinance services, we empirically investigate the odds of poor women remaining in poverty despite microfinance loan provision. We c...

This study aimed to identify social determinants of maternal and child health (SDoH) in Pakistan. Using a qualitative study design, data were collected from community members in seven underserved areas of Lahore City, Pakistan. A total of 22 qualitative in-depth interviews and 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. The participants inclu...

Background Chronic liver disease (CLD) is one of the leading disease burdens in Pakistan. Until now, there has only been limited focus in the country on providing health services through tertiary services in urban cities, whereas there is almost no research in Pakistan on the mental health and quality of life of CLD patients. This study aimed to un...

This last chapter of the book is an effort to map a way forward for sustainable social policy development for women in Pakistan, with comprehensive coverage for all women groups. The first step is to agree on the basic principles for social policy, which this chapter argues should include (i) a universal social protection system for all women group...

This chapter discusses literacy and skill development policy for women of Pakistan. The country has some of the lowest rates of female and adult women literacy, with immense cultural and environmental barriers preventing female enrolment and retention in educational institutes. The major barriers are discussed including lack of family permission, s...

This chapter discusses the possibilities for South Asia’s collaboration for women’s social policy. The current situation of South Asia is discussed with respect to inability to unite for joint efforts for trade or social development. The similarities in culture, history, treatment and status of women, and development progress are also considered to...

The existing social protection services in Pakistan are described in detail in this chapter. The historical efforts in the country since independence are traced including the Bait-ul-Mal system, the National Social Protection Strategy, the Benazir Income Support Program, and the Ehsaas program. Secondary data from the International Labor Organizati...

This chapter covers employment policy and formal sector inclusion policy for women of Pakistan. Reasons for low labor force participation of women are discussed along with the plight of the informal women workers and home-based women workers. Majority of working women in the country are facing problems due to lack of employment benefits, low and er...

Pakistan suffers from neglect in delivery or planning of experiment-based pilot projects before launch of social policy interventions. The aim of the chapter is twofold: (1) to summarize information from past interventions that have been delivered in the country for women’s protection and wellbeing, and (2) to identify limitations for better planni...

This chapter covers environmental and disaster management policy for women of Pakistan. Women and girls in the country face comparatively greater problems due to the environmental challenges and natural disasters facing the country. The chapter attempts to discuss some of the main risks to women from unsafe drinking water, air pollution, lead expos...

This chapter covers family and housing policy for women of Pakistan. The major issues are discussed with regards to women’s equality in the house, ownership culture, and inheritance rights. The Pakistani culture is discussed in context of the family and home, which is considered as a closed and private space. This has resulted in the neglect of ess...

This chapter is about health policy for women of Pakistan and attempts to highlight the quintuple health burden facing women in the country, including maternal health issues, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, multimorbidity, and mental health issues. Demand and supply side problems are both discussed with respect to cultural and cost barriers...

This chapter covers food security and nutrition policy for women of Pakistan. The major challenge for women in the country related to inability to access food is described with respect to financial deprivation. Time poverty of women is also examined, especially in consideration of women in the country being solely responsible for care of home and d...

Women of Pakistan suffer from complex and growing challenges related to poverty, disease burden, informal sector employment, violence, and low life quality, with no targeted or coordinated policy net for their protection. Unless a comprehensive social protection floor is planned for women in the country urgently and based on evidence-based recommen...

Objective: Mothers of special needs children in Pakistan, and across the world, are marginalized populations facing combined challenges of social shame and policy neglect. This study aims to (i) investigate the prevalence of and relationship between maternal stress, social support, and health quality of life in mothers with special needs children a...

Background Pakistan has one of the highest rates of chronic liver disease (CLD) burden in the world. Poor and underserved patients of CLD in the country may suffer from limited health-seeking behaviors, but there is not much research in this area. The aim of this study is to identify the factors influencing health-seeking behaviors in CLD patients...

Background: The majority of poor, illiterate women of reproductive years in Pakistan are living in underdeveloped regions and are solely dependent on free primary health services provided by the state. This project aims 1) to collect baseline health and social data, 2) to deliver a health and social literacy intervention, 3) to deliver a team-build...

News reports frequently convey acts of violence against Hazara Shias in Pakistan, but there is limited empirical scholarship about lived experiences of the community. To contribute to the knowledge in this field, interviews with Pakistani Hazara Shia victims, who have also lost immediate family members to violence, were conducted. Interviews with t...

