Research

Dr Nicola Lowe is a senior lecturer in Nutrition at the University of Central Lancashire. She is a trustee and research lead for the foundation. Research currently taking place at the Emergency Satellite Hospital in Nahaqi includes a study of diet and bone health in postmenopausal women. We have recently secured funding to extend this to investigate diet and health in young, pregnant and lactating women, with a specific focus on Vitamin D and trace minerals.

The Abaseen Foundation and Nahaqi Hospital have been involved in valuable health research since the charity took over the lease of the facility in 2001.

Between 2002 and 2003, a useful health database for the 200,000 population was compiled with support from funds provided by the Department of Health in the UK.

The charity is working in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire on various research projects, contrasting and comparing the health of women from South Asian communities in Lancashire and in the Nahaqi area.

The University of Central Lancashire (UClan) is employing a full time post doc for 2 years at UCLan to work with the Abaseen Foundation team in Pakistan to develop a research programme. UClan will also give £6,000 per year, for 2 years to pay for a part time research assistant in Pakistan.

Fully funded projects

Child Nutrition in the Brick Kilns area

The information from this project will be used to develop healthcare education messages such as importance of vaccination, healthy eating during pregnancy, benefits of breast feeding. The quantitative data will be used to lever local funds for the development of a nutrition support clinic for mothers and infants in this community.

Use of the Jirga for community engagement

The primary objective of this project is to generate understanding about the mechanisms of the Jirga system as a culturally embedded route for community engagement and explore its potential for community engagement in research.

Research publications and conference presentations

Published

Fiona Dykes, Monique Lhussier, Sonia Bangash, Mukhtiar Zaman,  Nicola Lowe
Exploring and optimising maternal and infant nutrition in North West Pakistan
Midwifery 2011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2011.09.013

Nicola Lowe, Qudsia Bano, Sonia Ali Bangash, Basma Ellahi and Mukhtiar Zaman
Exploring and optimising maternal and infant nutrition in North West Pakistan
Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. 2011; 29(5) 465-470

Monique Lhussier, Fiona Dykes, Sonia Ali Bagash, Mukhtiar Zaman, Nicola Lowe
Implementation and evaluation of a health promotion initiative in north Pakistan: a realist framework
Health Promotion International 2011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dar067

Sonia Bangash, Nicola Lowe, Shamim Akhtar, Mukhtiar Zaman
Importance of Nutritional Counselling During Tuberculosis
Submitted to Pakistan chest Society 9th biennial conference, March 2010.

Nicola M Lowe, Soma R Mitra, Peter C Foster, Issak Bhojani, John F McCann
Biochemical markers of bone turnover in Postmenopausal South Asian and Caucasian Women
British Journal of Nutrition, 103 1706-1710. 2010

N Lowe, Q. Bano, S.Ali Bangash, B.Ellahi, M. Zaman
Dietary calcium intake and bone health in postmenopausal women in Nahaqi, NWPF, Pakistan
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 67, E369. 2008

S.Mitra, J.F.McCann, I.Bhojani, P.C.Foster, and N. Lowe
Vitamin D status and bone turnover in postmenopausal South Asian and Caucasian women living in Blackburn, UK.
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 67, E318. 2008

Soma Mitra, Peter Foster, Patricia Judd, Basma Ellahi, Issak Bhojani, John F McCann, Nicola Lowe
Calcaneal Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation and Risk Factors for Osteoporotic Fracture in Postmenopausal South Asian and Caucasian Women
J Bone Miner Res, 22S1: pg 346. 2007

S.Mitra, P.C.Foster, P.A.Judd, B.Ellahi, and N.M.Lowe.
Cultural differences in the sources of dietary calcium in postmenopausal Caucasian and South Asian women living in Blackburn, Lancashire, U.K.
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 68, 69A. 2007

S.Mitra, J.F.McCann, I.Bhojani, P.C.Foster, P.A.Judd, B.Ellahi, and N.M.Lowe
Diet, lifestyle and osteoporotic fracture risk in post menopausal South Asian women living in Blackburn, UK
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 65 , 85A. 2006

S.Mitra, J.F. McCann, I.Bhojani, P.C.Foster, P.A.Judd, B.Ellahi, and N.M.Lowe
Risk factors for Osteoporotic fracture in post-menopausal South Asian Women living in Blackburn, United Kingdom
Osteoporosis International 17, Supplement 3, page 406. 2006