Background: The Global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was developed to help countries ... more Background: The Global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was developed to help countries measure and assess students' health behaviors and protective factors. This report discusses results from the first GSHS carried out in Bahrain during 2015-2016 by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Methods: The GSHS includes students aged 13-17 years and employed a two-stage sample design involving a school and class level. 64 public and private schools were sampled out of 162 schools, and 320 classes of students in grades 7-11 were selected. Students completed a questionnaire addressing mental health, protective factors, sexual behaviors, violence, and unintentional injury. Results: 7,143 (89%) of the 8,068 sampled students completed the questionnaire. Of the students who responded, 3,685 (51.1%) were males, and 5,843 (84.5%) were between the ages of 13 to 17 years old. 27.2% of students were physically attacked, 41.4% were in a physical fight, and 28.6% were bullied one or more times during the past 12 months. 38.1% of the students never or rarely wore a seatbelt when in a car, and 30.7% never or rarely wore a helmet when riding a bicycle. 16.2% of students felt lonely most of the time or always, and 15.2% seriously considered attempting suicide during the past 12 months. Conclusion: The study reported rates of violence, physical fights, bullying, and unsafe practices among school-Age children. Raising awareness regarding mental health and emotional well-being, assessment and support among school children is vital. Keywords: Bahrain, Mental health, School, School health, WHO
Background: This study examined the quality of life of Emirati women with breast cancer (BC).Meth... more Background: This study examined the quality of life of Emirati women with breast cancer (BC).Methods: This study was a population-based study of a random sample of 250 Emirati women with BC. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Cancer-Specific version (EORTC QLQ-C30, v.3.0) and the EORTC QoL Breast Cancer-Specific version (EORTC QLQ-BR23) translated into Arabic.Results: The mean age and median age of the 250 participants were 53.4 (SD ±11.3) and 52 years, respectively.Participants had a mean global health score of 74.73 (SD ±18.25), with a minimum of 16.67, indicating a good level of wellbeing.On the QLQ-C30, the Emirati women seemed to perform well on the functional scales but poorly on the symptom scales. While social functioning scored the highest (82.33 ±28.38) among the functional scales, emotional functioning scored the lowest (68.43 ±30.02). The most worrying symptom was sleep disturbance (47.8...
Questionnaire. Brief description of the data: This file contains the survey tool that was used in... more Questionnaire. Brief description of the data: This file contains the survey tool that was used in this study. (DOCX 392 kb)
Objective: This study aims to explore the prevalence of anosmia and dysgeusia and their impact on... more Objective: This study aims to explore the prevalence of anosmia and dysgeusia and their impact on COVID-19 patients. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1st October 2020 and 30th June 2021 were randomly selected from a national COVID-19 registry. The Anosmia Reporting Tool and a brief version of the questionnaire on olfactory disorders were used to measure the outcomes via telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27 statistics software. Results: A total of 405 COVID-19 adults were included in this study, 220 (54.3%) were males and 185 (45.8%) were females. The mean±SD age of participants was 38.2 ± 11.3 years. Alterations in the sense of smell and taste were reported by 206 (50.9%), and 195 (48.1%) of the patients respectively. Sex and nationality of participants were significantly associated with anosmia and dysgeusia (p<0.001) and (p-value=0.001) respectively. Among patients who experienced anosmia and dysgeusia, alterati...