Background: Ensuring safety and wellbeing of all the minority populations of Pakistan is essential for collective national growth. The Pakistani Hazara Shias are a marginalized non-combative migrant population who face targeted violence in Pakistan, and suffer from great challenges which compromise their life satisfaction and mental health. In thi...

Objective The objective of this study was to deliver an intervention to improve health awareness for infection prevention, hygiene, and sanitation to assess its impact. Furthermore, it aimed to identify the risk of multimorbidity in women of reproductive years from low socio-economic background. Methods A randomized control trial was conducted in...

This book analyzes the different policy challenges that Pakistani women face and makes regionally relevant policy recommendations across different areas of private and public life, drawing on secondary data from nationally representative surveys and primary data from qualitative interviews. These areas include family safety, housing adequacy, food...

Objective Women living in Pakistan have complex health problems including infectious and non-communicable diseases, accident and injuries, and mental health problems. While a majority of these women rely on primary healthcare services for all of their healthcare needs, there has to date been no overview of the extent of their effectiveness. The obj...

Pakistan is known for its strong family bonds. University students need strong support from their families for the maintenance of ethics, health and production. However, there is fear that greater use of social media is contributing to the weakening of family relations. This research aims to identify the relationship between time spent on social me...

ABSTRACT Introduction Methods Sample Data collection Tools Data analysis Results Qualitative findings Discussion Concluding recommendations Supplemental material Disclosure statement Additional information References Full Article Figures & data References Supplemental Citations Metrics Reprints & Permissions PDF | EPUB ABSTRACT There has been littl...

Aim This study aimed to (i) identify community health workers’ (CHWs) perceived satisfaction for maternal and neonatal health services, with respect to (1) socio-demographic characteristics; (2) coronavirus preparedness; (3) coronavirus responsiveness; and (4) employee satisfaction and (ii) investigate the interplay among study variables to identif...

The majority of Pakistani women are employed in the informal sector of the economy, devoid of protection, safety, and employment benefits, which prevents them from having autonomy. In this study, we aimed to identify (i) the differences in socio-demographic characteristics of formal versus informal sector women workers and (ii) compare the perceive...

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated support for continued learning in frontline practitioners through online digital mediums that are convenient and fast to maintain physical distancing. Nurses are already neglected professionals for support in training for infection control, leadership, and communication in Pakistan and other developing countri...

Abstract This study rests on two important considerations: the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan and also the marginalization of the people of the KPK province, which would make them more vulnerable in fearing COVID-19. We aim to translate and validate FCV19S into the Urdu language and to identify the socio-demographic associations with...

Majority of Pakistan's population is comprised of youth who are increasingly using social media networks like Facebook. Though Facebook provides a platform for social interaction, there are also considerable problems associated with excessive Facebook usage that can result into addiction. Measurement of usage and addiction of Facebook through a val...

Sikandar Hayat, A Leadership Odyssey. Muslim Separatism and the Achievement of the Separate State of Pakistan (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2021), 340 pp.

The aim of this study is to understand what specific religious values are being transmitted to children through online Shia religious communities during the pandemic. Twenty-seven mothers were sampled from three cities of Pakistan. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview guide and analysed using thematic content analysis. Eleven the...

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant public health crisis of this century, and the world has been facing multiple challenges for the last two years, including a high death toll, the imposition of various forms of lockdown and the unavailability of vaccines. Globally, people have faced fearful situations and sought information from...

There has been no research in Pakistan about how to improve quality of life (QOL) of aging populations through intergenera-tional 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 intergenerationa...

The surgical theatre is associated with the highest mortality rates since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are neglected human resources for health in regards to both professional development and research for patient safety; even though they are key practitioners with respect to infection co...

Although the role of social media in infectious disease outbreaks is receiving increasing attention, little is known about the mechanisms by which social media use affects risk perception and preventive behaviors during such outbreaks. This study aims to determine whether there are any relationships between social media use, preventive behavior, pe...

Compilation of Book Reviews for Women, Healthcare, and Violence in Pakistan, Oxford University Press, 2018 Contents Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics 2 Dawn- Book Review 6 Other Scholar Reviews 10

Compilation of Book Reviews for The Sociology of South Asian Women’s Health, Springer 2020 Contents Pakistan Development Review- Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, 1 Dawn- Book Reviews 5 LSE Book Review 8

Investigating the role of religiosity in coping with health anxiety during the outbreak of COVID-19 assumes significance given the continued onslaught of the pandemic and the importance of religion in many societies of the world. The aim of this study is to test the relationship between religious coping and health anxiety in Pakistani Muslims. The...

