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Zaheer, Ifra
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Journal : Symbiohealth

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Migration and Gender Health: Navigating Intersecting Vulnerabilities and Resilience: A case study of Lahore Zaheer, Ifra
Symbiohealth Vol. 3 No. 2 (2025)
Publisher : Civiliza Publishing

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.59525/symbiohealth.v3i2.1018

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the gendered health impacts of internal migration on women in Lahore, Pakistan, through in-depth interviews with ten female migrants. Employing a phenomenological approach and thematic analysis, the research explores how the migration process from pre-departure motivations through transit to urban settlement shapes physical, mental, and social well-being through an intersectional lens. The findings reveal that migration is a deeply gendered experience driven by economic precarity and shaped by gendered pressures. Participants reported significant vulnerabilities, including fear of harassment during transit, precarious living conditions in informal settlements, and formidable barriers to healthcare characterized by financial cost (mehngai) and systemic disrespect (be-izzati). These intersecting vulnerabilities of gender, poverty, and rural origin manifested in starkly gendered health outcomes, most notably a high, yet unaddressed, burden of mental distress and severely limited access to reproductive healthcare. However, the study also uncovers profound resilience, as women actively navigated these challenges through the formation of "jhuggi networks" informal community support systems that provided emotional, informational, and financial resources. The study concludes that effective public health interventions must be gender-transformative, addressing structural barriers while leveraging existing community resilience to bridge the gap in healthcare access for this vulnerable population.
An Analysis of Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Cigarette Smoking: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Residents in Lahore, Pakistan Zaheer, Ifra; Shahzad, Huma; Fatima, Faseeha; Ali, Farhad; Veesar, Attaullah
Symbiohealth Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026)
Publisher : Civiliza Publishing

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.59525/symbiohealth.1099

Abstract

Tobacco smoking remains a formidable public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding cigarette smoking among 800 residents of Lahore, selected via a multi-stage sampling technique. The findings reveal a smoking prevalence of 23%, with initiation primarily occurring in late adolescence (mean age 19.2 years) and driven predominantly by peer pressure (75%) and stress relief (56.3%). While knowledge of major health risks like lung cancer was high (94%), a significant gap existed between this knowledge and personal risk perception, alongside the powerful influence of socio-cultural norms, including the high social acceptability of male smoking (75.5%) and the perceived efficacy of smoking for stress relief (81.8%). The study concludes that despite adequate awareness, smoking behavior in Lahore is sustained by deep-rooted social and cultural factors, underscoring the urgent need for public health interventions that extend beyond informational campaigns to address these normative and psychological drivers.
Migration and Gender Health: Navigating Intersecting Vulnerabilities and Resilience: A case study of Lahore Zaheer, Ifra
Symbiohealth Vol. 3 No. 2 (2025)
Publisher : Civiliza Publishing

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.59525/symbiohealth.v3i2.1018

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the gendered health impacts of internal migration on women in Lahore, Pakistan, through in-depth interviews with ten female migrants. Employing a phenomenological approach and thematic analysis, the research explores how the migration process from pre-departure motivations through transit to urban settlement shapes physical, mental, and social well-being through an intersectional lens. The findings reveal that migration is a deeply gendered experience driven by economic precarity and shaped by gendered pressures. Participants reported significant vulnerabilities, including fear of harassment during transit, precarious living conditions in informal settlements, and formidable barriers to healthcare characterized by financial cost (mehngai) and systemic disrespect (be-izzati). These intersecting vulnerabilities of gender, poverty, and rural origin manifested in starkly gendered health outcomes, most notably a high, yet unaddressed, burden of mental distress and severely limited access to reproductive healthcare. However, the study also uncovers profound resilience, as women actively navigated these challenges through the formation of "jhuggi networks" informal community support systems that provided emotional, informational, and financial resources. The study concludes that effective public health interventions must be gender-transformative, addressing structural barriers while leveraging existing community resilience to bridge the gap in healthcare access for this vulnerable population.
An Analysis of Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Cigarette Smoking: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Residents in Lahore, Pakistan Zaheer, Ifra; Shahzad, Huma; Fatima, Faseeha; Ali, Farhad; Veesar, Attaullah
Symbiohealth Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026)
Publisher : Civiliza Publishing

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.59525/symbiohealth.1099

Abstract

Tobacco smoking remains a formidable public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding cigarette smoking among 800 residents of Lahore, selected via a multi-stage sampling technique. The findings reveal a smoking prevalence of 23%, with initiation primarily occurring in late adolescence (mean age 19.2 years) and driven predominantly by peer pressure (75%) and stress relief (56.3%). While knowledge of major health risks like lung cancer was high (94%), a significant gap existed between this knowledge and personal risk perception, alongside the powerful influence of socio-cultural norms, including the high social acceptability of male smoking (75.5%) and the perceived efficacy of smoking for stress relief (81.8%). The study concludes that despite adequate awareness, smoking behavior in Lahore is sustained by deep-rooted social and cultural factors, underscoring the urgent need for public health interventions that extend beyond informational campaigns to address these normative and psychological drivers.
Co-Authors Ali, Farhad Fatima, Faseeha Shahzad, Huma Veesar, Attaullah