Background: This study investigates the clinical characteristics of the first confirmed cases of ... more Background: This study investigates the clinical characteristics of the first confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Bahrain. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study including the first 247 confirmed cases in Bahrain. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records. Results: Mean Standard Deviation (SD) age of patients was 44.15 (16.5) years. More males were affected by the disease (61%; 151/274). Mean (SD) of the duration between confirmation and discharge was 9.8 (5.1) days. Of 247 patients, 4 deaths were reported (1.6%); 17.5% (24/137) showed a temperature of >37- on admission, with 4% (6/148) yielding an oxygen saturation of 94% or less. Leukopenia was reported in 36.8% of patients (63/171). One quarter of patients (25.5%) received oseltamivir, 24.7% received hydroxychloroquine sulfate (24.7%), and 1.2% received steroids. Conclusion: In this study, the authors have captured the epidemiological and clinical profiles of the first cases of COVID-19 pertaining to the first wave of the pandemic in Bahrain. The early strict measures may have contributed to the lower incidence as well as lower morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 infection in Bahrain. Major gaps in our knowledge of the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 and its prognosis, outcomes, and associated risk factors indicate the need for further research. Keywords: Bahrain, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Pandemics, Coronavirus
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have revealed that nursing students perceive lack of confidence as on... more BACKGROUND Numerous studies have revealed that nursing students perceive lack of confidence as one of the key barriers to performing physical examination; however, it is not empirically measured. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Physical Examination Perceived Self-Efficacy Instrument. METHOD The study included three phases: in Phase 1, 51 items were constructed; in Phase 2, 7 field experts rated items for relevancy; and in Phase 3, the instrument was piloted to a convenience sample of 238 students. RESULTS The analysis yielded six factors with a factor loading >0.40. The corrected item-total correlation ranged from 0.6 to 0.87. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .84 to .98. The interscale correlation of the instrument was statistically significant (p < .001). CONCLUSION We found that the instrument is a psychometrically robust measure of self-efficacy of performing physical examination. The instrument could provide a better understanding of the association between perceived self-efficacy and students' academic performance. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(1):36-40.].
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide as well as in Bahrain. This thesis ... more Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide as well as in Bahrain. This thesis investigates the quality o f life o f Bahraini women with breast cancer using both a quantitative and a qualitative approach. I also investigated the effect of psychological intervention in women with non metastatic breast cancer in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Twenty three trials were included and four meta-analyses were generated. The intervention proved to be effective in reducing anxiety, mood disturbance and depression (in group sessions). The improvement in survival is less promising and warrant more research before a solid conclusion can be made. The results should be interpreted cautiously considering the remarkable heterogeneity and shortcomings of included trials. I have presented data from a randomly recruited sample of 239 Bahraini women with breast cancer in a cross-sectional study. Results showed that women had a comparable quality o f life to western women with a...
A s survival rates have improved with advances in medical care, the importance of psychiatric int... more A s survival rates have improved with advances in medical care, the importance of psychiatric interventions designed to assist cancer patients in dealing with diagnosis and treatment has increased. There are four major categories on interventions described most frequently in the literature. These are educational techniques, behavioural training, individual psychotherapy, and group interventions. We have some knowledge of the effectiveness of psychological interventions on psychiatric outcomes such as depression and anxiety. We know much less about cognitive impairment, employment, quality of life and relationships. Even where we have evidence, it is mostly of only moderate quality, is most often only for breast cancer and focuses almost exclusively on the early phase of survivorship. There is little research into the needs of minority groups and certain cancers, such as lung cancer and the less common cancers. Most study samples are simply too small to give robust results. A wide va...
To investigate the knowledge of Bahraini women aged 30-64 years about menopause, hormone therapy ... more To investigate the knowledge of Bahraini women aged 30-64 years about menopause, hormone therapy (HT) and their associated health risks. To examine the relationship between the knowledge of Bahraini women about menopause and their sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics. A cross-sectional study was conducted of 260 Bahraini women attending primary health-care centers. A multistage, stratified and clustered random sampling technique was used. The women were interviewed using a structured questionnaire composed of the Menopause Knowledge Scale and sociodemographics. The mean knowledge percentage of all participants was 59.86, with a standard deviation of 25.77. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge percentages among categories of education (p = 0.025) and employment (p = 0.005). No significant differences in the mean knowledge percentages were found among categories of menopausal status. The statement with the highest percentage of correct answers was &#39;Pregnancy cannot occur after menopause&#39; (75.8%). Statements regarding risk of cardiovascular diseases had the lowest percentage of correct answers, &#39;HT increases risk of cardiovascular diseases&#39; (33.8%) and &#39;Risk of cardiovascular diseases increases with menopause&#39; (40.0%). The knowledge of Bahraini women about menopause and HT is average. Lack of knowledge was greatest in areas related to heart disease. Better education about menopause needs to be achieved regarding the long-term risk associated with menopause and the pros and cons of HT.
