Comparison of behaviour, performance and mortality in restricted and ad libitum-fed growing rabbits.

The objective of this study was to determine whether rabbits fed in a restricted regimen (75%) showed increased competition for feeding, drinking and use of specific areas of the cages as compared with those provided feed ad libitum. This evaluation was carried out by measuring their space utilisation in the cage, the incidence of agonistic behaviour and rates of mortality. In total, 504 rabbits between 31 and 66 days of age were used in this study. A total of 200 heavy-weight rabbits and 56 light-weight rabbits were randomly housed in 32 cages, each cage containing eight rabbits: 25 cages housing heavy rabbits and seven cages housing the light-weight ones. They were all fed ad libitum (AD). In addition, a total of 208 heavy-weight rabbits and 40 light-weight rabbits were randomly housed in 31 cages, each of them containing eight rabbits: 26 cages housing heavy weight rabbits and five cages housing light-weight ones. They were all fed a restricted diet (R) regimen. The restriction was calculated to be 75% of the feed consumed by the AD group. The total space available in the cage was 3252 cm(2), with a stocking density of 24.6 animals/m(2). Animals between 32 and 60 days of age from 20 different cages were observed nine times per week (morning or afternoon) by means of scan and focal sampling by one observer. During each period, cages were assessed for 5 min, registering every minute the position of all the animals in relation to Area A (feeder), Area B (central part) or Area C (back and drinker area). The incidence of agonistic behaviour such as displacement, biting and jumping on each other was also assessed. Performance variables such as daily gain and feed conversion ratio, in addition to general health status and mortality rates, were recorded for all rabbits. When the rabbits were under restricted feeding, the competition for feed and drink increased with clear signs of agonistic behaviour such as biting, displacement and animals jumping on top of each other. Although this competition was maintained during the entire growing period, the BW homogeneity between animals in the same cage was similar in both cases, suggesting that all animals could consume similar quantities of feed. The possible advantages of a restricted diet, such as better feed conversion ratio, were observed in this study only in the last few weeks of the growing period.

The Fear Survey Schedule III and its correlation with personality in Egyptian samples.

An Arabic version of the 108 item Wolpe-Lang Fear Survey Schedule (FSS III) was administered to four Egyptian groups of undergraduates, in order to estimate test reliability. One-week interval stability coefficients for the total test score were 0.79 for males and 0.86 for females. Internal consistency (odd vs even) coefficients were 0.96 for males and 0.95 for females. It was concluded that the reliability of the Arabic version of the FSS had been adequately demonstrated. The Arabic FSS was correlated with several personality tests with results mostly in keeping with Western studies.

Normative results on the Arabic Fear Survey Schedule III.

An Arabic version of the Wolpe-Lang Fear Survey Schedule III (A-FSS III) was administered to 520 Egyptian undergraduates (282 males and 238 females). Means, standard deviations and "t" values were computed for the 108 individual items, the five subscores, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as the total score. Gender differences were salient and very high. Females exceeded males in almost all comparisons. Compared with Klieger's (Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry 1992, 23, 81-88) results, the vast majority of the Egyptian 108 item means are higher than those of their U.S. counterparts. Males and females rated the same seven items as among the 10 most fearful stimuli they could encounter. Eight out of the top 10 means dealt with fears in social or interpersonal contexts.

Epidemiologic study of sleep disorders in Kuwaiti adolescents.

A sample of 2,574 volunteer Kuwaiti boys (n = 1,309) and girls (n = 1,265) in secondary schools were recruited. Their ages ranged from 14 to 18 years. 13 items were used to assess prevalence of insomnia, hypersomnia, nightmares, sleepwalking, sleep terror, and narcolepsy. Participants were requested to respond according to the past month on a 5-point scale. The summation of responses in the last two options, i.e., "Much" and "Very much" was considered as the point prevalence rates. Girls had significantly higher mean ratings than boys on the following items: difficulty initiating sleep, fitful and disturbed sleep, waking up several times, nightmares, and sleep terror, while boys had significantly higher mean ratings on sleepwalking and "watching TV causes naps or sleep." The point prevalence on all the items for boys ranged from 4.6% to 35.2%, and that for girls ranged between 1.0% and 37.5%. One should keep in mind that the present sample was not a clinical one.

