scholarly journals Trends, wealth inequalities and the role of the private sector in caesarean section in the Middle East and North Africa: A repeat cross-sectional analysis of population-based surveys

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259791
Author(s):  
Stephen J. McCall ◽  
Aline Semaan ◽  
Noon Altijani ◽  
Charles Opondo ◽  
Mohamed Abdel-Fattah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Cross Sectional

Objective To examine trends and variations of caesarean section by economic status and type of healthcare facility in Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Methods Secondary data analysis of nationally representative household surveys conducted between 2008–2020 across nine Arab countries in the MENA region. The study population was women aged 15–49 years with a live birth in the two years preceding the survey. Temporal changes in the proportion of deliveries by caesarean section in each country were calculated using generalised linear models and presented as risk differences (RD) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Caesarean section was disaggregated by household wealth index and type of healthcare facility. Results Use of caesarean section ranged from 57.3% (95%CI:55.6–59.1%) in Egypt to 5.7% of births (95%CI:4.9–6.6%) in Yemen. Overall, the use of caesarean section has increased across the MENA region, except in Jordan, where there was no evidence of change (RD -2.3 (95%CI: -6.0 ‒1.4)). Across most countries, caesarean section use was highest in the richest quintile compared to the poorest quintile, for example, 42.8% (95%CI:38.0–47.6%) vs. 22.6% (95%CI:19.6–25.9%) in Iraq, respectively. Proportion of caesarean section was higher in private sector facilities compared to public sector: 21.8% (95%CI:18.2–25.9%) vs. 15.7% (95%CI:13.3–18.4%) in Yemen, respectively. Conclusion Variations in caesarean section exist within and between Arab countries, and it was more commonly used amongst the richest quintiles and in private healthcare facilities. The private sector has a prominent role in observed trends. Urgent policies and interventions are required to address non-medically indicated intervention.

scholarly journals Trends, wealth inequalities and the role of the private sector in caesarean section in the Middle East and North Africa: a repeat cross-sectional analysis of population-based surveys

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen McCall ◽  
Aline T. Semaan ◽  
Noon Altijani ◽  
Charles Opondo ◽  
Mohamed Abdel-fattah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Cross Sectional

AbstractObjectiveTo examine trends and variations of caesarean section by economic status and type of healthcare facility in Arab countries in Middle East and North Africa (MENA).MethodsSecondary data analysis of nationally representative household surveys across nine Arab countries in MENA. The study population was women aged 15-49 years with a live birth in the two years preceding the survey. Temporal changes in the use of caesarean section in each of the nine countries were calculated using generalised linear models and presented as risk differences(RD) with 95% confidence intervals(95%CI). Caesarean section was disaggregated against household wealth index and type of healthcare facility.ResultsUse of caesarean section ranged from 57.3% (95%CI:55.6–59.1%) in Egypt to 5.7% of births (95%CI:4.9–6.6%) in Yemen. Overall, the use of caesarean section has increased across the MENA region, except in Jordan, where there was no evidence of change (RD −2.3% (95%CI:-6.0–1.4%). Within all MENA countries, caesarean section use was highest in the richest quintile compared poorest quintile, for example, 43.8% (95%CI:38.0-47.6%) vs. 22.6% (95%CI:19.6-25.9%) in Iraq, respectively. Caesarean section was higher in private sector facilities compared to public sector: 21.8% (95%CI:18.2-25.9 %) vs. 15.7% (95%CI:13.3-18.4%) in Yemen, respectively.ConclusionVariations in caesarean section exist within and between Arab countries, and it was more commonly used amongst the richest quintiles and in private healthcare facilities. The private sector has a prominent role in the trends. Urgent policies and interventions are required to address non-medically indicated intervention.

CREDIT CYCLES IN COUNTRIES IN THE MENA REGION — DO THEY EXIST? DO THEY MATTER?