Background: The Global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was developed to help countries ... more Background: The Global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was developed to help countries measure and assess students' health behaviors and protective factors. This report discusses results from the first GSHS carried out in Bahrain during 2015-2016 by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Methods: The GSHS includes students aged 13-17 years and employed a two-stage sample design involving a school and class level. 64 public and private schools were sampled out of 162 schools, and 320 classes of students in grades 7-11 were selected. Students completed a questionnaire addressing mental health, protective factors, sexual behaviors, violence, and unintentional injury. Results: 7,143 (89%) of the 8,068 sampled students completed the questionnaire. Of the students who responded, 3,685 (51.1%) were males, and 5,843 (84.5%) were between the ages of 13 to 17 years old. 27.2% of students were physically attacked, 41.4% were in a physical fight, and 28.6% were bullied one or more times during the past 12 months. 38.1% of the students never or rarely wore a seatbelt when in a car, and 30.7% never or rarely wore a helmet when riding a bicycle. 16.2% of students felt lonely most of the time or always, and 15.2% seriously considered attempting suicide during the past 12 months. Conclusion: The study reported rates of violence, physical fights, bullying, and unsafe practices among school-Age children. Raising awareness regarding mental health and emotional well-being, assessment and support among school children is vital. Keywords: Bahrain, Mental health, School, School health, WHO
Background: This study examined the quality of life of Emirati women with breast cancer (BC).Meth... more Background: This study examined the quality of life of Emirati women with breast cancer (BC).Methods: This study was a population-based study of a random sample of 250 Emirati women with BC. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Cancer-Specific version (EORTC QLQ-C30, v.3.0) and the EORTC QoL Breast Cancer-Specific version (EORTC QLQ-BR23) translated into Arabic.Results: The mean age and median age of the 250 participants were 53.4 (SD ±11.3) and 52 years, respectively.Participants had a mean global health score of 74.73 (SD ±18.25), with a minimum of 16.67, indicating a good level of wellbeing.On the QLQ-C30, the Emirati women seemed to perform well on the functional scales but poorly on the symptom scales. While social functioning scored the highest (82.33 ±28.38) among the functional scales, emotional functioning scored the lowest (68.43 ±30.02). The most worrying symptom was sleep disturbance (47.8...
Questionnaire. Brief description of the data: This file contains the survey tool that was used in... more Questionnaire. Brief description of the data: This file contains the survey tool that was used in this study. (DOCX 392 kb)
Objective: This study aims to explore the prevalence of anosmia and dysgeusia and their impact on... more Objective: This study aims to explore the prevalence of anosmia and dysgeusia and their impact on COVID-19 patients. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1st October 2020 and 30th June 2021 were randomly selected from a national COVID-19 registry. The Anosmia Reporting Tool and a brief version of the questionnaire on olfactory disorders were used to measure the outcomes via telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27 statistics software. Results: A total of 405 COVID-19 adults were included in this study, 220 (54.3%) were males and 185 (45.8%) were females. The mean±SD age of participants was 38.2 ± 11.3 years. Alterations in the sense of smell and taste were reported by 206 (50.9%), and 195 (48.1%) of the patients respectively. Sex and nationality of participants were significantly associated with anosmia and dysgeusia (p<0.001) and (p-value=0.001) respectively. Among patients who experienced anosmia and dysgeusia, alterati...
