Muslim Mothering and Migration

Abstrac

Supervised practice program guided by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics standards improves potential employability of nutrition/dietetics graduates: perspective of employers and preceptors.

This study investigated employers' perspectives on the impact of a supervised practice program (SPP), guided by international accreditation standards on the skill development and potential employability of dietetics students. This study was based on qualitative research. Fifteen potential employers, who also served as SPP preceptors, participated in this study. Participants were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire. All interviews were conducted face-to-face by a trained interviewer. Participates were invited to discuss their own experiences in the current SPP, their perceptions of the impact of SPP on skills and attributes of graduates, and their overall ideas of how SPP may contribute to the employability of graduates. This study found that the SPP program guided by international accreditation standards shaped the duties and responsibilities of preceptors/supervisors and promoted a beneficial relationship between preceptors and SPP students. The benefits to graduates include bridging the gap between classroom didactic knowledge and practice; improving workplace self-confidence; developing competencies such as critical-thinking, communication, interviewing, and counselling skills in various multidisciplinary and multicultural settings. In addition, the preceptors suggested that accreditation-guided SPP contributes to the employability of graduates. Also, they opined that it reduced the need for orientation and shortened the probation time because students were familiar with the work environment and work flow. This lead to the improved preparedness for work. SPP based on set of competencies guided by international accreditation standards provides an up-to-date curriculum, improves the quality of the nutrition and dietetics services, and increases the potential employability of the graduates

Innovative Nutrition Education: A Color-Coded Tool for Individuals with Low Literacy Level

Background: The food exchange system was developed to serve as an educational tool in helping individuals plan their own meals. This study aimed to develop a friendly-user food exchange list for individuals with a low literacy level; (2) Methods: A two-group, pre-test/post-test research study aimed to develop a friendly-user food exchange list for individuals with a low literacy level. Thirty female workers of low literacy were recruited. Participants were divided into two groups. Group one was taught how to use the standard exchange system, while group two was taught how to use the modified exchange system. Each participant was assigned a task of prepare a meal with a specified caloric content and macronutrient distribution. The task was assigned before and after the exchange list education session. Groups’ differences were tested using the chi-square test, and the analysis of variance (ANOVA); (3) Results: A higher percentage of participants in group two were able to plan daily diets that achieved the recommendations of fruits (p = 0.02), protein (p = 0.03), dairy (p < 0.001), carbohydrates (p < 0.001), and calories (p < 0.001). Moreover, diet plans prepared by group two had a higher healthy eating index (p < 0.001) when compared to diet plans prepared by group one. The modified exchange lists are a friendly-user tool that can be implemented for individuals with low literacy, since it relies on visual techniques.QU research grant QUST-1-CHS-2022-471

Students' perceptions of a university 'No Smoking' policy and barriers to implementation: a cross- sectional study.

Effective policies are an important tool for reducing tobacco use. We examine student perceptions of the existing no-smoking policy in the country's largest national university and identify perceived barriers to its implementation. We explore student support for a 100% tobacco-free campus policy. We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered on-line questionnaire. This study was conducted at Qatar University (QU), the largest national institution of higher education in Qatar. A total of 199 students participated out of a stratified random sample of students aged ≥18 years with active registration in the Spring 2020 semester. We assessed students' knowledge of and attitudes towards QU's current no-smoking policy, the perceived barriers to its implementation, and support for a 100% tobacco-free policy. Only 26% (95% CI 19.97 to 32.03) and 16.6% (95% CI 11.70 to 22.49) of respondents correctly identified the current policy on traditional and electronic cigarettes, respectively. Less than 30% of respondents held positive attitudes towards policy enforcement, and more male respondents reported positive attitudes towards compliance than women. Support for a 100% tobacco-free policy was at 77.2%, but it was significantly lower among tobacco users compared with non-users (35.9% and 91.8%, respectively; p<0.001). Failure to establish clear penalties, opposition from smoking students, and lack of cessation services were perceived as major barriers to implementation. Clear and comprehensive tobacco-free policies are important tools for creating environments conducive to rejecting smoking and seeking cessation support. The findings underscore the need to increase awareness about the policy, advocate for clear penalties for violations, and promote cessation services on campus. Qualitative research is needed to further understand perceived barriers to successful enforcement of the policy

Tobacco cessation programs and factors associated with their effectiveness in the Middle East: A systematic review.

