Rubeena Zakar
Biographic Data
| ID | 168459 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rubeena Zakar |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rubeena |
| FAMILY NAME | Zakar |
| SIGNATURE | ZAKAR R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of the Punjab |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9546-3742 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 47 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 33 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 45 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Oral health seeking behaviours and attitudes
Religion and culture strongly influence daily life in many populations. Children rely on the beliefs and habits of parents, caregivers, and teachers to manage their oral health. This study explored the oral health knowledge, perceptions, hygiene habits and care-seeking behaviours of parents and teachers of children attending Islamic boarding schools in Pakistan. A qualitative study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, during May-June 2024, includin…
Sociocultural determinants of health-associated quality of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan
The Afghan refugees' average scores across all health-associated quality-of-life domains were lower than Pakistan's host population and the standard cutoff criteria (< 60 indicates poor quality of life). The development of a national policy to include refugees in health insurance programs seems essential to improve the health-associated quality of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan
Community health needs assessment
In order to improve the overall health status of community, it is imperative to implement collective strategies tailored to the specific factors and challenges prevalent in the community. The results underscore the importance of maintaining the community-university partnership through establishing a dedicated Maternal and Child Health Center. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge in MCH research and inform evidence-based poli…
Factors shaping women's political participation in Pakistani society
This comprehensive qualitative study explores the intricate factors which shaped the pathways for women and how the nature of these factors changes depending on the pathway women choose for entering parliamentary roles in Pakistan. These pathways are based on the resources women have at hand. It underscores the profound influence of family lineage, sociocultural dynamics and institutional structures in women’s political engagement. This study hig…
The shadow pandemic
Application of the Boruta algorithm to assess the multidimensional determinants of malnutrition among children under five years living in southern Punjab, Pakistan
This study highlights age, mid-upper arm circumference, weaning practices, and immunization status as key determinants of weight-for-height and weight-for-age in children under five years. It also suggests that economic context may influence undernutrition. The findings can guide targeted strategies for combating undernutrition
Experiences of family caregivers in dealing with cases of advanced breast cancer
Family caregivers are crucial in facilitating timely treatment decisions for advanced breast cancer patients in the Pakistani context. To minimize treatment delays and alleviate caregiver stress, addressing sociocultural barriers in care-seeking is essential. A tailored approach, considering sociocultural and religious factors, is imperative for the management and early diagnosis of breast cancer, necessitating appropriate policymaking and implem…
Exploring the reasons for defaulting from childhood immunization
According to the study's findings, caregivers have their own perceptions regarding the non-completion of their children's vaccination schedule. The childhood immunization defaulting arises from various factors including child illness, Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs) concerns, misconceptions, improper injection techniques, and negative vaccinator attitudes. The vaccination completion rate may be increased if the concerns of the careg…
Psychological Well-Being Assessment of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan
Refugees have a basic right to good health care, and countries of destination have a responsibility to offer medical care. Timely diagnosis and rehabilitation by counselling were recommended for improved mental health outcomes. This survey on Psychological Well-Being of Afghan refugees in Pakistan remains pertinent to the need for global mental health care for refugees. This study is the initial attempt to assess the predictors of psychological w…
Impact of public health interventions on Covid-19 control in Lahore
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on public health, with governments and organizations implementing various interventions to control its spread. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of public health interventions on controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: Data on COVID-19 cases and public health interventions were collected from March 2020 to March 2022. The data were analyzed to evaluate t…
Double-Blind Parallel Treatment Randomized Controlled Trial of Prebiotics’ Efficacy for Children Experiencing Severe Acute Malnutrition in Southern Punjab, Pakistan
The prevalence of malnutrition among children under five is alarmingly high in Pakistan. However, there are ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) available which may be used to treat children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). This study aims to assess the efficacy of prebiotics as a synergistic additive to RUTF to enhance blood parameters and anthropometric measurements in children with uncomplicated SAM living in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. A…
Relationship of stunting with water, sanitation, and hygiene (Wash) practices among children under the age of five
Stunting can be associated with several risk factors, including WASH parameters. This study concluded that children aged under five years are susceptible to stunting in southern Punjab, Pakistan. The contamination of hand pumps and tank water resources was found to be the major contributing factor to stunting