Objective High maternal and neonatal mortality rates in developing regions like Pakistan are linked to low rates of institutional deliveries. One way to improve rates of institutional deliveries is through improving institutional delivery service satisfaction in women. The aim of this research is to identify which factors influence delivery service...

Introduction: The lack of universal health coverage and high poverty rates among the majority of women in Pakistan makes it essential to understand the quality and effectiveness of primary healthcare services. The aim of this project is to systematically review the available literature for interventions for primary healthcare services for women in...

The dilemma of Pakistan being the 7th most populated country in the world is that the higher population growth adversely affects not just resource adequacy, but also life expectancy and general wellbeing. Unfortunately, we also know that resource shortage and life quality disproportionately affects minority and disadvantaged groups with more intens...

Introduction: There is a need to continue primary healthcare services through digital communication for disadvantaged women living in underdeveloped areas of Pakistan, especially in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and lockdown of communities. This project will be the first of its kind in aiming to implement a digital health l...

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...

Ensuring United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are met collectively for the protection of women, requires a broadening of discussion and efforts from reproductive health to investigate ethical challenges facing women during COVID-19. The aim of this paper is to discuss issues of ethics, equity, and rights for the health access of socioeconom...

Background: Ensuring safety and wellbeing of healthcare providers is crucial, particularly during times of a pandemic. In this study, we aim to identify the determinants of anxiety in physicians on duty in coronavirus wards or quarantine centers. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative survey with an additional qualitative item. Five...

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of microfinance health interventions (health insurance and health-awareness programmes) on health-related outcomes among female informal workers in Pakistan. Design: We conducted a retrospective, quasi-experimental study among a total of 442 female borrowers from seven microfinance provid...

Background Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are neglected human resources for health with regard to both professional development and research for patient safety. The surgical theatre is associated with the highest mortality rates and with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. ODPs are key practitioners with respect to infection control...

Background: Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are neglected human resources for health with regard to both professional development and research for patient safety. The surgical theatre is associated with the highest mortality rates and with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. ODPs are key practitioners with respect to infection control...

Aim: Community health workers (CHWs) have emerged as salient health team members in disadvantaged primary settings to provide critical services to disadvantaged mothers and their newborns. There is need for empirical evidence to understand how CHWs may be supported in delivering maternal and neonatal health services during pandemics. Subject and Me...

To the best of our knowledge, there is no research about the challenges faced by significant others of coronavirus patients in Pakistan, including spouses, children, siblings, and parents. We aimed to discover through an open-ended semistructured questionnaire the main challenges and coping strategies of significant others since the time their rela...

Background: Ensuring safety and wellbeing of healthcare providers is crucial, particularly during times of a pandemic. In this study, we aim to identify the determinants of anxiety in physicians on duty in coronavirus wards or quarantine centers. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative survey with an additional qualitative item. Overal...

When it comes to regulation of the health sector, the traditional focus has been a standard setting, as in the shape and form of ensuring minimum levels of quality and safety. This approach is often termed as “social,” but it neglects to consider the cultural commitment to ensuring quality, safety, and equity in health services. Our aim in this cha...

Globally, mental distress in women is higher compared to men, and yet in South Asia there is extreme neglect for service care and awareness related to mental health. This chapter discusses three critical areas of: the social factors that place South Asian women at increased risk of mental health challenges at different life stages, the social barri...

Displacement and climate change are significant challenges facing South Asia due to political mismanagement, ethnic conflict, natural disasters, and environmental degradation. More than 10.3 million South Asian women are currently displaced or affected by climate change. The term feminization of displacement has become associated with South Asian w...

Health decision-making for women in South Asia is still perceived and expected to be controlled by family members and male relatives. Even women who work and have independent incomes in the region may relinquish control over autonomous health decision-making in order to be accepted by society and preserve the traditional order. This is why it is im...

One of the most neglected, yet basic premises of political sociology is the recognition that politicians and public officials are socially accountable for the provision of adequate, efficient, and equitable health services for different women’s groups. We try in this chapter to highlight how the sociology of politics helps us to identify that publi...

It is important to hear the lived experiences of South Asian women, who are suffering from chronic health conditions or have experienced major health setbacks in life, regarding the influence of social support on their health recovery and overall well-being. Oral narrations of four women from South Asia have been presented in this chapter. We have...

Majority of women in South Asia at 50.7% live in poverty, and significant number of educated women (with education at primary, secondary or tertiary level combined) also live in poverty, at 23.7%. Of further relevance is that even women working in paid employment and those who are self-employed are living in poverty, at 27.0%. The statistics compel...

