Cancer Among Arab Americans in the Metropolitan Detroit Area

Detroit is home to one of the largest populations of Arab Americans outside of the Middle East, yet little is known about the cancer distribution in this ethnic group. The authors of this study created an Arab/Chaldean surname list and matched it with the Detroit SEER Registry to identify cancer cases of probable Arabic descent. We then determined proportional incidence ratios (PIR) for specific cancer sites among metropolitan Detroit Arab Americans as compared to non-Arab Whites, and contrasted the results with Middle Eastern data. Arab/Chaldean men had greater proportions of leukemia (29%), multiple myeloma (46%), liver (64%), kidney (33%), and urinary bladder (26%) cancers. Arab/Chaldean women had greater proportions of leukemia (23%), thyroid (57%), and brain (35%) cancers as compared with non-Arab White men and women. The cancers with significantly increased PIRs in the Detroit Arab/Chaldean population also are frequently diagnosed in Middle Eastern countries

Impact of Compliance to DASH Teaching Dietary Guidelines on Hypertension and Dietary Knowledge among Egyptian Sample

Elevated blood pressure remains an extraordinarily common and important risk factor for cardiovascular. DASH diet encourages reducing the sodium in diet and eating a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of compliance to DASH teaching dietary guidelines on blood pressure and dietary knowledge among Egyptian sample.Quasi-experimental design was utilized in this study. Convenience sample of 90 adult male and female patients were recruited to the study. Four tools were formulated to collect data pertinent to the study: (1) Socio-Demographic data;(2) Nutritional Assessment (3); Nutrition knowledge questionnaire, and (4); DASH Adherence Score. The study finding revealed that the total dietary knowledge post- test mean score for DASH was greater than control group (25±2.8), and (13.44±2.6) respectively. The study results decumented reduction  in both systolic and diastolic  blood pressure  among the DASH group(5-13 mmhg, 3-7mmhg)respectively. Also,there was a reduction in blood pressure among Control group(1-3mmhg in diastole,1-5 mmhg in systole) respectively. The study finding showed that there was gradual increase in the total dietary compliance mean score during the frist, second and the fourth week among DASH group(3.47±.17, 6.04±.21, and 8.22±.17) respectively in comparsion to control group(3.04±.16, 5.07±.22, and 4.8±.21) respectively. Also, there was also statistically significant differences put into evidence among the DASH and control at (F=1 311.06*, and at p=.000).Conclusion: we can conclude that, patients exposed to the DASH teaching dietary guidelines showed improvement in their conditions. This improvement was manifested by increased DASH Adherence Score, Nutrition knowledge   score, and reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure within four weeks among the pre-hypertensive and stage 1 hypertension among Egyptian sample respectively.   The study recommended that DASH diet eating pattern should be a central pillar in teaching pre-hypertensive adults to maintain hypertension control. Additional research is required to investigate the effect dietary fiber intake, and behavioral eating pattern among hypertensive Egyptian people. Keywords: DASH diet, Knowledge, Compliance, Hypertension

A Model Of Mother-Child Adjustment In Arab Muslim Immigrants To The Us

We examined the mother-child adjustment and child behavior problems in Arab Muslim immigrant families residing in the U.S.A. The sample of 635 mother-child dyads was comprised of mothers who emigrated from 1989 or later and had at least one early adolescent child between the ages of 11 and 15 years old who was also willing to participate. Arabic speaking research assistants collected the data from the mothers and children using established measures of maternal and child stressors, coping, and social support; maternal distress; parent-child relationship; and child behavior problems. A structural equation model (SEM) was specified a priori with 17 predicted pathways. With a few exceptions, the final SEM model was highly consistent with the proposed model and had a good fit to the data. The model accounted for 67% of the variance in child behavior problems. Child stressors, mother-child relationship, and maternal stressors were the causal variables that contributed the most to child behavior problems. The model also accounted for 27% of the variance in mother-child relationship. Child active coping, child gender, mother\u27s education, and maternal distress were all predictive of the mother-child relationship. Mother-child relationship also mediated the effects of maternal distress and child active coping on child behavior problems. These findings indicate that immigrant mothers contribute greatly to adolescent adjustment, both as a source of risk and protection. These findings also suggest that intervening with immigrant mothers to reduce their stress and strengthening the parent-child relationship are two important areas for promoting adolescent adjustment. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd

Predictors of Arab American Adolescent Tobacco Use

This study examined personal, psychosocial, sociocultural, and environmental predictors in tobacco use for 1,671 Arab American adolescents. Cigarette smoking in the past 30 days was 6.9%. This increased from 1% at age 14 to 14% at age 18. Twenty-nine percent of the youths reported having ever smoked cigarettes. Experimentation with narghile was 27%; it increased from 23% at 14 years to 40% at 18 years. All trends were significant (p \u3c .001). Logistic regression analyses found 11 predictors for having smoked a cigarette in the past 30 days and 9 and 7 predictors, respectively, for having ever smoked a cigarette or the narghile. Tobacco use by friends and family members was the strongest predictor of cigarette and narghile smoking. Narghile use supported cigarette smoking