Trend analysis of multi-level determinants of maternal and newborn postnatal care utilization in Pakistan from 2006 to 2018
A difference in maternal and newborn PNC utilization was found in Pakistan, attributed to multiple individual (socio-demographic and obstetrics), community, and institutional level determinants. Overall, findings suggest the need to promote the benefits of PNC for early diagnosis of postpartum complications and to plan effective public health interventions to enhance women's access to healthcare facilities and skilled birth assistance to save mot…
WhatsApp-Delivered Intervention for Continued Learning for Nurses in Pakistan During the Covid-19 Pandemic
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 countries. For that reason, we aimed to deliver a WhatsApp-based intervention for continued learning in nur…
Predictors of HIV testing among women experiencing intimate partner violence in the Central Region of Ghana
HIV testing, which is important for the control of the HIV pandemic, has been hampered by several factors including Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), resulting in low uptake. This study sought to determine the predictors of HIV testing among women experiencing IPV. Secondary analysis of data generated from a cross-sectional mixed-method unmatched cluster-randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate a multi-faceted community intervention to red…
Clinical and psychosocial factors associated with domestic violence among men and women in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Domestic violence (DV) is a violation of human rights with adverse intergenerational consequences on physical and mental health. Clinical and psychosocial correlates of DV have been documented internationally, but evidence from South Asia is limited, especially among men. This is a nested cross-sectional study of the control population (N = 856) of a large case-control study in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Multivariable logistic regression models were condu…
The Effects of Financial Stress and Household Socio-Economic Deprivation on the Malnutrition Statuses of Children under Five during the Covid-19 Lockdown in a Marginalized Region of South Punjab, Paki…
The lockdown after the COVID-19 pandemic not only caused public health crises and income stress but also put millions at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition across the globe, especially in low and middle-income countries [LMICs]. This study evaluated the effects of financial stress and household socio-economic deprivation on the nutritional status of 1551 children under the age of five during COVID-19 in Pakistan. A self-administered questio…
Role of positive mental health in reducing fears related to Covid-19 and general anxiety disorder in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Based on these findings, there is a need to develop community health policies emphasizing on promotive and preventive mental health strategies for people practicing social/physical distancing
Covid-19 Vaccination Hesitancy or Acceptance and Its Associated Factors
COVID-19 has posed massive challenges related to health, economy, and the social fabric of the entire human population. To curb the spread of the virus, the Government of Pakistan initiated a vaccination campaign against COVID-19. The objective of this research was to assess the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance or hesitancy. The data were collected telephonically using a cross-sectional survey design through a close-ended struc…
Sociocultural Challenges in the Implementation of Covid-19 Public Health Measures
Informed public health measures are crucial to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. The sociocultural context is important to understand the success or failure of implementing public health measures. This study explores the social and behavioral response to COVID-19 and unveils challenges in the implementation of related public health measures in Pakistan. Within this qualitative study, we conducted 34 telephonic/online in-depth interviews with youths, ad…
Role of the Media in Health-Related Awareness Campaigns on Perception of Covid-19
Medical preparedness and community education are the most valuable preventive tools for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the role of media public health awareness campaigns on the knowledge of the general population about COVID-19 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. A quantitative study using a pre-post design among 384 respondents was conducted. A structured questionnaire was administered to the participants twice: The first resp…
Covid-19 and Health Information Seeking Behavior
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, digital health literacy (DHL) has become a significant public health concern. This research aims to assess information seeking behavior, as well as the ability to find relevant information and deal with DHL among university students in Pakistan. An online-based cross-sectional survey, using a web-based interviewing technique, was conducted to collect data on DHL. Simple bivariate and multivariate linear regression was …
Effectiveness of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in Improving the Developmental Potential and Weight of Children Aged under Five with Severe Acute Malnourishment in Pakistan
The objective of this study was to assess whether the standard therapy of ready-to-use therapeutic food in the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is effective in improving developmental potential and weight gain in children aged under five years. A multicenter pretest-posttest study was conducted among 91 children aged under five with uncomplicated SAM in Pakistan. Study participants completed their eight weeks' therapy of…
Determinants of overall knowledge and health behaviours in relation to hepatitis B and C among ever-married women in Pakistan
This study provides evidence that women's sociodemographic characteristics create differences in their overall knowledge about and attitudes towards HBV and HCV. This research emphasized that there is a need to create awareness about the causes and prevention of HBV and HCV in order to achieve the goal of eliminating these diseases in Pakistan by 2030
