Perceptions of young Jordanian adults to proposed anti-tobacco pictorial warning labels

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In commitment to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), four new pictorial warnings are now being proposed for display on cigarette packages sold in Jordan. The aim of this study was to gauge the immediate perceptions of young Jordanian adults towards these new pictorials and compare these perceptions to those of the pictorial currently being used in the country.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a convenience sample of youth aged 17-26. The interviewer-administered survey gauged participants' perceptions of salience, fear elicitation, and gained information as well as participants' motivation to remain non-smokers or quit smoking after viewing each of the four proposed new pictorials as well as the current pictorial used in Jordan. Perceptions regarding each new pictorial were compared to the current pictorial.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 450 surveys were included in the analysis. The sample (mean age 20.9) was 51.6% female and 31.3% cigarette (regular or occasional) smokers. In smokers, only one proposed pictorial had significantly more smokers perceiving it as salient or adding to information when compared to the current pictorial. More smokers reported fear when observing the proposed pictorials compared with current pictorial, but overall proportions reporting fear were generally less than 50%. Furthermore, all new pictorials motivated significantly more smokers to consider quitting compared with the current pictorial; however, the overall proportion of smokers reporting motivation was < 25%. Among nonsmokers, significantly more respondents perceived the new pictorials as salient and fear-eliciting compared to the old pictorial, but there were no major differences in information added. Motivation to remain non-smokers was comparable between the old and new pictorials.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Given the variability of response across both smokers and nonsmokers, and across the three elements of perception (salience, added information, fear) for each pictorial, further testing of the pictorials in a more diverse sample of Jordanian young adults prior to launch is recommended.</p

Causes of death and survival analysis for patients with retinoblastoma in Jordan

PurposeTo analyze causes and prognostic factors for death among Retinoblastoma (Rb) patients treated at a single specialized tertiary cancer center in Jordan.MethodsWe reviewed the mortality causes for all Rb patients who have been treated at the King Hussein Cancer Center between 2003 and 2019 and were followed for at least 3 years after diagnosis. The main outcome measures included demographics, laterality, tumor stage, treatment modalities, metastasis, survival, and causes of death.ResultsTwenty-four (5%) of the 478 patients died from retinoblastoma and 5-year survival was 94%. The mean age at diagnosis was 15 months (median, 18 months; range, 4–38 months); eight (33%) received diagnoses within the first year of life. Eleven (46%) were boys, 16 (67%) had bilateral disease, and 3 (13%) had a positive family history. The stage for the worst eye was C for 1 (4%) patient, D in 6 (25%) patients, and E (T3) in 15 (63%) patients. Two patients had extraocular Rb at diagnosis, and four of the patients who had intraocular Rb at diagnosis refused treatment and then came back with extraocular Rb. In total, extraocular disease was encountered in six eyes (six patients). After a 120-month median follow-up period, 24 patients (5%) died of second neoplasms (n = 3) or metastases (n = 21). Significant predictive factors for metastasis and death included advanced IIRC tumor stage (p &lt; 0.0001), the presence of high-risk pathological features in the enucleated eyes (p = 0.013), parental refusal of the recommended primary treatment plan (p &lt; 0.0001), and extraocular extension (p &lt; 0.0001).ConclusionThe 5-year survival rates of Rb patients in Jordan are as high as those in high-income countries. However, 5% are still dying from metastatic disease, prompting the need for awareness campaigns to educate the public about the high cure rates and to prevent treatment abandonment

Supporting Smokers in Difficult Settings: Suggestions for Better Education and Counseling in Cancer Centers in Jordan

