Intimate partner violence among Arab women before and during the COVID-19 lockdown.

INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a serious human rights violation and an important health concern during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to estimate the proportion of IPV among adult Arab women before and during the COVID-19 lockdown and to identify its possible predictors during the lockdown. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2020 using an online questionnaire. The sample included 490 adult Arab women aged 18 years and above, who live with their husbands. Data was collected using a Google forms designed questionnaire that included the socio-demographic characteristics, nature of lockdown, and exposure to different types of IPV before and during COVID-19 lockdown and the frequency of their occurrence. McNemar's test was used to determine differences in the exposure to IPV before and during the lockdown, while logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of exposure to IPV during the lockdown. RESULTS: Half of women reported that they were ever exposed to IPV with psychological violence ranking 1st. Exposure to any type of IPV and exposure to psychological, physical, and sexual violence have significantly increased during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. The frequency of exposure to the different types of IPV ranged from 1-3 times per month to almost every day, but the most commonly reported was 1-3 times per month. Predictors of exposure to IPV during the COVID-19 lockdown included country of residence, family income, and whether the husband lost his job during lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: IPV has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the Arab countries, and it was associated with the socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic on families. Actions towards raising awareness about the problem among professionals and the community, early detection, and provision of appropriate services are mandatory.

Psychosocial profile of institutionalised street children in Alexandria, Egypt: a comparative study with school children.

OBJECTIVE: The phenomenon of street children in Egypt constitutes a public health concern. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of institutionalised street children in Alexandria, to compare the prevalence of substance abuse and conduct disorder between street children and school children, and to identify predictors of these mental health outcomes among street children. METHODS: Institutionalised street children (n = 102) participated in a cross-sectional comparative study with a matched group of school children (n = 156). An interviewing questionnaire was used to assess demographic characteristics and substance use. Conduct disorder was measured using the Revised Ontario Child Health study scale. RESULTS: Poverty, family breakdown, and domestic violence were the main reasons for street children having left home. Street children recorded significantly higher rates of substance use (9.8%) and conduct disorder (35.3%) compared to school children. In street children, smoking was a significant predictor of substance use and conduct disorder. Other predictors of conduct disorder included physical illness and having 5 to 7 siblings. CONCLUSION: Substance abuse and conduct disorder were present among institutionalised street children at higher rates than school children. Absence of basic life needs and disrupted families constituted the main reasons for leaving home. Interventions at the governmental and non-governmental levels are needed.

The relationship between the BMI and the emotional status of Alexandria University students, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Although the relationship between obesity and depression has been researched extensively, the relation of the wide range of body-weight problems, as indicated by the BMI, to emotional health problems has received little attention. OBJECTIVES: To assess the rate of concomitant co-occurrence of emotional health and weight problems in Alexandria University students, and to investigate the relationship between their BMI and emotional status. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 842 university students (17-27 years), enrolled in four faculties of Alexandria University, Egypt, during the academic year 2012-2013. Participants of both sexes were interviewed to collect sociodemographic data. Weight and height were measured, and then the BMI was calculated and classified into underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese according to age-corresponding and sex-corresponding standards. The Arabic version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales was used to assess the emotional status of students. The curve of fit was used to test the statistical quadratic trend. RESULTS: Co-occurrence of depression, anxiety, or stress with any weight problem was prevalent among 7.4, 6.7, and 9.6% of the students, respectively. Obese and underweight students recorded higher rates of emotional problems compared with normal and overweight students, revealing a U-shaped relationship between the BMI and emotional states (R=0.01). This relationship was significant only for anxiety and stress (P<0.05). A significant relationship (P<0.05) was found with the three emotional states among male participants (R=0.02), but only for anxiety among female participants (R=0.01). After controlling for age and sex, only being underweight increased the risk of anxiety and stress (odds ratio=2.95, P<0.001 and odds ratio=2.18, P=0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Findings revealed a U-shaped relationship between the BMI and the emotional status of university students, where sex differences were evident. University preventive strategies and treatment services should address such alarming coexisting problems among youth.

Coping strategies of pregnant women following unexpected ultrasound results, Alexandria, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Receiving a diagnosis of a potential fetal anomaly causes severe stress to a pregnant woman. Little is known about the coping strategies used by these women, especially in Egypt. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the coping strategies used by women following unexpected findings in routine antenatal ultrasound scan in Alexandria, Egypt. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A mixed method (convergent parallel) quantitative and qualitative approach was used to target pregnant women at 20-32 weeks of gestation. The quantitative study included 93 women, whereas the qualitative one included a purposively chosen subsample of 30 women representing diverse diagnoses. A 10-item questionnaire was used in the quantitative part to assess active, avoidant, and negative coping strategies. In the qualitative part, coping was assessed by analyzing the transcripts of women's experiences. RESULTS: Although women used equal numbers of avoidant and active strategies (3.34±0.56 vs. 3.30±0.73, Z=0.273, P=0.78), the reported effectiveness of active strategies ranked higher than that of the avoidant ones (χ=54.64, P<0.001). Women with an education level up to high school or higher perceived high effectiveness of active and/or avoidant strategies compared with women with less education (χ=4.087, P<0.05). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Women concurrently used more than one coping strategy. The effectiveness of active strategies was higher than that of the avoidant ones. The educational level was the only factor associated with perceived high effectiveness of active and/or avoidant strategies. Helping future mothers acquire active coping skills through counseling sessions and support groups are recommended.

Efficacy of a psychosocial intervention for parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alexandria, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic disorder that carries an immense amount of suffering for its victims, their families, and communities. The efficacy of behavioral parent training in the treatment of ADHD has been supported in several studies. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a predesigned culturally sensitive psychosocial intervention program for parents of ADHD children in Alexandria, Egypt. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A pretest-post-test intervention study was carried out at the Child Mental Health Clinic for School Students affiliated to the Health Insurance Organization, Alexandria. The intervention aimed at improving parents' knowledge of ADHD, building their skills in effective parenting, stress management and problem-solving, as well as providing social support. All the participants (50 parents) were assigned to groups, each of five to eight parents. They received a total of eight sessions on a weekly basis. The program was evaluated immediately after completion and 2 months later using the Arabic Version of Conners' Rating Scale to identify ADHD and to assess its severity, Home Situations Questionnaire, Parenting Scale, the Arabic Version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), and parental ADHD-related knowledge questionnaire were used. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the mean total scores recorded by parents on Conners' Rating Scale (P<0.001), Home Situations Questionnaire (P<0.05), Parenting Scale (P<0.001), and DASS (P<0.001) immediately after program completion and 2 months later compared with that reported before program initiation. The total scores of participants on the ADHD-related knowledge questionnaire increased significantly after attending the program (P<0.001). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Provision of a psychosocial intervention program for parents of ADHD children proved to be effective in reducing perceived severity of the symptoms and problem situations, as well as improving parents' knowledge, discipline practices, and psychological well-being.