Determinants of women’s empowerment in Pakistan
A number of social, economic, demographic, familial, and information-exposure factors determine women's empowerment. The study proposes some evidence-based policy options to improve the status of women in Pakistan
Men’s Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Pakistan
This article documents the beliefs and attitudes of men toward intimate partner violence in Pakistan. Men's beliefs and attitudes toward partner violence are shaped by the life-long process of gender socialization, where the role of wife is projected as submissive and docile. Drawing on eight in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted in Lahore and Sialkot, this article presents how men perceive and justify partner viol…
Role of Facebook use in predicting bridging and bonding social capital of Pakistani university students
The explanatory study aimed to examine the role of Facebook use (intensity of Facebook use, Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors, duration of use, and number of ties), motives of using Facebook (making new social ties, maintaining existing social ties, seeking and sharing information, self-expression, self-documentation, and recreation), and sociodemographic characteristics (age, education, gender, and monthly family income) in predicting …
Domestic Violence Against Rural Women in Pakistan
Gender mainstreaming in politics
This study aims to explore the challenges and obstacles faced by female politicians in Pakistani politics despite gender mainstreaming initiatives. This qualitative study was based on 20 interviews with key informants, who were serving women members of the national assembly, provincial assembly, and district councilors from the Punjab province of Pakistan. This revealed that the foremost challenge faced by women in politics here was gaining forma…
Men and Women’s Perceptions of Justifications of Wife Beating
Prevalence of Spousal Violence and Associated Risk Factors
Primary Health Care Physicians’ Response to the Victims of Spousal Violence Against Women in Pakistan
In this article we investigates the primary care physicians' response to the victims of spousal violence in Pakistan. By drawing upon the data collected by in-depth interviews from 24 physicians from Lahore and Sialkot, in this research we documented their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior treating the victims of violence. Data revealed that the physicians lacked competence, training, and resources to provide comprehensive care to the victims an…
Spousal Violence Against Women and Its Association With Women's Mental Health in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the issue of spousal violence is under-researched and still not considered a public health problem. To assess the association of spousal violence with women's mental health, a hospital-based cross-sectional survey was conducted through a structured interview schedule with 373 randomly selected ever-married women of reproductive age in eight randomly selected hospitals in the cities of Lahore and Sialkot, Pakistan. After controlling f…
Men’s Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Pakistan
This article documents the beliefs and attitudes of men toward intimate partner violence in Pakistan. Men's beliefs and attitudes toward partner violence are shaped by the life-long process of gender socialization, where the role of wife is projected as submissive and docile. Drawing on eight in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted in Lahore and Sialkot, this article presents how men perceive and justify partner viol…
Knowledge and attitude towards child marriage practice among women married as children-a qualitative study in urban slums of Lahore, Pakistan
Raising awareness of the negative health outcomes of child marriage, implementing and enforcing strict laws against child marriage practice, promoting civil, sexual and reproductive health rights for women, can help eliminate child marriages in Pakistan
Factors associated with non-utilization of child immunization in Pakistan
Despite governmental efforts to increase rates of immunization against childhood diseases, the proportion of incompletely immunized children in Pakistan is still high. Targeted interventions are needed to increase the immunization rates in Pakistan. These interventions need to concentrate on people with low socioeconomic and educational status in order to improve their knowledge of this topic
Circumstances leading to intimate partner violence against women married as children
BACKGROUND: Child marriage (<18 years) is prevalent in Pakistan which is associated with negative health outcomes including intimate partner violence (IPV). Our aim is to describe the types and circumstances of IPV against women who were married as children in urban slums of Lahore, Pakistan. METHODS: Women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who were married prior to 18 years, for at least 5 years were recruited from most populous slum areas of La…
Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight of Children Among Employed Mothers in Pakistan
Paternal Factors Associated with Neonatal Deaths and Births with Low Weight
Domestic Violence Against Rural Women in Pakistan
Perceptions of adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and rights
BACKGROUND: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a significant aspect of adolescents' growth, safeguarded by SRH rights (SRHR). Despite various global efforts to promote adolescents SRHR (ASRHR), the majority of adolescents still lack awareness and autonomy to access SRH related information and services. This research aimed to explore the knowledge and perceptions of adolescents' sexual and reproductive health rights and highlights key constra…
Under-Five Child Mortality and Morbidity Associated with Consanguineous Child Marriage in Pakistan
Men and Women’s Perceptions of Justifications of Wife Beating
Prevalence of Spousal Violence and Associated Risk Factors
Approaches towards improving the quality of maternal and newborn health services in South Asia
