The prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems was evaluated among 620 United Arab Emirates... more The prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems was evaluated among 620 United Arab Emirates nationals aged 6-18 years using the Rutter Parent Questionnaire. Of these children, 11.8% scores above the cut-off point indicating behavioural disturbance. The prevalence of conduct problems was greater among boys, while emotional problems were more common among girls. Certain unspecified chronic life difficulties, parental distress in relation to their children, family history of psychiatric illness and alcohol or drug use in a family member were associated with behavioural disturbance, but no significant association was found with gender, socioeconomic status, family size or recent life events. Our findings suggest that behavioural disturbance exists among a substantial number of school-aged children in the community.
The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of behavioral disorders among 3-year-old ... more The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of behavioral disorders among 3-year-old children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although this type of study exists in the industrialized countries, very few studies have been undertaken in the developing countries. Six hundred ninety-four randomly selected 3-year-old UAE nationals were screened using the Child Behaviour Checklist for Ages 2-3. Of the children in the study, 10.5% had scores in the clinical range. By using clinical interviews in stage 2 of high-scoring children and random samples of children with normal scores, the weighted prevalence for a clinically significant disorder in behavior was estimated to be 9.94%. A number of putative risk factors were identified, including perinatal factors, adverse family factors, and a positive family history of mental health problems. The prevalence of disordered behavior in this Arab culture and its risk factors are similar to those in developed countries. However, certain unique sociocultural determinants were also identified that have implications for the early detection of disordered behavior and care of children with disordered behavior.
Proceedings of IGARSS '93 - IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
... The technical monitors are Dr. Albert Pressman and Ms. Florence Fetterer. Labo~tO~-SOuth, Con... more ... The technical monitors are Dr. Albert Pressman and Ms. Florence Fetterer. Labo~tO~-SOuth, Contracts NO. NooO14-90-C-0148 and REFEREhTES OM Johannessen, S. Sandven, K. Kloster, LH Pettersson, RA Shuchman, WJ Campbell, E. Josberger, and K. Davidson, "SIZEX'92 ...
Objectives: Phobic anxiety disorders generally breed true. In this regard, family studies have su... more Objectives: Phobic anxiety disorders generally breed true. In this regard, family studies have suggested an association between childhood shyness and maternal social phobia. In this study, the relationship between childhood shyness and maternal social anxiety was examined. Subjects andMethods: 203 5-year-old children from an Arabian Gulf community and their mothers were evaluated. The children were assessed in stage 1 using the shyness scale of Stevenson-Hinde and Glover and the Preschool Behavior Checklist (PBCL), while mothers completed the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. In the second stage, blind clinical interviews were carried out to ascertain the diagnosis of psychiatric diagnoses, if any, using DSM-IV criteria. Results: 27% of the children were identified as shy using the shyness scale of Stevenson-Hinde and Glover and 19% scored above the cutoff for behavioral disturbance on the PBCL. Child shyness was associated with female gender and maternal social anxiety as indicated b...
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) constitute a significant risk and may, in part, explain the high mo... more Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) constitute a significant risk and may, in part, explain the high morbidity and mortality rates among haemodialysis (HD) patients. Several studies have implicated reduced insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) levels in the development of CVD. However, it is not clear whether IGF-1, and its relationship with other hormones such as leptin, insulin, and growth hormone (GH), as well as anthropometric variables may explain the high incidence of vascular complications in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. This study was designed to measure total serum IGF-1, leptin, insulin and GH levels in CKD patients and in age-matched control subjects and to elucidate the relationship between IGF-1 and GH, leptin, and insulin as well as other known aetiological risk factors for CVD including blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and age. The study consisted of 50 CKD patients [36 M and 14 F; mean age; 41.8 +/- 10.3 years) on maintenance haemodialysis and 50 healthy control subjects (36 M and 14 F; mean age 41.6 +/- 10.2 years) matched for age and sex. None of the subject among patients and controls reported either smoking or history of diabetes mellitus. The circulating levels of IGF-1 were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in both male and female patients compared to the control subjects. Moreover, IGF-1 was strongly and inversely correlated with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = -0.360; P < 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = -0.512; P < 0.001) in the CKD group, and when the two groups were combined SBP (r = -0.396; P < 0.001) and DBP (r = -0.296; P < 0.01). When adjusted for age, the correlation was more significant, however, when adjusted for BMI no significant correlation was observed between IGF-1 and blood pressure. IGF-1 was inversely correlated with age (r = -0.367; P < 0.01) and BMI (r = -0.310; P < 0.05) in the control group, but not the patient group. In controls and patients, respectively, a positive correlation between leptin and BMI (r = 0.358; P < 0.01; r = 0.640, P < 0.001) was observed. The results show that circulating levels of IGF-1 were significantly lower in CKD patients as compared to healthy normal subjects and were inversely correlated with SBP and DBP independent of age, but not BMI indicative of a strong relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and low IGF-1 levels. Although, the data do not clearly indicate low IGF-1 levels as a cause or an effect of these cardiovascular risk factors, they do point to an interesting relationship between low IGF-1 levels and increased cardiovascular risk factors among CKD patients as compared to age-matched healthy control subjects.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), like many other developing countries, has witnessed a rapid devel... more The United Arab Emirates (UAE), like many other developing countries, has witnessed a rapid development in many aspects of life during the last three decades. The discovery of oil in the middle of the last century has contributed to significant social change and UAE, along with other Gull Arab States, have experienced a rapid transition in its socio-economic status. Rapid economic growth in IJAE has brought about marked changes both in lifestyles and in patterns of health and disease. With the greater availability of housemaids, cars, televisions and other sophisticated household appliances, the lifestyles of UAE nationals have become more sedentary, and watching television and eating snacks are some of the main4eisure-time activities. The consumption of traditional food items have also decreased with urbanization and life-style changes in the UAE community, and hypertension have become a major public health problem. To date, there are no systematic studies of the relationship betwe...
