Home Accidents among Children: A Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Care Center in Oman.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify the prevalence, commonest causes, and severity of home accident injuries and their effects on children who present to the emergency department (ED) of a university-tertiary hospital in Oman. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study among children aged ≤ 18 years old who presented with home accidents to the ED between January and June 2017. A checklist for data collection was designed to include demographic data, causes and effects of home accidents, and treatment outcomes. The data was retrieved from the hospital electronic patient records. RESULTS: A total of 1333 children presented to the ED over six months as a result of unintentional home accidents, giving a prevalence of 7.7% from all children who visited the ED. There was a significant male to female ratio of 1.7:1. The most prevalent causes for home accidents were 'falls' in 716 (53.7%) children, followed by 'struck by/against-animate/inanimate mechanical force' in 201 (15.1%) children. 'Poisoning' was the third major cause in 117 (8.8%) children. Severity scale showed that around 36.0% of children suffered from severe injuries and 5.4% were admitted to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Despite this study being a single-center study in Oman, it indicates a high prevalence and severity of unintentional home accidents among children. The study findings suggest the need for implementing strategies to raise public awareness of child safety at home and to improve the preparedness of healthcare providers in ED to deal with such accidents.

Awareness of Cancer Symptoms and Barriers to Seeking Medical Help Among Adult People Attending Primary Care Settings in Oman.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the public's awareness of cancer symptoms and the barriers to seeking medical help among Omani adults attending primary care settings in Muscat governorate, the capital city of Oman. METHODS: The Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) questionnaire (translated into Arabic) was used to collect data from a total of 12 randomly selected local health centers (LHCs) in Muscat governorate, the capital city of Oman. Omani adults aged 18 years and above attending LHCs during the study period were invited to participate in the study. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 22) was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 999 participants completed the CAM questionnaire from 1200 invitations (response rate = 83%). The overall recognition of common cancer symptoms was less than 50% except for an unexplained lump/swelling, which was 71%. Multinomial logistic regression showed that women recognized more cancer symptoms than men (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27-2.51), that more highly educated participations recognized more cancer symptoms than less educated participants (OR = 39; 95% CI: 0.23-0.69). The majority of participants (91.2%) agreed that the right time to seek medical help for possible cancer symptom was within 2 weeks. Multinomial logistic regression showed that women rather than men were more likely to perceive barriers to seeking medical help (OR = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.60-2.76). Also the less educated participants, rather than more educated, were more likely to perceive barriers to seeking medical help (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.16-4.05). CONCLUSION: Levels of awareness of cancer symptoms are low in Oman. More national CAMs are needed in Oman to increase public knowledge of cancer symptoms. Also, more public awareness is needed to overcome the barriers to seeking timely medical help particularly among groups of women and the unmarried, widowed, divorced, or separated if delays in presentation are to be minimized.

Public awareness of warning signs and symptoms of cancer in oman: a community-based survey of adults.

BACKGROUND: The majority of deaths from cancer occur in low and middle income countries, partly due to poor public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community based survey using the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) questionnaire was conducted in three different communities in Oman. Omani adults aged 18 years and above were invited to participate in the study. RESULTS: A total of 345 responded from 450 invited participants (response rate=76.7%). The majority of respondents were unable to identify the common signs and symptoms of cancer identified in the CAM (average awareness was 40.6%). The most emotional barrier to seeking help was worry about what the doctor might find (223, 64.6%); a practical barrier was too busy to make an appointment (259, 75.1%) and a service barrier was difficulty talking to the doctor (159, 46.1%). The majority of respondents (more than 60% for seven out of ten symptoms) would seek medical help in two weeks for most signs or symptoms of cancer. Females were significantly more likely than males to be embarrassed (p<0.001), scared (p=0.001), and lack confidence talking about their symptoms (p=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Urgent strategies are needed to improve public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in Oman. This might leads to earlier diagnosis, improved prognosis and reduced mortality from cancer.

Coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer among Omani women.

The aim of this study was to identify coping strategies experienced by Omani women after breast cancer diagnosis. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 19 women diagnosed with breast cancer. Several coping strategies were identified including denial, optimism, withdrawal, Islamic beliefs and practices, and the support of family members and health-care providers, but Islamic beliefs and practices were the commonest. Health-care professionals should be aware of and respect women's coping strategies and encourage them to use to reduce the psychological symptoms. They should also make family members and friends aware of their role in supporting and encouraging coping strategies.

Psychosocial impact of breast cancer diagnosis among omani women.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore different psychosocial impacts on Omani women diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 19 Omani women diagnosed with breast cancer to describe the impact of the disease on their personal and social life. Women were recruited from wards and out-patient clinics at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged. These were: a) factors related to psychological distress of the disease and uncertainty (worry of death, interference with work and family responsibilities, searching for hope/cure, travelling overseas); b) reactions of family members (shocked, saddened, unity, pressure to seek traditional treatments); c) views of society (sympathy, isolation, reluctant to disclose information); and d) worries and threats about the future (side effects of chemotherapy, spread of the disease, effect on offspring). CONCLUSION: Breast cancer diagnosis has several devastating psychosocial impacts on women in Oman. Healthcare professionals working with women with breast cancer should be aware of the different psychosocial impacts of the disease on women's lives. Appropriate measures must be taken by the decision makers whenever needed, including enforcing positive views and support of Oman's society towards women with breast cancer.

Coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer-literature review and implications for developing countries.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women worldwide. Women are at an increased risk of developing both physical and psychological morbidity after diagnosis; however, many use different strategies to cope with the disease. The aim of this article is to review the available literature on the impact of breast cancer diagnoses and the strategies used by women to cope with this disease. The implications of these emerging findings are extrapolated within the context of health services provided in developing countries. Electronic databases were used to search the relevant literature. The findings showed that women who were diagnosed with breast cancer are at risk of developing several psychological morbidities such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, negative thoughts, suicidal thoughts, fear of dying, sense of aloneness, sexual and body images problems, as well as an overall decrease in the quality of life. Several strategies are used by women with breast cancer to cope with the disease, including positive cognitive restructuring, wishful thinking, emotional expression, disease acceptance, increased religious practice, family and social support, and yoga and exercise. Breast cancer diagnoses have been associated with several devastating psychological consequences; however, many women have used different coping strategies to adjust their lives accordingly. Healthcare professionals in developing countries, who work with women with breast cancer, should be aware of the different coping mechanisms that women use when diagnosed with cancer. Integrating a coping strategy into the treatment regimen would constitute an important milestone in the palliative care of patients with breast cancer.