The effects of citizenship status on service utilization and general satisfaction with healthcare: a cross-cultural study

Objective: To explore the role of citizenship status as a predictor of general satisfaction with healthcare services in Qatar, including potential interaction with utilization and health insurance coverage type. Design: A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2012. Setting: A household survey in the State of Qatar in the Arab Gulf. Participants: A nationally representative sample of 2750 citizens and noncitizens aged 18 years and older. Main Outcome: General satisfaction status with Qatar’s healthcare system. Measures: Citizenship status, healthcare utilization, health insurance type. Results: Citizens were significantly less likely to be satisfied with Qatar’s healthcare system than noncitizens (odds ratio (OR) = 0.30, P < 0.001). The association between private health insurance and overall satisfaction was not significantly different between citizens and noncitizens (P = 0.19). However, the association between utilization of healthcare services and overall satisfaction was moderated by citizenship (P < 0.001). Among citizens, non-users were less likely to be satisfied than recent users (OR = 1.88, P < 0.05), while the opposite pattern was observed among noncitizens (OR = 0.51, P < 0.05). These patterns persisted even after controlling for potential confounders. Conclusions: The study revealed significant population differences in satisfaction between recent users and non-users within citizenship groups. These differences may stem from different expectations with respect to healthcare services. Understanding these expectations may have important policy implications for cross-cultural contexts

Dietary habits of Palestinian adolescents in three major governorates in the West Bank: a cross-sectional survey

The Palestinian society is undergoing changes in their dietary habits and in the prevalence of obesity and overweight. Palestinian adolescents (aged 10–19 years) make up 24% of the population. Their dietary habits are important, yet understudied. The 2004 survey of health behaviour in school-aged children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip identified missing of breakfast and low intake of milk, fruits, and vegetables as the main problems. We investigated food habits in Palestinian adolescents in three main governorates (administrative divisions) in the West Bank (Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron) and the relation between food habits and sociodemographic factors (region, sex, urban or rural residence, standard of living index, and parents’ education). Methods We undertook a cross-sectional survey in the three governorates between March 19 and May 8, 2005, in 96 school classes (34 in Ramallah, 31 in Hebron, and 31 in Nablus) that were selected to be representative of the eighth and ninth grade classes (students aged 13–15 years). A list including the number of students per classroom in 2004–05 was provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The classes were divided into nine strata by sex (boys, girls, and coeducational) and school type (public, UN Relief and Works Agency [UNRWA], and private). The sample was selected with the single-stage probability proportional-to-size sampling procedure, from each of the nine strata within each governorate, with the class as the primary sampling unit. All students in the selected classes were invited to participate in the study. Self-administered questionnaires for students and their parents were used. The students’ questionnaire contained questions about age, residence, household amenities, meal patterns, and a food frequency list of 42 items without portion sizes. The parents’ questionnaire gathered household information, including family size and parents’ education. Both questionnaires were piloted and adjusted before the survey. Data analysis was done with Stata (version 10.1) and adjusted for design effect. The sample was weighted according to sample and population size in each governorate (inverse of sampling probability; percentages are weighted and numbers are unweighted), and the analysis was adjusted for possible dependencies due to cluster design. We used χ² tests to compare frequencies, and t tests or ANOVA to compare means. We did multivariate linear regression analysis to model the association between food scores and sociodemographic factors. Findings Of the 3271 students invited, 3071 (94%) consented to participate. 2952 students (1364 boys and 1588 girls) aged 13–15 years were included in the analysis, excluding 119 who were older or younger than this age group. Only 765 (26%) students had three meals daily; 382 (26%) boys and 814 (51%) girls had breakfast only once or twice per week or less (p<0·0001). As few as 758 (25%) drank milk daily (462 [33%] boys vs 296 [18%] girls; p<0·0001). Around three-quarters ate vegetables daily (984 [73%] boys vs 1174 [74%] girls; p=0·67). Daily fruit consumption was equally common in boys and girls (841 [59%] vs 915 [55%]; p=0·27). Daily intake of salty snacks was more common in girls than in boys (1022 [62%] vs 716 [50%]; p=0·0016) whereas daily intake of regular soft drinks was more common in boys (575 [40%] vs 464 [28%]; p=0·0001). Daily intake of sweets was more common in girls than in boys (816 [49%] vs 609 [42%]; p=0·0634). Results of multivariate regression analysis showed that residence in Hebron and low standard of living (based on 16 household amenities) were negatively associated with frequency of intake of animal foods, foods commonly eaten in highly industrialised countries, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and sweets and salty snacks, after adjustment for other sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, parents’ education, and family size. Interpretation Irregular meal patterns and a low intake of fruits, vegetables, and milk were common in Palestinian adolescents, especially in groups with low standard of living and those in Hebron. Effective interventions are needed to establish healthy dietary habits, with an emphasis on vulnerable groups. The full text of this article has been published in Public Health Nutr (in press). Reproduced with permission from Cambridge University Press.Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education (pro X1 50/2002