Theories related to the sociology of health have received less attention compared to other specializations within sociology. The sociology of women’s health and the health of South Asian women has received even less attention. Due to the dearth of South Asian theories, it is imperative to also use theoretical explanations or constructs from the dev...

This contributed volume is the first-known collection of essays that brings together scholarly review, critiques, and primary and secondary data to assess how sociocultural factors influence health behavior in South Asian women. The essays are authored by working scholars or healthcare practitioners from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. In the chap...

The South Asian region, more than any other part of the world, is driven by traditional and cultural forces which are possibly the most salient factors determining a woman’s health awareness and her rights to adopt health behavior or pursue health recovery. The nearly 1 billion women living in the region face common and critical problems related to...

High maternal and neonatal mortality rates in developing regions like Pakistan are linked to low rates of institutional deliveries. One way to improve rates of institutional deliveries is through improving institutional delivery service satisfaction in mothers. The aim of this research is to identify which factors influence delivery service satisfa...

Background: Ensuring safety and wellbeing of healthcare providers is crucial, particularly during times of a pandemic. In this study, we aim to identify the determinants of anxiety in physicians on duty in coronavirus wards or quarantine centers. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative survey with an additional qualitative item. Five c...

Background: Ensuring safety and wellbeing of healthcare providers is crucial, particularly during times of a pandemic. In this study, we aim to identify the determinants of anxiety in physicians on duty in coronavirus wards or quarantine centers. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative survey with an additional qualitative item. Five c...

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in Pakistani women, with prevalence rates estimated to be above 30%. Identification of the determinants of depression in chronically ill, poor, and debt‐ridden women of the country is a neglected area. A quantitative survey using standardized tools was used to sample women from across Paki...

This study rests on two important considerations: the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan and also the marginalization of the people of the KPK province, which would make them more vulnerable in fearing COVID-19. We aim to translate and validate FCV-19S into the Urdu language and to identify the socio-demographic associations with fear in...

Abstract. Background: Globally, special needs children are at a greater risk of child sexual abuse, but in the Global South there is an even greater risk due to lack of protective policy. The aim of this paper is to identify recommendations for improved support to special needs parents in improving protection for special needs children. Methods: A...

There is concern that mothers of special needs children in developing countries like Pakistan are neglected populations facing hidden health challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the kinds of health challenges mothers experience and to highlight the role of health social workers in supporting the needs of mothers. Twenty-one mothers...

Abstract More than 115 million women across the world are borrowers of microfinance loans. However, there is concern that women from poor backgrounds who take loans may suffer from multiple challenges of physical and mental health burdens. In this qualitative study we aimed to identify the types of health challenges faced by active women borrowers...

The promotion of social welfare is dependent on the three-fold partnership between the state, private bodies, and community groups including formal and informal social workers. This paper evaluates how Shia women’s religious scholars are providing guidance for social welfare during sermon delivery in congregations. A qualitative design was used to...

Background: Pakistan has one of the highest rates of maternal and neonatal mortality in the world. It is assumed that employed mothers in paid work will be more empowered to opt for safer institutional deliveries. There is a need to understand the predictors of home deliveries in order to plan policies to encourage institutional deliveries in the r...

The book offers a research-based account of the prevalent attitudes towards female healthcare practitioners in Pakistan. It takes a scholarly look at various structural issues that exist because of a strong gender bias against women, and discusses the way it affects the role delivery of women practitioners in hospital settings.

Very little research and practical efforts have been undertaken in public sector hospitals of Pakistan to promote error reporting and patient safety culture. Nurses in the country are key informants about the climate of error reporting and patient safety standards across wards in the hospital settings. A questionnaire based on the Hospital Survey o...

Background: Cultural and structural forces help sustain workplace violence (WPV) against feminized professions like nursing in Pakistan. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and patterns of workplace violence (WPV) against women nurses (more than 95% of entire nursing population) in two hospitals of Pakistan. Method...

This study aims to investigate how additional support from the microfinance provider and community could facilitate the holistic well-being of Pakistan’s women microfinance borrowers. Five different microfinance providers were sampled randomly from Lahore. Questionnaires, developed with the help of loan-officers, were administered to 149 women borr...

Background: There is an absence of formal error tracking systems in public sector hospitals of Pakistan and also a lack of literature concerning error reporting culture in the health care sector. Nurse practitioners have front-line knowledge and rich exposure about both the organizational culture and error sharing in hospital settings. The aim of t...