Adolescent health research and initiatives in the occupied Palestinian territory: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

Adolescence is a period characterised by profound changes that warrant special attention, particularly for adolescents living in conflict-stricken regions. The dearth of available information regarding observational health research and interventions in the occupied Palestinian territory emphasises the need for a comprehensive examination of all accessible data. The aim of this review is to conduct a thorough analysis of the existing literature and initiatives focusing on adolescent health in the occupied Palestinian territory.

DESIGN

Scoping review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO, along with grey literature, were searched for the period between 2012 and 2023.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Research studies, programmes or interventions targeting adolescents aged 10-19 years, conducted in the occupied Palestinian territory, and published between 2012 and 2023 were considered. Both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two independent reviewers conducted abstract and full-text screening of the selected articles. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion, with a third reviewer consulted when necessary. Data extraction was performed using Excel software by two independent reviewers. Extracted data were categorised as either intervention or observational research. For analysis, the extracted data underwent an explanatory frequency analysis using SPSS software.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 114 research projects and 19 interventions from peer-reviewed and grey literature searches. The most frequently addressed topic was non-communicable diseases, with health awareness being the most common method employed in interventions. The studies targeted both male and female participants, with a particular focus on adolescents aged 10-19 years. The majority of the included studies received funding from international sources and were conducted by foreign and local researchers.

CONCLUSION

This review sheds light on the current framework of adolescent health interventions, identifies areas where research is lacking and advocates for evidence-based practices to enhance the well-being of Palestinian adolescents. Future interventions should encompass the younger age group, and research should strive to provide precise information for each age group independently.

Women's access to sexual and reproductive health services and information in Ismailia, Egypt

BACKGROUND

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a right that should be guaranteed to every woman worldwide in order to have a healthy and safe sex life. In most Arab countries, including Egypt, there are different cultural, political, and religious factors that have contributed significantly to how society views and treats women's bodies and sexuality. As a result, it is difficult to provide solid data and information to guide policymakers, policies, and to implement awareness and preventive programmes. This study sought to address this gap by looking at the intersectionality of women's access to SRH services and information in Ismailia, Egypt.

METHODS

The study utilised qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve married women and two key informant interviews with health professionals (a gynecologist and a pharmacist) in the study area.

RESULTS

The study revealed that married women suffer from scarcity of understanding and knowledge of their SRH and lack of access to adequate SRH services and information. Married women's experiences of accessing SRH services and information were influenced by intersecting factors located at the micro and macro levels. These intersected factors (e.g., power dynamics, socioeconomic factors, cultural norms, and religious misconception) shaped oppression and privilege structures which created unequal access to SRH information and services.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for building quality parental relationships for women before and after marriage in order to promote positive SRH attitudes and behavior. There is an urgent need to empower women before and after marriage with accurate, safe, and affordable SRH services and information that could have life-long benefits to protect them. There is a need to conduct educational programmes, and initiate media awareness campaigns, to equip women with information and knowledge about their SRH services and information.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the long (12 items) and short (7 items) forms of the Violent Ideations Scale (VIS) in a non-clinical sample of adolescents

BACKGROUND

Accurately measuring violent ideations would be of particular high relevance in Arab countries, which are witnessing an unprecedented increase in violence rates among adolescents because of the widespread social, economic and political unrest in the region. Therefore, the present study aimed to test the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the 12-item and the 7-item forms of the Violent Ideations Scale (VIS and VIS-SF) in a sample on non-clinical Arabic-speaking adolescents.

METHODS

Five hundred seventy-seven community adolescents (mean age of 15.90 ± 1.73 years, 56.5% females) answered an anonymous online survey comprising an Arabic translation of the Violent Ideations Scale (VIS) and a measure of physical aggression.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) offered support for the single-factor structure of the Arabic VIS and the VIS-SF. Both the long and short forms of the scale yielded excellent internal consistency, with McDonald's ω coefficients of 0.96 and 0.94 and Cronbach's α coefficients of 0.96 and 0.94, respectively. Multi-group CFA established measurement invariance across gender groups. Finally, results revealed significant and positive correlations between the two forms of the VIS and physical aggression scores, thus supporting concurrent validity.