The Reproductive Agency Scale (RAS-17): development and validation in a cross-sectional study of pregnant Qatari and non-Qatari Arab Women.

BACKGROUND: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 prioritizes women's empowerment and gender equality, alone and as drivers of other SDGs. Efforts to validate universal measures of women's empowerment have eclipsed efforts to develop refined measures in local contexts and lifecycle stages. Measures of women's empowerment across the reproductive lifecycle remain limited, including in the Arab Middle East. METHODS: In this sequential, mixed-methods study, we developed and validated the Reproductive Agency Scale 17 (RAS-17) in 684 women having a normal pregnancy and receiving prenatal care at Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar. Participants varied in age (19-46 years), trimester, gravidity (M3.3[SD2.1], range 1-14), and parity (M2.1[SD1.5], range 0-7). Using qualitative research and questionnaire reviews, we developed 44 pregnancy-specific and non-pregnancy-specific agency items. We performed exploratory then confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA) in random split-half samples and multiple-group CFA to assess measurement invariance of the scale across Qatari (n = 260) and non-Qatari Arab (n = 342) women. RESULTS: Non-Qatari women agreed more strongly than Qatari women that every woman should have university education, and working outside home benefitted women. Qatari women agreed more strongly than non-Qatari women that a woman should be free to sell her property. Qatari women reported more influence than non-Qatari women in decisions about spending their money (M4.6 versus M4.4), food they can eat (M4.4 versus M4.2), and rest during pregnancy (M4.5 versus M4.2). Qatari and non-Qatari women typically reported going most places with permission if accompanied. A 17-item, three-factor model measuring women's intrinsic agency or awareness of economic rights (5 items) and instrumental agency in decision-making (5 items) and freedom of movement (7 items) had good fit and was partially invariant across groups. CONCLUSIONS: The RAS-17 is a contextual, multidimensional measure of women's reproductive agency validated in pregnant Qatari and non-Qatari Arab women. This scale integrates pregnancy-specific and non-pregnancy-specific items in dimensions of intrinsic agency and instrumental agency relevant to Arab women of reproductive age. The RAS-17 may be useful to screen for low reproductive agency as a predictor of maternal and perinatal outcomes. The RAS-17 should be validated in other samples to assess its full applicability across the reproductive life cycle

Validation of Three Mental Health Scales among Pregnant Women in Qatar

Objectives. The objective of this study is to validate three mental health scales in a targeted sample of pregnant Arab women living in Qatar: the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Methods. Random split-half exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses (n =336; n =331), conducted separately, were used to evaluate scale dimensionality, factor loadings, and factor structure of the KUAS, the PSS, and the EPDS. Results. Fit statistics for the three scales suggested adequate fit to the data and estimated factor loadings were positive, similar in magnitude, and were significant. The final CFA model for the KUAS supported a 19-item, two factor structure. CFA models also confirmed 8- and 10-item, single-factor structures for the PSS and EPDS, respectively. Conclusions. The validation of scales for these aspects of mental health in Arab pregnant women is critical to ensure appropriate screening, identification, and treatment to reduce the risk of sequelae in women and their children. Findings offer a useful comparison to mental-health scale validations in other Arab contexts

Obesity and selected co-morbidities in an urban Palestinian population

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of obesity and central obesity in an urban Palestinian population and their associations with selected co-morbidities, including diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. DESIGN: A population-based cross-sectional survey in an urban Palestinian community. SUBJECTS: Men and women aged 30 – 65 y residing in the urban community, excluding pregnant women. MEASUREMENTS: According to WHO guidelines, obesity for men and women was defined as BMI 30 kg m72, while pre-obesity was defined as BMI 25 – 29.9 kg m72. Central obesity was defined as a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of > 0.90 in men and > 0.85 in women. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity in this population was high at 41% (49% and 30% in women and men, respectively). Central obesity was more prevalent among men (59% compared to 25% in women). After adjusting for the effects of age, sex, smoking and each other, obesity and central obesity were found to be significantly associated with diabetes, low HDL- cholesterol and elevated triglycerides in separate logistic regression analyses. Central obesity was also significantly associated with hypertension (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.30 – 3.91). CONCLUSION: Obesity and central obesity are prevalent in the urban Palestinian population. Their associations with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia point to a potential rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD). An understanding of the reasons behind the high prevalence of obesity is essential for its prevention as well as for the prevention of the morbidities to which it may lead

