Huda Gharaibeh

The psychological burden of patients with beta thalassemia major in Syria.

Background:  The objective of this study was to identify the psychosocial burden of thalassemia on children with β‐thalassemia major in Damascus, Syria.

Adversities of being infertile: the experience of Jordanian women

OBJECTIVE To describe and interpret the experiences of and adversities faced by infertile Jordanian women as described from their own perspectives. DESIGN A qualitative descriptive design. SETTING The women were interviewed at a nonprofit womens organization in the north of Jordan. The organization focuses on empowerment and health issues. PATIENT(S) This study included a purposive sample of 25 infertile Jordanian women who were unsuccessfully trying to conceive for a minimum of 1 year, and who were receiving treatment for infertility. INTERVENTION(S) Face-to-face, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted, audiotaped, and transcribed using thematic analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Outcomes were measured using thematic analysis of the interview transcripts. RESULT(S) Four key adversity themes emerged from the data: the adversity of incomplete being, the social adversity of being infertile, the adversity of another wife, and the adversity of changes in the marital relationship. CONCLUSION(S) Jordanian women are seriously affected by infertility and experience personal, social, and marital adversities, which affect their well-being. These adversities need to be conceptualized within a framework that can be used to empower and counsel infertile women in all aspects of life.

secondhand smoking in Jordan: clearing the Air for One of the Highest Tobacco prevalence countries in the Middle east

As the rate of tobacco consumption in Jordan increases, Jordanian policy makers are urged to develop guidelines on smoking exposures. This paper is concerned with the magnitude of exposure and harm caused by secondhand smoke (SHS) on childbearing women and young children. Despite a strict policy that limits tobacco advertising and efforts by the Ministry of Health, which include cessation programs and education on the adverse effect of smoking, the country sustains its high smoking rate, especially among men. According to the data gathered in this paper, special concern should be directed toward childrens SHS exposure. Only four recent studies on SHS exposure among Jordanian women and children were encountered. Moreover, Jordan has legislation that bans smoking in public institutions; however, the enforcement of the law is extremely poor in most locations. Recommendations are presented to aid policy makers and law enforcement agencies in addressing this issue.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior in Avoiding Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Non-Smoking Employed Women with Higher Education in Jordan

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is a serious public health threat worldwide; in the developing world there are less serious efforts towards controlling women’s and children’s exposure to SHS. Knowledge, attitudes and avoidance practices among Jordanian women have never been thoroughly studied. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and avoidance behavior towards SHS exposure among employed Jordanian women with higher education. Methods A survey was conducted among employed Jordanian women at two universities. A total of 209 women were included in the analysis. Two questionnaires regarding SHS exposure were used to measure knowledge, attitudes and avoidance practices. Results Most respondents were regularly exposed to SHS in various locations during daily life, even though they were very knowledgeable about the dangers of SHS exposure for women and children. However, the subject’s attitudes and avoidance behavior did not reflect the level of knowledge about SHS risks. The results suggests there is a large discrepancy between SHS exposure, knowledge, attitudes and avoidance behavior among highly educated Jordanian women that is likely influenced by culture and traditional gender roles. Public health initiatives are needed in Jordan to address public policy, institutional practices and to empowerment of women to reduce SHS exposure.

Parenting From a Jordanian Perspective: Findings From a Qualitative Study

PURPOSE The main purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore Jordanian parents understanding of parenting. METHODS A convenient sample of 110 Jordanian parents recruited from four health centers participated in the study. A semi-structured one-on-one interview with open-ended questions was used to collect the data. RESULTS Three thematic areas reflecting parent understands of parenting were identified; parenting as embraced by Islam, transferring of cultural values and traditions, and parenting as a challenge. CONCLUSIONS Parenting behavior and its effectiveness are reflected by the strong interplay of Islamic teachings, socio-cultural values and traditions in addition to the challenges and difficulties of being a parent. CLINICAL RELEVANCE As the ultimate goal of parenting is to promote the wellbeing and the development of children, it is crucial that health care providers involved in the design and delivery of family and childrens services have a thorough understanding of how parents perceive parenting and how their understanding can be integrated in programs to enhance parental roles.

Pain Management Practice and Guidelines in Jordanian Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Abstract Limited knowledge exists of current pain management practices and supporting guidelines in Jordanian pediatric intensive care units. To determine the current pain management practices and the availability and content of practice guidelines in Jordanian pediatric intensive care units, we conducted a cross‐sectional and multisite survey of four pediatric intensive care units in Jordan. A questionnaire was developed and orally administered over the phone or in person to head nurses or their nominees to capture pain management practices and the existence and content of guidelines. All units had written pain management guidelines that included pain assessment, documentation, and management. All four units used one or more pain assessment tools. In three units, pain management was considered multidisciplinary and routinely discussed on unit rounds. In two units, continuous infusion of intravenous opioids was used as well as sedatives and neuromuscular blockers for most ventilated patients. In the two other units, continuous intravenous infusion of opioids was not used and only sedatives were administered for patients on mechanical ventilation. In two units, there were no specific guidelines on the use of nonopioid analgesics, patient‐controlled anesthesia, or the management of postoperative pain. No unit used an opioid or sedative withdrawal assessment tool or had pain management guidelines on the use of topical anesthetic agents or sucrose. Pain management practices and guidelines varied across the four units, suggesting that there is an opportunity for improvement in pain management in pediatric intensive care units in Jordan.