The primary care companion for CNS disorders, Jan 6, 2017
To study the prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptom patterns among women in... more To study the prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptom patterns among women in the United Arab Emirates and to measure the debilitating nature of PMDD symptoms and sociodemographic correlates. This cross-sectional sample study used the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus (MINI-Plus) and Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) to screen for presence and severity of PMDD symptoms in Arab women attending ambulatory health services in Alain city, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for routine health care between May 2005 and September 2005. The study participants include 508 women (76% Emiratis, 15% Omanis, and 8% other Arabs) of childbearing age. In total, 94 women (18.6%) met MINI-Plus criteria for PMDD; of these, 21 (4.1%) met PSST criteria for severe symptoms, 29 (5.7%) for moderate symptoms, and 44 (8.7%) for mild or less symptoms. One woman (0.2%) with severe symptoms and 12 women (2.4%) with moderate symptoms had negative MINI-Plus s...
To determine the correlation between hypertension and income distribution among United Arab Emira... more To determine the correlation between hypertension and income distribution among United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. Case-control study matched for age, sex, nationality and education. The survey included 500 hypertensive adults aged 20-65 years ascertained from Primay Health Care (PHC) Clinics along with a randomly selected sample of 500 control subjects from the community. Face-to-face interviews were done where data were gathered on socio-demographic-economic status (SES) and lifestyle habits. Hypertension was defined according to WHO criteria as having Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) > or = 140 mm Hg and/or Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) > or = 90 mm Hg and/or being on antihypertensive treatment. The survey was carried out in urban and semi-urban PHC Clinics. A total of 818 subjects were included in this study from a sample of 1000; 409 cases and 409 controls. There were 422 males and 396 females in this study, with 255 UAE nationals and 438 expatriates. Hypertension was f...
Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ
A case-control study evaluated the relationship between hypertension and socioeconomic and lifest... more A case-control study evaluated the relationship between hypertension and socioeconomic and lifestyle factors in Al-Ain city. The survey included 426 hypertensive adults aged 20-65 years attending urban and semi-urban clinics and a randomly selected sample of 436 normotensive controls. Hypertension among cases was higher for men, age 40-49 years, non-UAE nationals, urban living, currently married, having children, illiterate, administrative/professional job, living in traditional house and low income. There were significant differences between cases and controls with regard to obesity, raised cholesterol level, low physical activity and family history of heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that obesity, medium/high income, history of diabetes, low physical activity and having 3+ children were significantly associated with hypertension.
Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 2005
An estimated 600 million people in the world have consanguineous parents. The effect of consangui... more An estimated 600 million people in the world have consanguineous parents. The effect of consanguinity on the risk of breast cancer is uncertain. The objective of this case-control study was to examine whether parental consanguinity and different levels of inbreeding affect the risk and pathology characteristics of breast cancer. Over a 36-month period, consecutive female breast cancer patients were recruited in the main cancer hospital in the United Arab Emirates. All were locally born Arabs with a tissue diagnosis of breast cancer. The controls were locally born Arabs without breast cancer matched to cases by sex, age, and residence. The coefficient of inbreeding (F) of both groups was determined from information they provided about their parents' kinship. The mean age of the 72 patients and 187 controls was 48.6 years (range: 25-86) and 48.5 years (range: 25-82), respectively (P = 0.46). Consanguinity rates of the patients and controls were 29.2% and 28.9% (P = 0.96) and the c...
The prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems was evaluated among 620 United Arab Emirates... more The prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems was evaluated among 620 United Arab Emirates nationals aged 6-18 years using the Rutter Parent Questionnaire. Of these children, 11.8% scores above the cut-off point indicating behavioural disturbance. The prevalence of conduct problems was greater among boys, while emotional problems were more common among girls. Certain unspecified chronic life difficulties, parental distress in relation to their children, family history of psychiatric illness and alcohol or drug use in a family member were associated with behavioural disturbance, but no significant association was found with gender, socioeconomic status, family size or recent life events. Our findings suggest that behavioural disturbance exists among a substantial number of school-aged children in the community.
The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of behavioral disorders among 3-year-old ... more The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of behavioral disorders among 3-year-old children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although this type of study exists in the industrialized countries, very few studies have been undertaken in the developing countries. Six hundred ninety-four randomly selected 3-year-old UAE nationals were screened using the Child Behaviour Checklist for Ages 2-3. Of the children in the study, 10.5% had scores in the clinical range. By using clinical interviews in stage 2 of high-scoring children and random samples of children with normal scores, the weighted prevalence for a clinically significant disorder in behavior was estimated to be 9.94%. A number of putative risk factors were identified, including perinatal factors, adverse family factors, and a positive family history of mental health problems. The prevalence of disordered behavior in this Arab culture and its risk factors are similar to those in developed countries. However, certain unique sociocultural determinants were also identified that have implications for the early detection of disordered behavior and care of children with disordered behavior.
Proceedings of IGARSS '93 - IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
... The technical monitors are Dr. Albert Pressman and Ms. Florence Fetterer. Labo~tO~-SOuth, Con... more ... The technical monitors are Dr. Albert Pressman and Ms. Florence Fetterer. Labo~tO~-SOuth, Contracts NO. NooO14-90-C-0148 and REFEREhTES OM Johannessen, S. Sandven, K. Kloster, LH Pettersson, RA Shuchman, WJ Campbell, E. Josberger, and K. Davidson, "SIZEX'92 ...
Objectives: Phobic anxiety disorders generally breed true. In this regard, family studies have su... more Objectives: Phobic anxiety disorders generally breed true. In this regard, family studies have suggested an association between childhood shyness and maternal social phobia. In this study, the relationship between childhood shyness and maternal social anxiety was examined. Subjects andMethods: 203 5-year-old children from an Arabian Gulf community and their mothers were evaluated. The children were assessed in stage 1 using the shyness scale of Stevenson-Hinde and Glover and the Preschool Behavior Checklist (PBCL), while mothers completed the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. In the second stage, blind clinical interviews were carried out to ascertain the diagnosis of psychiatric diagnoses, if any, using DSM-IV criteria. Results: 27% of the children were identified as shy using the shyness scale of Stevenson-Hinde and Glover and 19% scored above the cutoff for behavioral disturbance on the PBCL. Child shyness was associated with female gender and maternal social anxiety as indicated b...
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) constitute a significant risk and may, in part, explain the high mo... more Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) constitute a significant risk and may, in part, explain the high morbidity and mortality rates among haemodialysis (HD) patients. Several studies have implicated reduced insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) levels in the development of CVD. However, it is not clear whether IGF-1, and its relationship with other hormones such as leptin, insulin, and growth hormone (GH), as well as anthropometric variables may explain the high incidence of vascular complications in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. This study was designed to measure total serum IGF-1, leptin, insulin and GH levels in CKD patients and in age-matched control subjects and to elucidate the relationship between IGF-1 and GH, leptin, and insulin as well as other known aetiological risk factors for CVD including blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and age. The study consisted of 50 CKD patients [36 M and 14 F; mean age; 41.8 +/- 10.3 years) on maintenance haemodialysis and 50 healthy control subjects (36 M and 14 F; mean age 41.6 +/- 10.2 years) matched for age and sex. None of the subject among patients and controls reported either smoking or history of diabetes mellitus. The circulating levels of IGF-1 were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in both male and female patients compared to the control subjects. Moreover, IGF-1 was strongly and inversely correlated with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = -0.360; P < 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = -0.512; P < 0.001) in the CKD group, and when the two groups were combined SBP (r = -0.396; P < 0.001) and DBP (r = -0.296; P < 0.01). When adjusted for age, the correlation was more significant, however, when adjusted for BMI no significant correlation was observed between IGF-1 and blood pressure. IGF-1 was inversely correlated with age (r = -0.367; P < 0.01) and BMI (r = -0.310; P < 0.05) in the control group, but not the patient group. In controls and patients, respectively, a positive correlation between leptin and BMI (r = 0.358; P < 0.01; r = 0.640, P < 0.001) was observed. The results show that circulating levels of IGF-1 were significantly lower in CKD patients as compared to healthy normal subjects and were inversely correlated with SBP and DBP independent of age, but not BMI indicative of a strong relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and low IGF-1 levels. Although, the data do not clearly indicate low IGF-1 levels as a cause or an effect of these cardiovascular risk factors, they do point to an interesting relationship between low IGF-1 levels and increased cardiovascular risk factors among CKD patients as compared to age-matched healthy control subjects.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), like many other developing countries, has witnessed a rapid devel... more The United Arab Emirates (UAE), like many other developing countries, has witnessed a rapid development in many aspects of life during the last three decades. The discovery of oil in the middle of the last century has contributed to significant social change and UAE, along with other Gull Arab States, have experienced a rapid transition in its socio-economic status. Rapid economic growth in IJAE has brought about marked changes both in lifestyles and in patterns of health and disease. With the greater availability of housemaids, cars, televisions and other sophisticated household appliances, the lifestyles of UAE nationals have become more sedentary, and watching television and eating snacks are some of the main4eisure-time activities. The consumption of traditional food items have also decreased with urbanization and life-style changes in the UAE community, and hypertension have become a major public health problem. To date, there are no systematic studies of the relationship betwe...
