Nemeh Al-Akour

Factors affecting intention to breastfeed among Syrian and Jordanian mothers: a comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundBreastfeeding is considered the ideal method of infant feeding for at least the first six months of life. This study aimed to compare breastfeeding intention between Syrian and Jordanian women and determine factors associated with breastfeeding intention among pregnant women in these two countries.MethodsA cross-sectional design was used to collect data from1200 pregnant women aged 18 years and above (600 participants from each country). A self- administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics and breastfeeding intention.ResultsIntention to breastfeed was reported by 77.2% of Syrian and 76.2% of Jordanian pregnant women. There was no significant difference in intention to breastfeed between Syrian women and Jordanian women. In both countries, women with a more positive attitude to breastfeeding, women with previous breastfeeding experience and women with supportive partners were more likely to intend to breastfeed. Syrian women with a monthly family income of more than US

Quality of life and associated factors among Jordanian adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

200, younger than 25 and primiparous or having one child were more likely to report an intention to breastfeed their infants. Jordanian women with an education level of less than high school and not living with their family-in-law were more likely to intend to breastfeed.ConclusionsIn Syria and Jordan, a more positive attitude to breastfeeding, previous breastfeeding experience and presence of supportive husbands are associated with intention to breastfeed. These factors should be considered when planning programs designed to promote breastfeeding in these two countries.

Glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated in primary care setting in Jordan.

OBJECTIVES Quality of life (QoL) is a significant indicator of the outcome of the treatment in chronic diseases. The purpose of the study was to assess the QoL of Jordanian adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and its associated factors. METHODS A total of 145 adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus were invited to participate in the study during their regular visits to outpatient clinics. The subjects were recruited from the National Center for Diabetes, Endocrine and Genetic Diseases in Amman, the capital of Jordan, and from three main hospitals in the north of Jordan between October 2007 and February 2008. A short form of the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youth (DQLQY-SF) questionnaire was used. The DQLQY-SF consists of 22 items on two subscales (disease impact and worries) with higher scale scores indicating increase frequency of problems and lower QoL. RESULTS The mean (S.D.) age of the participants was 14.1 (3.1) years and the mean (S.D.) diabetes duration was 3.7 (2.9) years. This study showed that adolescents perceived their QoL as low. The mean (S.D.) of DQLQY-SF total score was 56.4 (18.0). The mean was 36.2 (10.1) for the impact scale, 17.9 (8.9) for worries about diabetes, and 2.2 (1.2) for health perception. Multivariate analysis showed that more impact of diabetes, worries about diabetes, and worse overall QoL were associated with shorter diabetes duration, higher HbA(1c) values, being a girl, and older age. CONCLUSIONS The QoL of Jordanian adolescents with type 1 diabetes was low. Better glycemic control may contribute to the improvement of QoL.

Normative data and psychometric properties of short form 36 health survey (SF-36, version 1.0) in the population of north Jordan.

AIMS Determine the rate of glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes treated in a university teaching family health centre and determine factors associated with glycaemic control. METHODS A family physician reviewed medical records of all type 2 diabetic patients aged 18 years or older, who attended the university medical centre of Jordan University of Science and Technology between September 2007 and December 2008. All relevant information were abstracted from medical records and filled in a special form. RESULTS Of the total 337 patients, 56.1% had HbA1c<7%. The mean HbA1c was 7.1%. About half (46.6%) achieved target blood pressure <130/80. Furthermore, half of the patients achieved the target levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL. However, only 10.4% achieved the target level of LDL. In multivariate analysis only increased duration of disease (>5 years vs. < or =5 years) and type of treatment (insulin alone or combination therapy vs. oral therapy only) were significantly associated with increased odds of HbA1C>7%. CONCLUSIONS More than half (56.1%) of diabetic patients had HbA1c values of less than 7%. Such finding highlight the importance of providing an organised care in managing diabetic patients in primary care setting and can be a base for further longitudinal studies to evaluate such care.

Sex preference and interest in preconception sex selection: a survey among pregnant women in the north of Jordan

This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the short form 36 health survey (SF-36, version 1.0) and to establish SF-36 population norms among the general population of north Jordan. A systematic sample of 157 households was selected from 6 districts in Irbid governorate in north Jordan. A total of 511 people aged 18 years or more agreed to participate. The reliability of the instrument using the Arabic version of SF-36 was satisfactory: Cronbacha o alphas for all 8 SF-36 scales exceeded 0.70. All items passed the tests for item internal consistency and item discriminant validity. SF-36 population norms amongthe general population of north Jordan were established. The highest mean was for social functioning (66.8) among men and for physical functioning (69.8) among women. The lowest mean was for vitality (55.8) among men and bodily pain (54.6) among women. The SF-36 is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring quality of life among Jordanians.