Continued smoking in cancer patients is commonly observed in Jordan. In a country that exhibits some of the highest smoking rates globally, enhancing patient education regarding the value of smoking cessation for cancer care is vital. The objectives of our study were to describe sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with continued smoking in Jordanian smokers after a cancer diagnosis; to identify reasons for smoking and knowledge regarding smoking&rsquo;s impact on care; to examine in a multivariable manner the factors associated with continued smoking, and to accordingly generate patient counseling recommendations. An interviewer-administered survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework was employed. Among 350 subjects (mean age 51.0, median 52.7), approximately 38% of patients had quit or were in the process of quitting; 61.7% remained smokers. Substantial knowledge gaps with regard to the impact of continued smoking on cancer care were observed. Remaining a smoker after diagnosis was associated with being employed, not receiving chemotherapy or surgery, having lower confidence in quitting, and having a lower number of identified reasons for smoking. Interventions to promote cessation in Jordanian cancer patients who smoke should focus on enhancing patient awareness about the impact of smoking in cancer care and raising perceived self-efficacy to quit

The inevitability of Covid-19 related distress among healthcare workers: Findings from a low caseload country under lockdown.

ObjectivesTo characterize psychological distress and factors associated with distress in healthcare practitioners working during a stringent lockdown in a country (Jordan) that had exhibited one of the lowest incidence rates of Covid-19 globally at the time of the survey.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey sent to healthcare practitioners working in various hospitals and community pharmacies. Demographic, professional and psychological characteristics (distress using Kessler-6 questionnaire, anxiety, depression, burnout, sleep issues, exhaustion) were measured as were sources of fear. Descriptive and multivariable statistics were performed using level of distress as the outcome.ResultsWe surveyed 937 practitioners (56.1% females). Approximately 68%, 14%, and 18% were nurses/technicians, physicians, and pharmacists (respectively). 32% suffered from high distress while 20% suffered from severe distress. Exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances were reported (in past seven days) by approximately 34%, 34%, 19%, and 29% of subjects (respectively). Being older or male, a positive perception of communications with peers, and being satisfied at work, were significantly associated with lower distress. Conversely, suffering burnout; reporting sleep-related functional problems; exhaustion; being a pharmacist (relative to a physician); working in a cancer center; harboring fear about virus spreading; fear that the virus threatened life; fear of alienation from family/friends; and fear of workload increases, were significantly associated with higher distress.ConclusionDespite low caseloads, Jordanian practitioners still experienced high levels of distress. Identified demographic, professional and psychological factors influencing distress should inform interventions to improve medical professionals' resilience and distress likelihood, regardless of the variable Covid-19 situation

Piloting the development of a cost-effective evidence-informed clinical pathway: managing hypertension in Jordanian primary care

The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Jordan office of the Medicines Transparency Alliance embarked on a pilot project to design an evidence-based guideline for cost-effective pharmacological treatment of essential hypertension in Jordan. The project's objectives were to directly address a major health problem for Jordan by producing a guideline; and to delineate the strengths and weaknesses of Jordan's healthcare process to allow similar future efforts to be planned more efficiently

Status and Trends of Physical Activity Surveillance, Policy, and Research in 164 Countries: Findings From the Global Observatory for Physical Activity—GoPA! 2015 and 2020 Surveys

Background: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries. Methods: We used data from the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) 2015 and 2020 surveys. Comprehensive searches were performed for each country to determine the level of development of their PA surveillance, policy, and research, and the findings were verified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. Trends were analyzed based on the data available for both survey years. Results: The global 5-year progress in all 3 indicators was modest, with most countries either improving or staying at the same level. PA surveillance, policy, and research improved or remained at a high level in 48.1%, 40.6%, and 42.1% of the countries, respectively. PA surveillance, policy, and research scores decreased or remained at a low level in 8.3%, 15.8%, and 28.6% of the countries, respectively. The highest capacity for PA promotion was found in Europe, the lowest in Africa and low- and lower-middle-income countries. Although a large percentage of the world’s population benefit from at least some PA policy, surveillance, and research efforts in their countries, 49.6 million people are without PA surveillance, 629.4 million people are without PA policy, and 108.7 million live in countries without any PA research output. A total of 6.3 billion people or 88.2% of the world’s population live in countries where PA promotion capacity should be significantly improved. Conclusion: Despite PA is essential for health, there are large inequalities between countries and world regions in their capacity to promote PA. Coordinated efforts are needed to reduce the inequalities and improve the global capacity for PA promotion.</jats:p