Human and Economic Resources for Empowerment and Prenatal Mental Health in the Arab Middle East: A systematic review

Purpose: This systematic review synthesizes research on the influence of human and economic resources for women’s empowerment on their pre- and post-natal mental health, understudied in the Arab world. Methods: We include articles using quantitative methods from Pub Med and Web of Science. Two researchers reviewed databases and selected articles, double reviewing five percent of articles designated for inclusion. Twenty-four articles met inclusion criteria. All 24 articles measured depression as an outcome, and three included additional mental health outcomes. Results: Nine of 17 studies found an inverse association between education and depression; two of 12 studies found contradictory associations between employment and depression, and four of six studies found a positive association between financial stress and depression. These results suggest that there is a negative association between education and depression and a positive association between financial stress and depression among women in the Arab world. Firm conclusions warrant caution due to limited studies meeting inclusion criteria and large heterogeneity in mental health scales used, assessment measures, and definitions of human and economic resources for women’s empowerment. Conclusions: It is likely that education reduces depression among post-partum women and that financial stress increases their depression. These findings can be used to aid in the design of interventions to improve mother and child outcomes. However, more research in the Arab world is needed on the relationship between human and economic resources for women’s empowerment and perinatal mental health, and more consistency is needed in how resources and mental health are measured

Composite median wiener filter based technique for image enhancement

Image processing begins with image enhancement to improve the quality of the information existing in images for further processing. Noise is any unwanted object that affects the quality of original images. This always happened during the acquisition of images, which cause gaussian noise via photoelectric sensor. Also, impulse noise as well is introduced during transferring of some images from one place to another because of unstable network. Hence, these noises combine to form mixed noise in some images, which change the form and loss of information in the images. Filtering techniques are usually used in smoothing and sharpness of images, extraction the useful information and prepare an image for analysis processing. In this research, a novel technique of hybrid filter for enhancing images degraded by mixed noise has been exhibited. The proposed model of the novel filter uses the concept of two element composite filter. This technique improved the fusion of Median filter and Wiener filter to eliminate mixed form of noise from digital image created during image acquisition process. Composite Median Wiener(CMW) is not two filters in series, yet it can remove the blurredness, keep the image edges, and eliminate the mixed noise from the image. The result of CMW filter application on noisy image shows that it is an effective filter in enhancing the quality image

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the general population of women in Qatar

Objectives The Arabian Gulf region has limited epidemiological data related to sexually transmitted infections. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection among general population women in Doha, Qatar. Methods Endocervical swabs were collected from healthy women attending primary healthcare centres in Doha, June–December 2008. The specimens were tested for C trachomatis by a commercially available PCR-based assay. Data on basic socio-demographic characteristics, medical history and sexual behaviour were obtained using self-administered questionnaires. The prevalence of C trachomatis and of background variables were stratified by nationality, Qatari nationals versus non-Qatari residents. Results A total of 377 women were enrolled in the study, out of whom 351 (37.9% Qataris, 62.1% non- Qataris) were tested for the presence of C trachomatis in their specimens. The mean age of participants was 41.2 years, and the vast majority (93%, 95% CI 90.3 to 95.7) were married. The mean age at sexual debut was significantly lower among Qatari women compared with non-Qatari women (19.2 vs 22.2 years, respectively p<0.001), but the mean number of reported lifetime sexual partners (1.1 partner) was nearly the same in both groups (p=0.110). The prevalence of C trachomatis infection was 5.3% among Qatari women and 5.5% among non-Qatari women, with no statistically significant difference between both groups ( p=0.923). Conclusions The prevalence of C trachomatis among women was higher than expected, with no significant difference between Qatari nationals and expatriate residents. The higher prevalence may reflect, in part, the limited access to and use of chlamydia screening and management.Research Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University (QUUG-CAS-DHS-10/11-6); Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP 4-924-3-251); The Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Biomathematics Research Core at the Weill Cornell Medical Colleg