Perceptions of reporting practices and barriers to reporting incidents among registered nurses and physicians in accredited and nonaccredited Jordanian hospitals

BACKGROUND Preconception sex selection for non-medical reasons is a controversial issue in bioethics. Little research has described preferences for preconception sex selection among Arab populations. This study describes the sex preference and interest in employing sex selection techniques among pregnant women in northern Jordan. METHODS A self-reported questionnaire was administered to 600 pregnant women in Irbid, Jordan. chi(2) test and binary logistic regression were used to examine the factors associated with interest in preconception sex selection. RESULTS In general, the interest in using sex selection was low. Women who preferred boys were more likely to be interested in sex selection, if paid for by the couple [odds ratio (OR) = 4.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.75-11.11] or by health insurance (OR = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.94-6.06), or, if feasible, administered through oral medication (OR = 8.84, 95% CI: 5.05-15.63). Women with lower education were more likely to be interested in sex selection, if paid by health insurance (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.10-3.45) and were more likely to believe that sex selection is legal (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.06-2.86). Women who had no boys were more likely to be interested in sex selection, if paid by health insurance (OR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.10-3.42) or, if feasible, through medication (OR = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.82-5.00). CONCLUSIONS The majority of participants were not in favor of using preconception sex selection. Those with a preference to have boys, with lower education, and those with an imbalanced family were more likely to be interested in using sex selection technology.

Awareness of preconception care among women and men: A study from Jordan

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To explore the awareness of the incident reporting system, incident reporting practices and barriers to reporting incidents among Jordanian staff nurses and physicians in accredited and nonaccredited hospitals. BACKGROUND Reporting medical incidents is an important element of patient safety enhancement and quality of care improvement and it should be an integral part of the organisational culture. DESIGN A descriptive exploratory survey was used for the present study. METHODS A modified version of the Incident Reporting Questionnaire was used to collect data from 307 nurses and 144 physicians at seven hospitals (four accredited and three not accredited) in Jordan. The response rate was 28·8% for nurses and 58·8% for physicians. RESULTS Nurses were more aware of the incident reporting system than physicians. Physicians were less likely to report any incident on 50% or more of occasions. The major three barriers to reporting incidents were believing that there was no point in reporting near misses, lack of feedback and fear of disciplinary actions. CONCLUSION The study showed significant differences between nurses in accredited and nonaccredited hospitals regarding barriers to reporting incidents and reporting practices. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Nurse administrators should modify existing systems for reporting incidents to overcome the barriers as shown in the present study.

Factors Associated with Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers in Syria: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract The objective of this study was to examine awareness of Jordanian married women and men of preconception care. A total of 763 (537 women and 226 men) Jordanians who attended maternal and child healthcare centres in a city, in the centre of Jordan, were included in the current study. The Health before Pregnancy Questionnaire was used to collect the data from participants, while they waited to be seen by the healthcare provider in the health centres. Family history of chronic disorders, 1st-degree consanguineous marriages and planning pregnancy were associated with awareness of preconception care. Around 50% of participants were aware of the serious impact that a womans and mans family history can have on the health of their babies. The majority of participants were aware of changes that should be made prior to conception.

The psychosocial functioning of mothers of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit in the north of Jordan

Background : Exclusive breastfeeding is the situation where the infant has received only breast milk from his/her mother for the first 6 months after birth. Research had found that factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practices in different countries are varied. Little is known about exclusive breastfeeding in Syria. Objective: To identify factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practices among mothers in Syria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study on feeding practices during the first 6 months of infant’s life was conducted in Lattakia City, the northwest of Syria from July through October 2012. A total sample of 334 Syrian mothers of infants aged between 0 and 12 months were studied on socio-demographic variables, reproductive factors, sources of breastfeeding support, and exclusive breastfeeding practices. Results: About 83.5% of mothers were breastfeeding at the time of the study. At 4

Attitudes of graduating medical doctors toward using sex selection techniques in Jordan in 2009

The primary aim of this study was to assess the effect of admission of infants to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the psychosocial functioning of their mothers. The secondary aim was to compare the psychosocial functioning of the mothers of infants admitted to NICU and the mothers of infants born at term and not admitted to NICU. A total of 75 consecutive mothers of infants admitted to NICU and 75 consecutive mothers of infants born at term and not admitted to NICU were included in the study. Mothers completed State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in three large hospitals in Irbid, Jordan in the period between November 2010 and June 2011. The results showed that mechanical ventilation, lower birth weight and lower gestation age were predictors of higher anxiety level and depression among mothers of infants admitted to NICU. Both groups (mothers of infants admitted to NICU and mothers of infants born at term and not admitted to NICU) scored high in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.