Seventh TEPHINET Global Scientific Conference in Amman, Jordan, November 2012.

The Jordanian Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) hosted the Seventh Global Scientific Conference of the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET) in Jordan in November 2012. This was the first time this Conference was held in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Conference theme was "communicable and noncommunicable diseases: public health challenges and successes". Over 400 participants including field epidemiology training program residents, graduates and public health officials from 66 countries attended the Conference as well as 187 people from 57 countries who attended the conference sessions on line. The programme included 121 oral and 130 poster presentations in addition to 5 pre-conference workshops and 9 roundtable discussions. All sessions were recorded and virtually broadcasted and made available on line. The Conference succeeded in creating opportunities for dialogue between residents and graduates of field epidemiology training programmes and public health stakeholders across the region and the globe.

Mass gathering in Aqaba, Jordan, during Eid AI Adha, 2010.

During the 5-day Eid Al Adha holiday, Aqaba is the site of one of the largest mass gatherings in Jordan. Public health concerns during this holiday included: food- and waterborne diseases, drowning, injuries by marine creatures, road traffic crashes, and pressure on emergency departments at hospitals. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Aqaba during the period 16-20 November 2010 and aimed to identify and prioritize the major public health risks and to overview the preparedness plans of the Health Directorate during previous Eid events in Aqaba. All related stakeholders participated in the study. An exploratory visit to Aqaba was made and an introductory workshop was conducted for participants. Relevant data were collected and compared with the figures for the week prior to the event. No food poisoning outbreaks were reported during the event. There was a 23% increase in emergency department attendance, a 33% increase in hospital admissions, and road traffic crashes increased by more than 300%. More males were affected than females.

Overweight and obesity among Jordanian women and their social determinants.

This study aimed to explore the social determinants associated with obesity among Jordanian women using the national data from the Jordan Population and Family Health Survey 2009. We found the overall prevalence of overweight was 30% and obesity was 38.8% among Jordanian women aged 15-49 years. Results of multivariate analysis showed that age; residing in the south region of Jordan, marriage at an early age, parity, wealth status and smoking were statistically significant predictors of overweight and obesity among women in Jordan. Our results show that there is an urgent need to implement health programmes to prevent and control overweight and obesity at the national level. Social determinants should be taking into consideration in designing. and implementing these programmes.

Seventh TEPHINET Global Scientific Conference in Amman, Jordan, November 2012

The Jordanian Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] hosted the Seventh Global Scientific Conference of the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network [TEPHINET] in Jordan in November 2012. This was the first time this Conference was held in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Conference theme was [communicable and noncommunicable diseases: public health challenges and successes]. Over 400 participants including field epidemiology training program residents, graduates and public health officials from 66 countries attended the Conference as well as 187 people from 57 countries who attended the conference sessions on line. The programme included 121 oral and 130 poster presentations in addition to 5 pre-conference workshops and 9 roundtable discussions. All sessions were recorded and virtually broadcasted and made available on line. The Conference succeeded in creating opportunities for dialogue between residents and graduates of field epidemiology training programmes and public health stakeholders across the region and the globe

Highlights and conclusions from the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) conference 2011.

As a follow up of a short communication that the Eastern Mediterranean Health journal published in December 2011, this article reports on highlights and conclusions from scientific abstracts, methodology workshops and plenary sessions that were presented as part of the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) conference held from 6 to 9 December 2011 in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt.

Highlights and conclusions from the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] Conference 2011

As a follow up of a short communication that the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal published in December 2011, this article reports on highlights and conclusions from scientific abstracts, methodology workshops and plenary sessions that were presented as part of the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] conference held from 6 to 9 December 2011 in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt

Networking for applied field epidemiology - Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) Conference 2011.

On the occasion of the second Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) conference that was held from 6-9 December 2011 in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt, this article introduces EMPHNET and its role to link Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETP) in the region. The paper briefly describes the changing epidemiology situation in the region to illustrate the urgent need to strengthen public health systems and to build up the epidemiologist workforce.

Networking for applied field epidemiology- Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] Conference 2011

On the occasion of the second Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] conference that was held from 6-9 December 2011 in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt, this article introduces EMPHNET and its role to link Field Epidemiology Training Programs [FETP] in the region. The paper briefly describes the changing epidemiology situation in the region to illustrate the urgent need to strength`en public health systems and to build up the epidemiologist workforce

Epidemiology of breast cancer in women in Jordan: patient characteristics and survival analysis.

The 5-year survival rate of female breast cancer cases in Jordan and some of the factors that affected survival were measured. All Jordanian women newly diagnosed with breast cancer during 1997-98 were included. Data were obtained retrospectively from the Jordan Cancer Registry and hospital records. Of 838 women included, half were diagnosed between the ages 40 and 59 years. The overall Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival rate was 59.3%. Stage, laterality and grade had a significant effect on survival rate. However, Cox proportional regression showed that tumour stage was the only factor that significantly influenced survival analysis after controlling for other factors. Further studies are needed to confirm the results and to ensure the inclusion of other factors.

Epidemiology of breast cancer in women in Jordan: patient characteristics and survival analysis

The 5-year survival rate of female breast cancer cases in Jordan and some of the factors that affected survival were measured. All Jordanian women newly diagnosed with breast cancer during 1997-98 were included. Data were obtained retrospectively from the Jordan Cancer Registry and hospital records. Of 838 women included, half were diagnosed between the ages 40 and 59 years. The overall Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival rate was 59.3%. Stage, laterality and grade had a significant effect on survival rate. However, Cox proportional regression showed that tumour stage was the only factor that significantly influenced survival analysis after controlling for other factors. Further studies are needed to confirm the results and to ensure the inclusion of other factors

Trends in the prevalence and determinants of caesarean section delivery in Jordan: evidence from three demographic and health surveys, 1990--2002.

This paper explores recent levels and trends in the prevalence of Caesarean section (C-section) delivery in Jordan during the period 1990--2002 and examines the impact of socio-demographic, healthcare and spatial characteristics on C-sections there. The study used three national data sets from the Jordan Demographic and Health Survey (JDHS) program conducted in 1990, 1997 and 2002. The JDHS surveys were based on large, nationally representative samples of 16,296, 7335 and 7825 households. Rates of C-section delivery were calculated based on the last birth for each woman delivering in hospitals. Associations between C-section delivery and selected covariates were estimated using Chi2 tests and odds ratios from binary logistic regression models. Hospital-based C-sections increased consistently, from 8.5% in 1990, to 12.9% in 1997, to 17.8% in 2002. The rate of increase in C-section delivery was slightly higher in private hospitals than in public ones. Multiple births, child birth weight, old age at birth and antenatal visits were important determinants of C-section. Place of residence and place of delivery were not consistently associated with C-section. Unexpectedly, mother's education was also not associated with Caesarean section. The final model, based on the three merged data sets, showed a strong association between year of the survey and C-section, reflecting the substantial increase in C-section rates over time. Also, the odds ratio of C-section from multiple births was significantly higher in 2002 compared with 1990. Halting the increase in C-section deliveries, especially in private hospitals, should become a priority for health professionals and policy makers in Jordan. Further in-depth studies are needed, however, to better monitor and analyze changes in C-section rates for identifying ways to reduce the prevalence of this surgical procedure.