Two scales of death anxiety: their reliability and correlation among Kuwaiti samples.

Arabic versions of the Templer Death Anxiety Scale and the Thorson and Powell Revised Death Anxiety Scale were administered to 117 male and 157 female Kuwaiti undergraduates. Cronbach coefficients alpha for the two scales were, respectively, .79 and .77. Pearson correlations for scores on the two scales were .54, .67, and .64 for men, women and the combined group, respectively, so reliability and concurrent validity of the scales were adequate for the Kuwaiti sample.

Death anxiety among Lebanese samples.

An Arabic version of the Templer Death Anxiety Scale was administered to 673 Lebanese volunteer subjects (164 boys, 165 girls in secondary school, 170 men, 174 women undergraduates). Females attained higher mean death anxiety scores than males. The Lebanese samples had either the same or a lower mean score on death anxiety than their Arab peers, that is, Egyptians and Kuwaitians and also US samples. Split-half reliabilities ranged from .57 to .68.

The Kuwait University Anxiety Scale: psychometric properties.

This study was undertaken to construct the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale in two comparable Arabic and English versions. The intent was to provide a research tool as well as a measure of predisposition to develop anxiety in general among adults and adolescents. The scale is comprised by 20 brief statements answered on a 4-point intensity scale, anchored by 1: Rarely and 4: Always. Factor analysis yielded three high-loaded factors of Cognitive/Affective, Behavioral/Subjective, and Somatic Anxiety, with moderate interfactor correlations. Item-remainder correlations ranged from .27 to .74. Reliabilities ranged from .88 to .92 (alpha) and between .70 and .93 (test-retest), denoting good internal consistency and stability. Criterion-related validity of the scale ranged between .70 and .88 (5 criteria), while the loadings of the scale on a general factor of anxiety were .93 and .95 in two factor analyses, demonstrating the scale's criterion-related and factorial validity. Discriminant validity of the scale was demonstrated. The scale correlated .65 with scores on the Beck Depression scale. Male adolescents attained a higher mean score than male undergraduates. Females have significantly higher mean scores than their male counterparts. Kuwaiti norms (N = 4,660) were reported. An English version of the scale is available.

A survey of fears associated with Iraqi aggression among Kuwaiti children and adolescents: a factorial study 5.7 years after the Gulf War.

A survey of the fear-eliciting stimuli associated with Iraqi aggression among Kuwaiti children and adolescents (1020 boys and 1063 girls, 13 to 17 years old) was carried out with a fear schedule of 30 items administered 5.7 years after the Iraqi aggression. The scale has high reliability and concurrent validity. Three significant factors were disclosed and named Iraqi Aggressor, War Machinery, and War Correlates and Effects. Girls attained significantly higher mean scores than boys on all 30 items and total score. It was concluded that the Iraqi aggression's adverse effects has persisted in spite of the passing of 5.7 years since this traumatic experience. The present scale might be used to assess fears of war in research on posttraumatic stress syndrome.

Internal consistency of an Arabic Adaptation of the Beck Depression Inventory in four Arab countries.

An Arabic version of the revised edition of the Beck Depression Inventory in its complete form was developed. Back translation indicated the translation into modern standard Arabic was adequate. The cross-language equivalence of scores on the Arabic and English forms was .96, denoting high equivalence in meaning. Coefficients alpha were computed for samples of male and female undergraduates recruited from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Lebanon (ns = 100, 80, 100, 100, respectively). Values of alpha were .77, .82, .89, and .67, respectively. By and large, the inventory seems viable in the Arabic context so its use in cross-cultural research may be explored.

Criterion-related validity of the Arabic Children's Depression Inventory.