BACKGROUND: South Asia is experiencing a dismal state of maternal and newborn health (MNH) as the region has been falling behind in reducing the levels of maternal and neonatal mortality. Most of the efforts are focused on enhancing coverage of MNH services; however, quality remains a serious concern if the region is to achieve expected outcomes in terms of standardised MNH services within healthcare delivery systems. This research consists of a …
Gender mainstreaming in politics
This study aims to explore the challenges and obstacles faced by female politicians in Pakistani politics despite gender mainstreaming initiatives. This qualitative study was based on 20 interviews with key informants, who were serving women members of the national assembly, provincial assembly, and district councilors from the Punjab province of Pakistan. This revealed that the foremost challenge faced by women in politics here was gaining forma…
Role of Facebook use in predicting bridging and bonding social capital of Pakistani university students
The explanatory study aimed to examine the role of Facebook use (intensity of Facebook use, Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors, duration of use, and number of ties), motives of using Facebook (making new social ties, maintaining existing social ties, seeking and sharing information, self-expression, self-documentation, and recreation), and sociodemographic characteristics (age, education, gender, and monthly family income) in predicting …
Determinants of overall knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/Aids transmission among ever-married women in Pakistan
HIV/AIDS has emerged as a serious public health issue across the globe, and particularly in developing countries. Comprehensive knowledge and positive attitudes are cornerstones for the prevention, control and treatment of HIV/AIDS. However, there are various misconceptions associated with HIV/AIDS transmission, which lead to negative attitudes towards people living with AIDS. The present study aims to explore the effects of these determinants, r…
Institutional Environment of Old Age Homes and Its Relation to Adjustment of Older Adults
The study investigated the role of institutional environment in adjustment of older adults living in old age homes of Punjab, Pakistan. The study was conducted on a sample of 270 residents, living in 18 old age facilities across Punjab. The data was collected through a structured interview questionnaire and was analyzed through SPSS (v. 22). The multiple regression analyses suggested that institutional environment along with number of children an…
Sociocultural Challenges in the Implementation of Covid-19 Public Health Measures
Informed public health measures are crucial to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. The sociocultural context is important to understand the success or failure of implementing public health measures. This study explores the social and behavioral response to COVID-19 and unveils challenges in the implementation of related public health measures in Pakistan. Within this qualitative study, we conducted 34 telephonic/online in-depth interviews with youths, ad…
Role of the Media in Health-Related Awareness Campaigns on Perception of Covid-19
Medical preparedness and community education are the most valuable preventive tools for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the role of media public health awareness campaigns on the knowledge of the general population about COVID-19 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. A quantitative study using a pre-post design among 384 respondents was conducted. A structured questionnaire was administered to the participants twice: The first resp…
Covid-19 and Health Information Seeking Behavior
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, digital health literacy (DHL) has become a significant public health concern. This research aims to assess information seeking behavior, as well as the ability to find relevant information and deal with DHL among university students in Pakistan. An online-based cross-sectional survey, using a web-based interviewing technique, was conducted to collect data on DHL. Simple bivariate and multivariate linear regression was …
Effectiveness of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in Improving the Developmental Potential and Weight of Children Aged under Five with Severe Acute Malnourishment in Pakistan
The objective of this study was to assess whether the standard therapy of ready-to-use therapeutic food in the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is effective in improving developmental potential and weight gain in children aged under five years. A multicenter pretest-posttest study was conducted among 91 children aged under five with uncomplicated SAM in Pakistan. Study participants completed their eight weeks' therapy of…
Determinants of overall knowledge and health behaviours in relation to hepatitis B and C among ever-married women in Pakistan
This study provides evidence that women's sociodemographic characteristics create differences in their overall knowledge about and attitudes towards HBV and HCV. This research emphasized that there is a need to create awareness about the causes and prevention of HBV and HCV in order to achieve the goal of eliminating these diseases in Pakistan by 2030
Determinants of women’s empowerment in Pakistan
A number of social, economic, demographic, familial, and information-exposure factors determine women's empowerment. The study proposes some evidence-based policy options to improve the status of women in Pakistan
Frequency and reasons for delayed treatment initiation after HIV diagnosis
Late commencement of HIV therapy in Pakistan is common, and an improved connection is needed between identification of HIV and beginning of therapy. HIV management centres should counsel and monitor patients from the time of a positive HIV test result until they initiate therapy
Medicine (42 works) · Environmental health (29 works) · Public health (27 works) · Nursing (21 works) · Psychology (17 works) · Demography (16 works) · Demography (16 works) · Population (15 works) · Sociology (15 works) · Biostatistics (12 works)