The Need for Psychological Interventional Supportive Services for Omani Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

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The Effect of Cognitive Behavior Stress Management Program on the Distress, Coping Skills, and the Social Support of Omani Women with Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study

Cognitive behavior stress management (CBSM) is an effective intervention that is suitable for use with women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer;  however, the effectiveness of CBSM in an applied clinical setting has not been examined in an Omani cultural context. Therefore, we examined the effectiveness of an 8-week CBSM group program using a sample of 6 Omani women who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. The purpose of this case study was to examine clinically significant changes in distress, social support, and the psychological ability to cope with breast cancer from pretest to posttest and follow-up (i.e., 1 month later). Overall, the group yielded strong positive effect sizes indicating clinical improvement over time in distress symptoms and social support, but strong unfavorable effect sizes in cognitive avoidance.  All women met the measurement criteria for anxiety and depression at baseline. The 2 participants who had the highest levels of baseline distress demonstrated the most pronounced improvements in depression and anxiety at posttest; however, their scores had returned to baseline levels at follow-up. On the other hand, the qualitative feedback of all 6 women underscored the effectiveness of the program in facilitating cognitive restructuring, relaxation, and social support. The present findings offer preliminary support to the effectiveness of CBSM in reducing psychological distress, improving coping skills, and fostering social support skills among Omani women with breast cancer. However, the program also had a few unfavorable results with regard to one coping strategy, namely, cognitive avoidance. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that social support can alleviate distress and improve coping skills among Omani women who struggle with breast cancer and its treatment. Further, strategies that can address cognitive avoidance and temporally sustain the positive effects of CBSM must be examined in future studies. This sentence sounds rather incomplete because it is missing a dependent variable (e.g., effective in reducing/improving  . . . ). Therefore, please consider including this information for better clarity. As with the previous sentence, this one sounds slightly incomplete because the dependent variables have not been listed. Therefore, please consider doing so to enhance clarity. I have removed this word because you used both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The meaning of this sentence is unclear. However, I have edited it as follows (see below) based on contextual information. Please use it if it is consistent with your intended meaning. “Overall, the program alleviated distress symptoms, and the corresponding effect sizes were large. However, the program also lead to an undesirable increase in cognitive avoidance; the effect size for this trend was also large.” The use of the term “rebounded” is inappropriate in this instance. Therefore, I have made the necessary change here and in all instances in this document

Knowledge of Risk Factors, Symptoms and Barriers to Seeking Medical Help for Cervical Cancer among Omani Women Attending Sultan Qaboos University Hospital

Objectives: This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes among Omani woman regarding cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms as well as barriers to them seeking medical help. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2017 and March 2018 at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Muscat, Oman. A validated Arabic-language version of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Measure questionnaire was used to collect data from 550 Omani women visiting SQUH during the study period. Results: A total of 490 women participated (response rate: 89.1%) in this study. Overall, the women demonstrated low levels of knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms (28.5% and 45.0%, respectively). The most frequently recognised risk factor was having many children (36.1%), while the most recognised symptom was unexplained vaginal bleeding (69.8%). Women reported that being too scared was the greatest barrier to seeking medical help (68.0%). Various factors were significantly associated with greater knowledge of cervical cancer signs and symptoms including education level (odds ratio [OR] = 2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0–8.22; P <0.05), income (OR = 4.34; 95% CI: 1.70–11.12; P <0.05), parity (OR = 3.59; 95% CI: 1.38–9.36; P <0.05) and a family history of cancer (OR = 1.71; CI: 1.0–2.90; P <0.05). Conclusion: Overall, Omani women demonstrated poor knowledge with regards to cervical cancer; in addition, they identified several emotional barriers to seeking medical help. Healthcare practitioners should reassure female patients to encourage care-seeking behaviour. A national screening programme is also recommended to increase awareness and early diagnosis of cervical cancer in Oman.Keywords: Cervical Cancer; Knowledge; Awareness; Risk Factors; Health Care Seeking Behavior; Women; Oman

The Role of Patients’ Families in Cancer Treatment Decision-Making: Perspectives among Eastern and Western families

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Knowledge and Health Beliefs Regarding Sickle Cell Disease Among Omanis in a Primary Healthcare Setting : Cross-sectional study

Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a global health concern associated with high childhood morbidity and mortality; in Oman, the prevalence of SCD is 0.2%. Public awareness of SCD and the need for premarital screening (PMS) are essential to reduce the incidence of this disease. This study aimed to assess awareness of and beliefs regarding SCD and PMS among Omanis in a primary healthcare setting. Methods: This cross-sectional study took place in five health centres located in Al-Seeb Province, Muscat, Oman, between June and August 2015. A total of 500 Omanis aged ≥18 years old attending the clinics were invited to participate in the study. A previously described questionnaire by Gustafson et al. was used to measure awareness of and beliefs regarding SCD and PMS. Results: A total of 450 Omani adults completed the questionnaire (response rate: 90.0%). The majority (67.8%) were aware that SCD is genetically inherited and 85.1% believed in the value of PMS; however, only 24.4% reported having undergone PMS previously. Few participants were aware that SCD can be very painful (20.2%) and can cause strokes, infections and organ damage (20.0%). More than half (56.7%) reported that the availability of educational material on SCD or PMS in Oman was inadequate. Participants’ education levels were positively associated with accurate SCD knowledge (P <0.05). Conclusion: Despite the free availability of PMS services in local health centres, few Omanis reported having undergone PMS previously. Health promotion and education programmes are therefore needed in Oman in order to increase public awareness of SCD and the value of PMS

Use of Intracervical Foley Catheter for Induction of Labour in Cases of Previous Caesarean Section : Experience of a single tertiary centre in Oman

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate rates of success and perinatal complications of labour induction using an intracervical Foley catheter among women with a previous Caesarean delivery at a tertiary centre in Oman. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 68 pregnant women with a history of a previous Caesarean section who were admitted for induction via Foley catheter between January 2011 and December 2013 to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Patient data were collected from electronic and delivery ward records. Results: Most women were 25–35 years old (76.5%) and 20 women had had one previous vaginal delivery (29.4%). The most common indication for induction of labour was intrauterine growth restriction with oligohydramnios (27.9%). Most women delivered after 40 gestational weeks (48.5%) and there were no neonatal admissions or complications. The majority experienced no complications during the induction period (85.3%), although a few had vaginal bleeding (5.9%), intrapartum fever (4.4%), rupture of the membranes (2.9%) and cord prolapse shortly after insertion of the Foley catheter (1.5%). However, no cases of uterine rupture or scar dehiscence were noted. Overall, the success rate of vaginal birth after a previous Caesarean delivery was 69.1%, with the remaining patients undergoing an emergency Caesarean section (30.9%). Conclusion: The use of a Foley catheter in the induction of labour in women with a previous Caesarean delivery appears a safe option with a good success rate and few maternal and fetal complications

The Effectiveness of Educational Supervisors in Improving Educational Practices of Postbasic Education School Teachers in the Governorate of Interior in Sultanate of Oman

The study aimed at identifying the degree of effectiveness of educational supervisors in improving the educational practices of the post-basic education school teachers in the Governorate of Dakhlya in the Sultanate of Oman. To achieve the objectives of the study, a questionnaire composed of 34 items was designed. After checking the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, it was administered to 63 male and female teachers. The degree of educational supervisors' effectiveness in improving the educational practices of the post-basic education school teachers was at the average level. The study also indicated the absence of statistically significant differences (p. > 0.0 5) of the perception of effectiveness of supervisors in improving the educational practices of the teachers due to academic qualification, gender and experience. The researchers recommend that teachers should have training sessions to enhance their professional capabilities, specially, in the effective use of educational aids, preparation of teaching plans, production of educational aids, assessment, and strategies of teaching

The Effect of Antepartum Depression on the Outcomes of Pregnancy and Development of Postpartum Depression: A prospective cohort study of Omani women

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the relationship between antenatal depression and pregnancy outcomes, including the risk of developing postpartum depression in Oman. Methods: This follow-up prospective longitudinal cohort study included pregnant women attending primary healthcare institutions in Muscat, Oman from January to November 2014. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to screen for antenatal and postnatal depression. Pregnant Omani women with a gestational age ≥32 weeks attending 12 local health centres for antenatal care in Muscat were invited to participate. Recruited women were followed-up at 6–8 weeks after delivery. The following pregnancy outcomes were assessed: mode of delivery (normal or Caesarean section [CS]), gestational age at delivery (preterm or fullterm), baby’s birth weight and development of postnatal depression. Results: A total of 959 women participated in this study (response rate: 97.3%). In total, 233 women (24.4%) had antenatal depression with a score of ≥13 on the EPDS. Of the 592 participants (61.7%) who attended postnatal clinics at 6–8 weeks post-delivery, 126 (21.3%) were positive for postnatal depression. Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that antenatal depression was associated with increased risk of CS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–2.66) and postnatal depression (OR = 8.63; 95% CI: 5.56–13.39). Conclusion: Screening women for antenatal depression and providing appropriate management may reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes and the risk of developing postnatal depression.Keywords: Depression; Postnatal depression; Women Health Services; Maternal Health Services; Pregnancy; Primary Health Care; Oman

Drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Oman: resistance-conferring mutations and lineage diversity

Background The Sultanate of Oman is country a low TB-incidence, with less than seven cases per 105 population detected in 2020. Recent years have witnessed a persistence in TB cases, with sustained incidence rate among expatriates and limited reduction among Omanis. This pattern suggests transmission from the migrant population. The present study examined the genetic profile and drug resistance-conferring mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis collected from Omanis and expatriates to recognise possible causes of disease transmission. Methods We examined M. tuberculosis cultured positive samples, collected from Omanis (n = 1,344) and expatriates (n = 1,203) between 2009 and 2018. These isolates had a known in vitro susceptibility profile to first line anti-TB, Streptomycin (SM), Isoniazid (INH), Rifampicin (RIF), Ethambutol (EMB) and Pyrazinamide (PZA). The diversity of the isolates was assessed by spacer oligo-typing (spoligotyping). Drug resistance-conferring mutations resulted from full-length sequence of nine genes (katG, inhA, ahpc, rpoB, rpsL, rrs, embB, embC, pncA) and their phenotypic relationship were analysed. Results In total, 341/2192 (13.4%), M. tuberculosis strains showed resistance to any drug, comprising mono-resistance (MR) (242, 71%), poly-resistance (PR) (40, 11.7%) and multi-drug resistance (MDR) (59, 17.3%). The overall rate of resistance among Omanis and expatriates was similar; however, MDR and PZAR were significantly higher among Omanis, while INHR was greater among expatriates. Mutations rpsL K43R and rpoB S450L were linked to Streptomycin (SMR) and Rifampicin resistance (RIFR) respectively. Whereas, katG S315T and inhA –C15T/G–17T were associated with Isoniazid resistance (INHR). The resistance patterns (mono-resistant, poly-resistant and MDR) and drug resistance-conferring mutations were found in different spoligo-lineages. rpsL K43R, katG S315T and rpoB S450L mutations were significantly higher in Beijing strains. Conclusions Diverse drug resistant M. tuberculosis strains exist in Oman, with drug resistance-conferring mutations widespread in multiple spoligo-lineages, indicative of a large resistance reservoir. Beijing’s M. tuberculosis lineage was associated with MDR, and multiple drug resistance-conferring mutations, favouring the hypothesis of migration as a possible source of resistant lineages in Oman

A survey of community members' perceptions of medical errors in Oman

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Errors have been the concern of providers and consumers of health care services. However, consumers' perception of medical errors in developing countries is rarely explored. The aim of this study is to assess community members' perceptions about medical errors and to analyse the factors affecting this perception in one Middle East country, Oman.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Face to face interviews were conducted with heads of 212 households in two villages in North Al-Batinah region of Oman selected because of close proximity to the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Muscat, Oman. Participants' perceived knowledge about medical errors was assessed. Responses were coded and categorised. Analyses were performed using Pearson's χ², Fisher's exact tests, and multivariate logistic regression model wherever appropriate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seventy-eight percent (n = 165) of participants believed they knew what was meant by medical errors. Of these, 34% and 26.5% related medical errors to wrong medications or diagnoses, respectively. Understanding of medical errors was correlated inversely with age and positively with family income. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a one-year increase in age was associated with a 4% reduction in perceived knowledge of medical errors (CI: 1% to 7%; p = 0.045). The study found that 49% of those who believed they knew the meaning of medical errors had experienced such errors. The most common consequence of the errors was severe pain (45%). Of the 165 informed participants, 49% felt that an uncaring health care professional was the main cause of medical errors. Younger participants were able to list more possible causes of medical errors than were older subjects (Incident Rate Ratio of 0.98; p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The majority of participants believed they knew the meaning of medical errors. Younger participants were more likely to be aware of such errors and could list one or more causes.</p