Health research institutional mapping: an Eastern Mediterranean Regional perspective

Background: Research-conducive environments are mandatory for planning, implementing and translating research findings into evidence-informed health policies. Aim: This study aimed at comprehensive situation analysis of health research institutions in the Region. Methods: We collected data on: institutional characteristics, research scope, capacity building, ethics, governance and resources. Results: We contacted 575 institutions, of which, 223 [38.8%] responded, indicating that they conducted population research [82%]. Reported studies were mostly in medicine, public health and epidemiology, while reported capacity building mainly focused on scientific writing [20.6%], research proposal writing [18%] and quantitative research methods [17%]. Most institutions reported having collaborating partners [82%] – predominantly national [77%]. Sixty-four percent of institutions received their own funding, with 48% reporting always having access to national databases. Conclusion: Governments in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and international funding agencies are called upon to support health research production through increasing allocated support and capacity building in health research

Engagement of health research institutions in knowledge translation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Background: Health research institutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region [EMR] can play an integral role in promoting and supporting Knowledge Translation [KT]. Assessing institutions' engagement in KT and bridging the "research-policy" gap is important in designing context-specific strategies to promote KT and informing funding efforts in the region.

Aims: The objective of this study was to explore the engagement of EMR institutions in KT activities.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of institutions undertaking health research in the 22 EMR countries was undertaken. The survey covered institutional characteristics, institutional planning for research, national planning for health research, and knowledge management, translation and dissemination.

Results: 575 institutions were contacted of which 223 [38.3%] responded. Half the sampled institutions reported conducting priority-setting exercises, with 60.2% not following a standardized approach. Less than half institutions reported frequently/ always [40.5%] involving policymakers and stakeholders in setting priorities for research on health. Only 26.5% of respondent institutions reported that they examine the extent to which health policymakers utilize their research results. Moreover, only 23.3% reported measuring the impact of their health research.

Conclusions: There is still misalignment between national health research priorities and actual research production, and KT activities are still rarely undertaken by institutions in the EMR. National governments and international funding agencies are called to support research production and translation in the EMR. Institutions and researchers are also called to produce policy-relevant research and be responsive to the needs and priorities of policy-makers.

Substance use prevention: evidence-based intervention

The global substance use problem is a serious public health concern that affects not only health, safety and well-being of communities, but also social and economic development. It particularly affects children, young people and their families. All Member States should set substance use prevention measures and programmes as a priority in order to promote health and reduce social harm. During the past few decades there has been a significant advance in prevention science that has led to the development of international prevention standards and globally accepted evidence-based interventions. This review looks into the key requirements, components and strategic interventions needed for a public health approach to prevention of substance use and disorders, and its health and social consequences. It aims at supporting Member States and civil society to identify the key elements that support countries and local communities to increase the number of substance use protective approaches in relation to risk factors across all relevant domains

Development of an eastern mediterranean region search strategy for biomedical citations indexed in PubMed

PubMed, a 'barrier-free' bibliographic database covering biomedical and health disciplines, has been successfully used to identify a multitude of indicators that assist in analyzing global trends for biomedical research productivity. The current study represents an original attempt to develop and optimize an Eastern Mediterranean Region [EMR] search strategy in PubMed to pave the way for subsequent descriptive analyses. The refined EMR search strategy contains elaborate syntaxes which facilitate controlling the search process and maintaining a proper balance between sensitivity and precision of the obtained results. Country-specific citation data were manually scanned for false positive publications. Our results indicate that publication productivity increased nearly five-fold in the EMR from 2004 to 2013. Five countries [Islamic Republic of Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Pakistan; in order of total publications] contributed to 80% of all EMR publications during this period. Each of the remaining 17 EMR countries contributed less than 4%. We believe that the methodology presented in this study can be used in conjunction with other metrics to extract invaluable indicators to describe EMR health research systems

Assessment of World Health Organization Collaborating Centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Following in-house training, there was a need for assessing perceived performance of World Health Organization [WHO] collaborating centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with special relevance to WHO's programme of work. Thus, a questionnaire was shared with responsible officers covering: selection process, frequency of communication, monitoring mechanisms, key delivered activities, and identified gaps during implementation. These included: tendency to implement regular activities, weak technical capacity and communication, and discrepancies between planned activities and actual implementation. Recommendations for centres included: establishing communication plan/modalities, selecting activities of global/regional nature, and mobilizing resources for work plan implementation. Recommendations for responsible officers included: carefully explaining updated WHO rules and regulations; ensuring that specific terms of reference are set as per WHO's global/regional mandates; setting up regular communication mechanisms; agreeing on regular monitoring and coordination modalities; and ensuring that redesignation planning takes place during the 4th year of prior designation period