Background: This study investigates the clinical characteristics of the first confirmed cases of ... more Background: This study investigates the clinical characteristics of the first confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Bahrain. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study including the first 247 confirmed cases in Bahrain. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records. Results: Mean Standard Deviation (SD) age of patients was 44.15 (16.5) years. More males were affected by the disease (61%; 151/274). Mean (SD) of the duration between confirmation and discharge was 9.8 (5.1) days. Of 247 patients, 4 deaths were reported (1.6%); 17.5% (24/137) showed a temperature of >37- on admission, with 4% (6/148) yielding an oxygen saturation of 94% or less. Leukopenia was reported in 36.8% of patients (63/171). One quarter of patients (25.5%) received oseltamivir, 24.7% received hydroxychloroquine sulfate (24.7%), and 1.2% received steroids. Conclusion: In this study, the authors have captured the epidemiological and clinical profiles of the first cases of COVID-19 pertaining to the first wave of the pandemic in Bahrain. The early strict measures may have contributed to the lower incidence as well as lower morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 infection in Bahrain. Major gaps in our knowledge of the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 and its prognosis, outcomes, and associated risk factors indicate the need for further research. Keywords: Bahrain, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Pandemics, Coronavirus
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have revealed that nursing students perceive lack of confidence as on... more BACKGROUND Numerous studies have revealed that nursing students perceive lack of confidence as one of the key barriers to performing physical examination; however, it is not empirically measured. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Physical Examination Perceived Self-Efficacy Instrument. METHOD The study included three phases: in Phase 1, 51 items were constructed; in Phase 2, 7 field experts rated items for relevancy; and in Phase 3, the instrument was piloted to a convenience sample of 238 students. RESULTS The analysis yielded six factors with a factor loading >0.40. The corrected item-total correlation ranged from 0.6 to 0.87. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .84 to .98. The interscale correlation of the instrument was statistically significant (p < .001). CONCLUSION We found that the instrument is a psychometrically robust measure of self-efficacy of performing physical examination. The instrument could provide a better understanding of the association between perceived self-efficacy and students' academic performance. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(1):36-40.].
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide as well as in Bahrain. This thesis ... more Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide as well as in Bahrain. This thesis investigates the quality o f life o f Bahraini women with breast cancer using both a quantitative and a qualitative approach. I also investigated the effect of psychological intervention in women with non metastatic breast cancer in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Twenty three trials were included and four meta-analyses were generated. The intervention proved to be effective in reducing anxiety, mood disturbance and depression (in group sessions). The improvement in survival is less promising and warrant more research before a solid conclusion can be made. The results should be interpreted cautiously considering the remarkable heterogeneity and shortcomings of included trials. I have presented data from a randomly recruited sample of 239 Bahraini women with breast cancer in a cross-sectional study. Results showed that women had a comparable quality o f life to western women with a...
A s survival rates have improved with advances in medical care, the importance of psychiatric int... more A s survival rates have improved with advances in medical care, the importance of psychiatric interventions designed to assist cancer patients in dealing with diagnosis and treatment has increased. There are four major categories on interventions described most frequently in the literature. These are educational techniques, behavioural training, individual psychotherapy, and group interventions. We have some knowledge of the effectiveness of psychological interventions on psychiatric outcomes such as depression and anxiety. We know much less about cognitive impairment, employment, quality of life and relationships. Even where we have evidence, it is mostly of only moderate quality, is most often only for breast cancer and focuses almost exclusively on the early phase of survivorship. There is little research into the needs of minority groups and certain cancers, such as lung cancer and the less common cancers. Most study samples are simply too small to give robust results. A wide va...
To investigate the knowledge of Bahraini women aged 30-64 years about menopause, hormone therapy ... more To investigate the knowledge of Bahraini women aged 30-64 years about menopause, hormone therapy (HT) and their associated health risks. To examine the relationship between the knowledge of Bahraini women about menopause and their sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics. A cross-sectional study was conducted of 260 Bahraini women attending primary health-care centers. A multistage, stratified and clustered random sampling technique was used. The women were interviewed using a structured questionnaire composed of the Menopause Knowledge Scale and sociodemographics. The mean knowledge percentage of all participants was 59.86, with a standard deviation of 25.77. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge percentages among categories of education (p = 0.025) and employment (p = 0.005). No significant differences in the mean knowledge percentages were found among categories of menopausal status. The statement with the highest percentage of correct answers was &#39;Pregnancy cannot occur after menopause&#39; (75.8%). Statements regarding risk of cardiovascular diseases had the lowest percentage of correct answers, &#39;HT increases risk of cardiovascular diseases&#39; (33.8%) and &#39;Risk of cardiovascular diseases increases with menopause&#39; (40.0%). The knowledge of Bahraini women about menopause and HT is average. Lack of knowledge was greatest in areas related to heart disease. Better education about menopause needs to be achieved regarding the long-term risk associated with menopause and the pros and cons of HT.
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Papers by Ghufran Ahmed Jassim