Psychosocial Burden and Stigma Perception of Jordanian Patients With Epilepsy

Epilepsy requires long-term treatment that interferes with individuals’ social relationships. Because the effects of psychosocial burden and stigma perception on patients with epilepsy in Jordan have not been explored, the study assessed the relationship among psychosocial burden, stigma of epilepsy, and demographic variables. Subjects were adult patients with epilepsy (N = 200) registered at hospital clinics. Two published instruments were used to measure outcomes. The participants in the study perceived the burden and stigma of epilepsy as moderate. A strong, positive correlation between psychosocial burden and stigma perception among participants was found. Stigma perception, employment, and education variables explained 31.6% of variation of the level of psychosocial burden. The results showed a relationship between stigma perception and psychosocial level, and this provides information that may assist health care providers in formulating strategic plans to improve the care, safety, and quality of life of patients with epilepsy in Jordan.

Postnatal women’s perspectives on the feasibility of introducing postpartum home visits: a Jordanian study

ABSTRACT In Jordan, there is a deficiency in postnatal care provided to women and their newborns. This study investigated the feasibility of initiating postnatal home visits in Jordan. Thirty Jordanian mothers who had recently given birth were recruited from two governmental hospitals in the northern region of Jordan to participate in a qualitative study through face-to-face, voice-recorded interviews. The findings revealed that initiating postnatal home visits as part of postnatal care was well-received by the participants. Mothers’ views and perceptions regarding postpartum home visits play an integral role in finding areas to improve postnatal services.

Symptom management strategies of Jordanian patients following coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

The aim of this study was to explore the symptom management strategies utilized by post coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients and its associations with demographic variables. A clear understanding of the use of symptom management strategies following CABG surgery may help nurses in developing educational program and interventions that help patients and their families during recovery period after discharge. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was utilized. A convenience sample of 100 Jordanian patients post CABG surgery selected from five hospitals was surveyed between November 2012 and June 2013 using the Cardiac Symptom Survey. Chi squared analyses were used to examine the associations between the symptoms management strategies and selected demographic variables. Frequency of symptom management strategies utilized by post CABG patients revealed that most frequently employed strategies were use of medications (79%), repositioning (54%) and the rest (45%). Symptom management strategies utilized for poor appetite, sleeping problem and fatigue had significant associations with demographic variables. By providing information about the symptoms expected after surgery and possible ways to manage them, will strengthen the patients psychologically and will make CABG experience within the realm of self-management and coping.The aim of this study was to explore the symptom management strategies utilized by post coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients and its associations with demographic variables. A clear understanding of the use of symptom management strategies following CABG surgery may help nurses in developing educational program and interventions that help patients and their families during recovery period after discharge. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was utilized. A convenience sample of 100 Jordanian patients post CABG surgery selected from five hospitals was surveyed between November 2012 and June 2013 using the Cardiac Symptom Survey. Chi squared analyses were used to examine the associations between the symptoms management strategies and selected demographic variables. Frequency of symptom management strategies utilized by post CABG patients revealed that most frequently employed strategies were use of medications (79%), repositioning (54%) and the rest (45%). Symptom management strategies utilized for poor appetite, sleeping problem and fatigue had significant associations with demographic variables. By providing information about the symptoms expected after surgery and possible ways to manage them, will strengthen the patients psychologically and will make CABG experience within the realm of self-management and coping.

Symptoms Experienced by Jordanian Men and Women After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.

Background:Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery experience a wide spectrum of physical and psychological symptoms after surgery. Studies have shown that symptoms usually decline over time; however, some can persist up to months after discharge. Objectives:This study aims to assess symptoms experienced by patients after CABG surgery and any associations with demographic variables. Methods:A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 100 Jordanian post–CABG surgery patients was selected from 5 hospitals in Jordan. Patients were surveyed using the Cardiac Symptom Survey. To examine the associations between the symptoms experienced and selected demographic variables, &khgr;2 analyses were used. Results:Chest incisional pain (65%) was the most frequently perceived symptom by the participants. Leg swelling (60%) was also reported by a nearly equivalent number of respondents. Symptoms like fluttering (15%), angina (8%), and depression (3%) were reported by a handful of participants. Three symptoms (poor appetite, sleeping problem, and fatigue) had significant associations with demographic variables. Discussion:The identification of frequently perceived symptoms among post-CABG patients enables health care providers to focus their assessments in identifying and alleviating them. The demographic associations identified facilitate nurses to forecast certain specific symptoms in targeted populations, like women are more prone to experience poor appetite and sleeping difficulties and strengthen these groups with strategies to prevent themselves from these distressing symptoms.