In Middle East countries, the average prevalence of tobacco use is relatively high. This systematic review aimed to explore different tobacco cessation programs provided in the Middle East, identify healthcare professionals providing these programs, and the factors associated with their effectiveness. A systematic review was conducted using an electronic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and Web of Science, bibliographic databases between 24 January 2021 and 7 March 2021, to identify all relevant studies. The keywords used were 'tobacco cessation' and 'Middle East'. The review was undertaken applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines (PRISMA). Based on the study types, several quality assessment tools including the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials, MINORS for quasi-experimental studies, NIH for cross-sectional studies, NIH for pre-post studies, and CASP for cohort studies, were used. Among the 512 studies screened, only 30 were included in this review. Our systematic review identified different cessation methods, with some employing both behavioral change and pharmacological methods, and some utilizing only one method. Physicians are believed to be the most common providers of cessation programs, with only a few other healthcare professionals doing so. The results of this review revealed that several factors are associated with the effectiveness of tobacco cessation programs in the Middle East including individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, policy, and environmental. Future research should focus on examining the sociocultural and economic factors that might influence tobacco cessation programs. The included studies were of average to poor quality, highlighting the need to conduct highquality studies. The findings provide evidence to encourage the development of multilevel programs to improve the efficacy of tobacco cessation initiatives in the Middle East

A scoping review of the risk factors and strategies followed for the prevention of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases during sports mass gatherings: Recommendations for future FIFA World Cups

ObjectiveSports mass gatherings of people pose particular concerns and place an additional burden on the host countries and the countries of origin of the travelers. It is imperative to identify how countries dealt with various communicable diseases in the context of previous world cups and identify possible advice for protection from outbreaks.MethodsA scoping review was employed in this study and a PRISMA extension for scoping reviews was employed to guide the reporting of this study. A systematic search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS, SportDiscus, and Google scholar. The search strategy included two main strings viz “communicable disease” AND “sport” AND “setting” as keywords for each string. A total of 34 studies were included in this review.ResultsInformation on risk factors for infectious diseases during FIFA, and recommendations for disease prevention in various stages of the event: pre-event, during, and post-event were charted. These strategies can be achieved with the empowerment of the public by enhancing their social responsibility and the coordination between the healthcare system, the ministry of public health, and other stakeholders.ConclusionThe findings will support planning for protection strategies to prevent any outbreak while having the FIFA World Cup or any other sports gatherings. A model was constructed to present the findings and recommendations from this review

Barriers to Practicing COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Among Migrant Workers in Qatar: A Qualitative Study During the First Wave of the Pandemic

Objectives: Manual and Craft Workers (MACWs), who constitute more than 80% of the population, were identified to be a vulnerable group to COVID-19 in Qatar. The goal of this study is to identify the limitations face MACWs in Qatar towards practicing the COVID-19 preventive measures and thereby designing behavioral change strategies. Methods: This is a qualitative research study in which individual interviews and focus group discussions were utilized for a deep understanding of the phenomenon from key informants. Four onlive individual interviews and four focus groups (n = 55) were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Inductive qualitative analysis was followed to discover the themes of the interviews. Data were analyzed using constant comparative techniques. Results: Major themes elicited from the analysis revealed that the barriers to following COVID-19 preventive behaviors among migrant workers in Qatar included barriers related to knowledge and risk perception; lifestyle and habits; nature of work and living conditions, and barriers related to health communication, diversified cultures, and languages. Conclusion: The findings would support constructing culturally sensitive health education messages and planning for effective health communication campaigns

Health sciences students' and instructors' perceptions of the emergency switch to virtual internship amid the COVID-19 pandemic: A case from Qatar

In efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, health colleges at Qatar University shifted their clinical training to virtual internships (VI) and project-based learning (PBL). The shift was new to students and faculty alike, and a major change that posed many challenges. This study aimed to explore the experience of changing to VIs during the pandemic from both the clinical instructors' and health sciences students' perspectives. A qualitative study was conducted based on the framework of readiness to change. It involved focus group discussions with students from the departments of Public Health and Human Nutrition and in-depth interviews with clinical instructors using appropriate online platforms. A total of 4 focus groups with 20 students and 4 interviews with instructors were conducted. Transcripts were analyzed following the inductive-deductive approach. The major themes that emerged from the analysis described students' and clinical instructors' perceptions of the necessity and efficiency of the switch to VI; the design of the VI and the extent of the clinical/field experience and skills that it offered; confidence in the ability to succeed in this type of internship and confidence about reaching expected goals; academic and moral support from clinical faculty and coordinators and the communication process with faculty and preceptors; and finally, the benefits gained and how employers would view this type of internship. Health sciences students' readiness for VI was generally low. Several student and faculty needs have to be addressed, specifically regarding the design of the program and the level of preceptors' communication with students. The findings would direct health programs, clinical instructors, and preceptors to better understand students' needs and efficiently plan for virtual internships during not only emergencies but also whenever there is a need to deliver online experiential learning courses.This study was funded by a Qatar University Emergency Response Grant (QUERG-CHS-2020-1)

Following Interprofessional Education: Health Education Students’ Experience in a Primary Interprofessional Care Setting

Background: There is an accelerating need for interprofessional education (IPE) in the Public Health field, as healthcare providers become diverse and multi-disciplinary. Public Health students with health education concentration at Qatar University are required to join training sessions in IPE before the start of their field experience, where students are placed in a variety of community-based and clinical settings including, but not limited to, primary healthcare. Purpose: The goal of this qualitative research study is to understand health education students’ experience in interprofessional care during their field experience in a primary healthcare setting and to highlight the successes and challenges. Patients and Methods: Participants were third-year health education students (N = 22) enrolled in the Public Health program at Qatar University who obtained their experiential learning in three different primary health care centers. Students’ weekly reports reflecting on primary interprofes sional care were included in the analysis for the purpose of this study. Following constant comparative techniques, thematic analysis was conducted on health education students’ reports. Results: Interprofessional care was witnessed and practiced by students in teamwork and collaboration for the benefit of the patient, communication among health care professionals and referral process and patient flow. Health education students understood their role in interprofessional care in the fields of behavior change, and patient education and empower ment. However, professionals and patients were not recognizing health educators’ role and were not familiar with their contributions to interprofessional care in primary healthcare. Students suggested delivering interprofessional education for health care providers to enhance collaborative teamwork and promote knowledge about the evolving health education field among healthcare providers in Qatar. In addition, they recommended orienting their training supervisors about the goal of IPE-based practice in a primary healthcare setting. Conclusion: Interprofessional care was observed and practiced by health education students through collaborative teamwork, communication among health care professionals and man agement of patient flow. However, they faced challenges during their practice-based IPE. The findings can be tailored towards planning for interprofessional education workshops to boost collaboration progress among health care providers including health educators and support ing professionals interested to implement practice-based IPE in their placement curriculums.Open Access funding was provided by the Qatar National Librar

A review of technical and quality assessment considerations of audio-visual and web-conferencing focus groups in qualitative health research

Abstract The transition from the conventional approach to an online setting in conducting focus groups (FGs) for qualitative research is an increasingly adopted approach in health-related research. The purpose of this narrative review aims to provide an overview of the quality of FGs in health-related research that are conducted using various audio–visual (AV)-enabled and web-conferencing approaches. Online databases searched were Medline/PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Four key concepts (qualitative health-related research, online platforms, platform analysis, and quality measures) were used. A consensus group method, and a review of user guides of three of the currently used online platforms (i.e., “WebEx”, “Zoom”, and “Microsoft Teams”) were employed to develop a set of specific core quality criteria for appraising online qualitative research studies. While various synchronous and asynchronous online FG approaches were utilized in health-related research, audio–visual (AV)-enabled, and web-conferencing approaches were comparable to conventional FGs. These platforms are associated with several advantages, such as spontaneity in responses through real-time interactions among researchers and participants. The developed quality assessment tool for online FGs included criteria such as maintaining the privacy of participants and confidentiality of data collected, appraising the potential selection bias due to technological and logistical requirements, and ensuring the presence of features for recording video and audio within the software. The validated quality criteria that are used to evaluate face-to-face qualitative studies can be applicable in online contexts. However, additional criteria targeting the new features of the online platforms should be considered as well. This review helps health-related researchers and research academic institutions to select the online platform that best addresses their research and institutional needs while maintaining good quality, time-efficient, and cost-effectiveness