The primary care companion for CNS disorders, Jan 6, 2017
To study the prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptom patterns among women in... more To study the prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptom patterns among women in the United Arab Emirates and to measure the debilitating nature of PMDD symptoms and sociodemographic correlates. This cross-sectional sample study used the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus (MINI-Plus) and Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) to screen for presence and severity of PMDD symptoms in Arab women attending ambulatory health services in Alain city, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for routine health care between May 2005 and September 2005. The study participants include 508 women (76% Emiratis, 15% Omanis, and 8% other Arabs) of childbearing age. In total, 94 women (18.6%) met MINI-Plus criteria for PMDD; of these, 21 (4.1%) met PSST criteria for severe symptoms, 29 (5.7%) for moderate symptoms, and 44 (8.7%) for mild or less symptoms. One woman (0.2%) with severe symptoms and 12 women (2.4%) with moderate symptoms had negative MINI-Plus s...
To determine the correlation between hypertension and income distribution among United Arab Emira... more To determine the correlation between hypertension and income distribution among United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. Case-control study matched for age, sex, nationality and education. The survey included 500 hypertensive adults aged 20-65 years ascertained from Primay Health Care (PHC) Clinics along with a randomly selected sample of 500 control subjects from the community. Face-to-face interviews were done where data were gathered on socio-demographic-economic status (SES) and lifestyle habits. Hypertension was defined according to WHO criteria as having Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) > or = 140 mm Hg and/or Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) > or = 90 mm Hg and/or being on antihypertensive treatment. The survey was carried out in urban and semi-urban PHC Clinics. A total of 818 subjects were included in this study from a sample of 1000; 409 cases and 409 controls. There were 422 males and 396 females in this study, with 255 UAE nationals and 438 expatriates. Hypertension was f...
Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ
A case-control study evaluated the relationship between hypertension and socioeconomic and lifest... more A case-control study evaluated the relationship between hypertension and socioeconomic and lifestyle factors in Al-Ain city. The survey included 426 hypertensive adults aged 20-65 years attending urban and semi-urban clinics and a randomly selected sample of 436 normotensive controls. Hypertension among cases was higher for men, age 40-49 years, non-UAE nationals, urban living, currently married, having children, illiterate, administrative/professional job, living in traditional house and low income. There were significant differences between cases and controls with regard to obesity, raised cholesterol level, low physical activity and family history of heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that obesity, medium/high income, history of diabetes, low physical activity and having 3+ children were significantly associated with hypertension.
Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 2005
An estimated 600 million people in the world have consanguineous parents. The effect of consangui... more An estimated 600 million people in the world have consanguineous parents. The effect of consanguinity on the risk of breast cancer is uncertain. The objective of this case-control study was to examine whether parental consanguinity and different levels of inbreeding affect the risk and pathology characteristics of breast cancer. Over a 36-month period, consecutive female breast cancer patients were recruited in the main cancer hospital in the United Arab Emirates. All were locally born Arabs with a tissue diagnosis of breast cancer. The controls were locally born Arabs without breast cancer matched to cases by sex, age, and residence. The coefficient of inbreeding (F) of both groups was determined from information they provided about their parents' kinship. The mean age of the 72 patients and 187 controls was 48.6 years (range: 25-86) and 48.5 years (range: 25-82), respectively (P = 0.46). Consanguinity rates of the patients and controls were 29.2% and 28.9% (P = 0.96) and the c...
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