CONCLUSION

Both the VIS and VIS-SF have demonstrated good psychometric properties in their Arabic versions, and suitability for sound assessment of violent ideations. We therefore expect that these measures assist clinicians in risk assessment and management of violence, and help foster research in this area in Arab countries.

Social Differences in Health Behaviours among Jordanian Adolescents

Social differences are evident in both developed and developing countries. During adolescence, there are limited differences in morbidity and mortality, but differences do appear in terms of health behaviours. This study aims to examine the relationship(s) between social differences and students’ health behaviours. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 with a sample of high school students (N = 2741, aged 13–18 years) in Jordan. Besides descriptive statistics, bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to detect the odds risk for each social difference indicator. Females were engaged in more healthy dietary and hygienic behaviours and less engaged in smoking. Males were more physically active. Adolescents with a higher parental education level were more engaged in healthy behaviours; however, they drank carbonated soft drinks and ate fast food more often. Higher SES (socioeconomic status) self-evaluation was positively associated with eating breakfast and fruit and vegetables, being physically active, drinking carbonated soft drinks, eating fast food, and smoking. Our findings suggest that socioeconomic differences are important to understanding Jordanian adolescents’ health behaviours. While females tend to engage in more healthy behaviours, the role of parental education and perceived family affluence is not always beneficial in terms of adolescents’ dietary habits, hygienic behaviour, or smoking.

Behind male Saudi nursing students' mental health facade: a husserlian phenomenological approach

BACKGROUND

Every person has a persona (or mask) which is the façade that every person shows to the world. Thus, males use façade to reveal or conceal their true feelings and emotions. Also, the male uses mental health façade to protect themselves from prejudice and judgment. Thus, the study aimed to explore the experiences of male Saudi nursing students of mental health.

METHOD

Husserl's descriptive phenomenology was used as a guiding lens to explore. Eleven participants were involved in the study by using the referral sampling technique. An unstructured interview was performed to gather information from the participants. The seven steps of the descriptive Colaizzi process were followed to investigate and examine the obtained data. The credibility, dependability, confirmability, transferability, and reflexivity criteria were observed to ensure the rigor of the study.

RESULTS

The findings have two major themes. The first theme is the unadulterated smile that describes optimism in the family and mutual guarantee. The second theme is the orchestrated smile, which describes avoiding diverting burdens, social responsibility, protection of self, and reputation.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings document that the mental health façade of male Saudi nursing students is associated with the expectation of family optimism, mutual guarantee, the expectation of society, and self-protection.

Road traffic injury in Lebanon: A prospective study to assess injury characteristics and risk factors

BACKGROUND

Road traffic injury (RTI) is a significant yet poorly characterized cause of morbidity and mortality in the Middle East. This hospital-based-study examined RTI in Lebanon and provided an understanding of their characteristics.

METHODS

We collected prospective RTI data from three participating hospitals over 3 months using a designed tool based on Canadian CHIRPP and WHO tools. We performed logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship between contributing risk factors (age, sex) and injury types as well as the association of safety measures used (seatbelts or helmets) and body parts injured.

RESULTS

A total of 153 patients were collected. Male preponderance with 72%, with mean age 32.6 (SD = 14.9) years. RTI was highest among passengers aged 15 to 29 (48%). Motorcyclists comprised the greatest injury proportion (38%), followed by vehicle-occupants (35%), and pedestrians (25%) (P = .04). Hip injuries represented the most affected body part (48.7%), followed by head/neck (38.2%). Only 31% (n = 47) of victims applied safety measures (seatbelts or helmets). Six drivers (7%) reported cell phone use at collision. The use of safety measures was associated with a substantial reduction in head/neck injuries (P = .03), spine injuries (P = .049), and lower risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) (P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

RTI is a major health problem in Lebanon. Safety measures, though poorly adhered to, were associated with less severe injuries, and should be further promoted via awareness campaigns and enforcement. Trauma registries are needed to assess the RTI burden and inform safety interventions and quality-of-care improvement programs.