The Arabic Children's Depression Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to 109 Kuwaiti school students whose ages ranged from 14 to 18 years. Pearson correlations for total score on the two scales were .57, .83, and .75 for boys, girls, and the combined group, respectively, denoting the convergent validity of the new Arabic inventory against the Beck Depression Inventory as criterion.

Factorial structure of the Arabic Children's Depression Inventory among Kuwaiti subjects.

The Arabic Children's Depression Inventory developed by Abdel-Khalek was administered to 1981 Kuwaiti middle-school students (995 boys and 986 girls). Their ages ranged from 10 to 16 years. Five orthogonal (varimax) factors were extracted. They were labeled generic depression, pessimism, feeling happy, weak concentration, and lack of loneliness. It was concluded that these interpretable factors pertained to the phenomenon of childhood depression, so the inventory can be recommended for use with Kuwaiti children and adolescents.

The Kuwait University Anxiety Scale: reliability and criterion-related validity in Syrian college students.

The Kuwait University Anxiety Scale was administered to 51 male and 56 female undergraduates in Syria. Respectively, the coefficients alpha for men, women, and the whole group were .91, .92, and .92; the test-retest rs after 14 to 21 days .88, .81, and .84; and the criterion-related validities .64, .62, and .64 against scores on Spielberger, et al.'s Trait Anxiety scale.

Obsession-compulsion, locus of control, depression, and hopelessness: a construct validity of the Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in American and Kuwaiti students.

In samples of 144 American and 209 Kuwaiti college students, the correlations among scores on the Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and external locus of control (.26, .25), depression (.31, .55) and hopelessness (.27, .43) were significant and positive in both samples, denoting the construct validity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Thus, it can be recommended for use in both countries.

Obsession-compulsion in college students in the United States and Kuwait.

American (n = 132) and Kuwaiti (n = 204) undergraduates responded to the Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in English and Arabic languages, respectively. Students in Kuwait scored as more obsessive-compulsive than their American counterparts.

Reliability of the Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in Kuwaiti and American students.

The Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was administered to 204 Kuwaiti and 132 American college students. The Spearman-Brown reliabilities were, respectively .77 and .82, while Cronbach alphas were .76 and .82, denoting acceptable values for the two samples.

Depression in college students in the United States and Kuwait.

351 college students in the United States and Kuwait were given the Beck Depression Inventory. Kuwaiti students were more depressed than American students, but not more suicidal.

Manic-depression, suicidality, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

In a sample of 73 undergraduates, obsessional-compulsive tendencies (and especially checking) were associated with scores on measures of manic, depressive, and suicidal tendencies.

Criterion-related validity of the Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in Kuwaiti and American students.

The Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory were administered to 159 Kuwaiti (Arabic version) and 72 American college students (English version). Pearson correlations for total score on the two scales were .68 and .64 for Kuwaiti and Americans, respectively, denoting a good convergent validity of the new Arabic Obsessive-Compulsive Scale against scores on the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory in the two different national groups.

A cross-cultural evaluation of depression in children in Egypt, Kuwait, and the United States.

The English version of the Arabic Children's Depression Inventory, constructed by Abdel-Khalek, was applied to a sample of 535 U.S. students (11 to 18 years old). Cronbach coefficients alpha were .88, .90, and .89 for boys, girls, and all subjects, respectively. Seven factors were extracted by principal axis factor analysis (Negative mood and self-depreciation, Fatigue, Lack of loneliness, Sleep problems, Weak concentration, Pessimism, and Feeling happy), denoting clear factorial structure; however, the scale was intended to be unidimensional. Sex and racial differences for this American sample were not statistically significant but the correlation of depression scores with age was .22. The scale appears useful in studying depression in American school children and adolescents. Also, cross-cultural differences in childhood depression between samples from Egypt and Kuwait of previous studies and the present American sample were examined. Based on the effect size, female Kuwaiti had a lower mean depression score than either the Egyptian or American groups. The scale can be used in cross-cultural research.