Changes in dietary habits, physical activity and status of metabolic syndrome among expatriates in Saudi Arabia

The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of living in Saudi Arabia on expatriate employees and their families' behavioural cardiovascular risk factors [BCVRFs], and to examine the association between changes in BCVRFs and metabolic syndrome [MetS]. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1437 individuals, aged = 18 years, from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We used the World Health Organization STEPS questionnaire to ask every participant questions about BCVRFs twice: [1] to reflect their period of living in Saudi Arabia and [2] to shed light upon life in their country of origin. Their mean age was 40.9 [11.7] years. The prevalence of BCVRFs was as follows: tobacco use in 156 [11%], physical inactivity in 1049 [73%] low intake of fruit and vegetables in 1264 [88%] and MetS in 378 [26%]. Residing in Saudi Arabia had reduced physical activity and intake of fruit and vegetables. There was also a significant increase in the fast food consumption. In conclusion, living in Saudi Arabia had a significant negative effect on BCVRFs. However, there was no statistically significant association between changes in fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity and MetS status, except that intake of fast food was lower among participants with MetS

Patterns of tobacco consumption in food facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This study aimed at assessing prevailing patterns and risk factors of tobacco consumption among clients, food handlers and employers of food facilities, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional approach to a representative sample of food facilities in Riyadh was used. A sample of 3000 participants included clients [75%]; food handlers/hospitality workers [20%] and employers [5%]. Participants were reached at restaurants, food courts or cafes. A modified version of the WHO-CDC-Global Youth Tobacco Survey questionnaire was used for data collection. The prevalence of tobacco use at food facilities was found to be 40.3%, of which 74% were customers, 18.8% were food handlers and 7.2% were managers. The consumption of tobacco was higher at restaurants [39.9%], but lowest at food courts of shopping malls. Water pipe [55.3%] was the main consumption type, followed by cigarettes [42.6%] and chewing tobacco [2.1%]. Multivariate analysis showed that gender [male], marital status [single], and type of food facility [Estaraha and cafe/coffee shop] were independent risk factors associated with tobacco use at food facilities. Tobacco use is very common in food facilities in Riyadh as reflected by results of our study, especially among single males Saudis. We should build on success encountered in banning smoking in airports, airplanes, shopping malls, market places, educational institutions and healthcare facilities, extending the ban to include food facilities as well. This is important for the health of non-smokers as well as smokers themselves

Smoking among university students: a gender analysis

The main objectives of this paper were to estimate the consumption patterns of tobacco use among King Saud University [KSU] undergraduate students; and investigate different risk factors which may contribute to tobacco use among female students. A representative sample [n=7550] of the total KSU undergraduate student population of 69, 498 [males and females] was selected, stratified according to college and gender. A modified version of the WHO/CGC Global Youth Tobacco Survey [GYTS] questionnaire was used for data collection. Overall smoking prevalence among KSU students was estimated at 14.5%, prevalence among male students [32.7%], and females [5.9%]. Independent risk factors for smoking among males were found to be: age, father's smoking habits, and "friends' smoking habits"; while among females were: sister's smoking habits and "friends' smoking habits." The findings of this study re-emphasize the significance of peer pressure on smoking among university students of both sexes; influence of family members, usually of same sex. We need to foster gender-sensitive tobacco prevention intervention programs to prevent youngsters of both sexes from taking up such habit. We also need to raise awareness of girls and young women, of the consequences of smoking in general, water-pipe in specific, on their own health, that of their spouses, families, and off-springs, many of whom could develop chronic respiratory disorders, as passive smokers in the beginning/potential smokers themselves, later on. All such efforts should be backed and supported by strong governmental commitment, to ensure success of their implementation accordingly

Intestinal parasitosis and environmental pollution: case of 1343 children in Beni-Mellal - Morocco

This study was undertaken to determine the possible health risk associated with raw wastewater use in agricultural purposes, particularly, the transmission of parasite infections among children of five regions in Beni-Mellal, Morocco. In a randomly-selected sample of 1343 children, 740 of them were from five regions using raw wastewater for agriculture, and 603 were from 4 control regions that do not practice wastewater irrigation. One or more parasite infections were identified in 50.8 percent of the children living in the wastewater re-use regions and in 8.2 percent only of the others. The seven parasites identified were Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichruis trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Hymenolepis nana, Taenia saginata, which infected 34.3 percent, 5.1 percent, 20.5 percent, 0.4 percent, 5.2 percent, 7.2 percent, 0.5 percent, in the exposed population and 4.3 percent, 0.3 percent, 3.8 percent, 0.3 percent, 1.0 percent, 0.6 percent and 0.0 percent in the control population respectively. In conclusion, raw wastewater use in Beni-Mellal lead to a high risk of parasite infections. Adequate treatment of wastewater is highly recommended