Sexually transmitted infection knowledge and attitudes among Muslim women worldwide: a systematic review

Extramarital sexual relations are forbidden in Islam, and sexual health information is not readily available in Islamic communities, especially for women. This review aimed to explore sexually transmitted infection (STI) knowledge and attitudes among Muslim women worldwide. A systematic review was conducted on seven electronic databases. We included qualitative and quantitative studies of female Muslim participants of reproductive age, focusing on STI knowledge and attitudes. A narrative synthesis approach was used with thematic analysis methods. Eighteen studies conducted in 13 countries were included. Three main themes were identified: poor knowledge and misconceptions; sources of sexual health information and information needs; and cultural influences on STI knowledge and attitudes. Generally, Muslim women had poor knowledge regarding STI signs and symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, in addition to many misconceptions. Negative attitudes towards people infected with HIV/AIDS were common, and attitudes were highly influenced by misconceptions and insufficient knowledge. Infected women tended to be subjected to more blame and judgement compared to men. While the review summarises knowledge and attitudes of Muslim women worldwide, we excluded studies that did not clearly state that the study participants were Muslim women, hence many countries with Muslim populations are not represented in this review. Negative attitudes towards STIs make it harder for women to access sexual health information, STI prevention and treatment. This review highlights the need for culturally sensitive sexual health education for Muslim women. Future sex education interventions would benefit from considering the wider personal and external barriers.

Predictors of adolescents' mental health problems in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Jeeluna® national study

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety among adolescents require further attention as they have profound harmful implications on several aspects of adolescents' wellbeing and can be associated with life threatening risk behaviors such as suicide.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the underlying risk factors for feeling so sad or hopeless and for feeling worried among adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Data from Jeeluna® national survey was used. A cross-sectional, multi-stage, stratified, cluster random sampling technique was applied among a sample of students aged 10-19 years attending intermediate and secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire assessing several domains, including feeling so sad or hopeless and worried, was used to collect data. Logistic regression models were fitted to determine the different factors associated with mental health.

RESULTS

A sample of 12,121 students was included in this study. Feeling so sad or hopeless and feeling worried were significantly more prevalent among females and older adolescents (p < 0.0001). The results showed that poor relationship with parents, negative body image, and chronic illness to be significantly associated with feeling so sad or hopeless and worried.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms suggestive of mental health problems among adolescents in Saudi Arabia are prevalent and deserve special attention. Adopting effective strategies, including regular screening and intervention programs are highly needed to better address, detect, and control early signs of these problems.

Youth traffic-related injuries: a prospective study

Background

Traffic-related injuries are the most common cause of morbidity and mortality of the youth. Our aim was to study epidemiology, risk factors and outcome of hospitalized youth patients injured in road traffic collisions in order to give recommendations for prevention.

Methods

We prospectively studied all youth (15–24 years) patients having traffic-related injuries who were admitted to Al Ain or Tawam Hospitals, Al Ain City, or who died after arrival to these hospitals during an 18 months period. Demography, location and time of injury, injured body regions, severity, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay and outcome were analyzed.

Results

Three hundred thirty-three patients having a mean age (SD) of 20 years (2.5) were studied. 87% were males and 72% were UAE nationals. Majority of injured patients were drivers or front-seat passengers (70%), followed by back seat passengers (16%), motorcyclists (5%) and pedestrians (4%). Rollover was the most common crash mechanism (35%), followed by front crash (34%). Twenty seven patients (8%) were ejected during the crash, 14 during roll-over, 7 from quadribikes and three during front crash. 20% of the patients were admitted to the ICU. Median Glasgow Coma Scale was 15 (range 3–15), median Injury Severity Score was 5 (range 1–41), and median total hospital stay was 3 days (range 1–73). Nine (3%) patients died.

Conclusions

Young UAE-national males are at a higher risk of being injured at traffic. Rollover crash was frequent with high risk of ejection. Promotion of traffic safety and enforcement of safety legislation is necessary.