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 2050001
Author(s):  
LEILA AGHABARARI ◽  
AHMED ROSTOM
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Analysis ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Credit Growth ◽  
Credit Cycles

This paper estimates the private sector credit cycles for most of the oil-importing and oil-exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Credit cycles are the medium-term component in spectral analysis of real private sector credit growth. Besides, the paper estimates the credit cycles for several developed countries. The analysis finds substantial differences and rare similarities between credit cycles in the Middle East and North Africa and advanced countries. During 1964–2017, credit cycles in the Middle East and North Africa do not appear to be associated with GDP growth. They only explained a fraction of the growth in private sector credit, and they do not seem to be synchronized across oil-exporters and oil-importers.

scholarly journals Associated Factors of Caesarean Section in Ethiopia Using 2016 Demographic Health Survey Data; Community Based Cross Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abebaw Gedef Azene ◽  
Abiba Mihret Aragaw ◽  
Mihretie Gedefaw
Keyword(s):  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Multiple Pregnancy ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Survey Data

Abstract Objective:The rate of caesarean section is increasing in Ethiopia, recently. Identifying associated demographic health factors was the aim of this study.Results:More educated mothers were more delivering by C-section compared with those illiterate. Those mother having higher body mass index were more likely to deliver with caesarean section (p = 0.0001). C-section was increased when mothers go to elder (p = 0.0001). Maternal education, birth order, preceding birth interval, multiple pregnancy, maternal age and interaction effect BMI with household wealth index statistically significantly associated factors to increase the rate of C-section. Residence and region were community level factors to increase caesarean section.Therefore; community awareness creation towards C-section with its side effect is essential in Ethiopia.

Dementia caregiving in the Middle East and North Africa: A scoping review

2021 ◽  
pp. 136346152110364
Author(s):  
Tanya Kane ◽  
Suzanne H. Hammad ◽  
Nazmul Islam ◽  
Noor Al-Wattary ◽  
Justin Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Domestic Workers ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Burden Of Care ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Arab Muslim

Care for persons with dementia in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is undertaken predominantly by family members, domestic workers, and private nurses within the home. Domestic caregivers possess different understandings and varying degrees of knowledge of dementia that are influenced by complex socio-cultural and religious factors. With much of the burden falling on the shoulders of “invisible” caregivers, the role and needs of these individuals require deeper scrutiny. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the empirical studies published on caring for persons with dementia in Arab countries of the MENA region. Using a systematic review technique, searches were conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar using database-specific terms associated with caregiving, dementia, aging, and the MENA region. To ensure local and regional research was captured, hand searches of regional journals, reference lists of included articles, and Arabic databases Al-Manhal and e-Marefa were also searched. No date restrictions were imposed. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria and the following themes were identified: caregiving experiences and the burden of care; barriers to caregiving; and caregiver recommendations to improve care. Results demonstrate that studies about informal caregivers and dementia within Arab-Muslim populations are underrepresented in the research. This review highlights the paucity of literature on service users’ experiences and underscores the need for future research specific to dementia care within the Arab-Islamic sociocultural context. These trajectories are especially pertinent given the unprecedented aging demographics of the MENA populations.

scholarly journals Assessment of eating habits and lifestyle during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic in the Middle East and North Africa region: a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Leila Cheikh Ismail ◽  
Tareq M. Osaili ◽  
Maysm N. Mohamad ◽  
Amina Al Marzouqi ◽  
Amjad H. Jarrar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockdowns and strict social distancing measures. The aim of this study was to assess eating habits and lifestyle behaviours among residents of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study among adult residents of the MENA region was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms during April 2020. A total of 2970 participants from eighteen countries participated in the present study. During the pandemic, over 30 % reported weight gain, 6·2 % consumed five or more meals per d compared with 2·2 % before the pandemic (P < 0·001) and 48·8 % did not consume fruits on a daily basis. Moreover, 39·1 % did not engage in physical activity, and over 35 % spent more than 5 h/d on screens. A significant association between the frequency of training during the pandemic and the reported change in weight was found (P < 0·001). A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical and emotional exhaustion, irritability and tension either all the time or a large part of the time during the pandemic (P < 0·001). Although a high percentage of participants reported sleeping more hours per night during the pandemic, 63 % had sleep disturbances. The study highlights that the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity and psychological problems among adults in the MENA region.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Attempted Suicide in the Middle East and North Africa Region: The Mediating Role of Arab Culture and Religion

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Arab Culture ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Suicidal Attempts ◽  
Arab Societies

The general lack of awareness of mental health in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particularly within its Arab countries, accounts for limited mental health services and stigmatization of psychiatric conditions in the region. Suicide is a drastic consequence of mental health neglect. Suicidal attempts are one form of presentation to emergency departments (ED) in healthcare centers across the Arab countries in the MENA region. We collected data from various research studies in the region to narrate such presentations. This epidemiological country-by-country summary includes the characteristics of suicidal attempts in the Arab region, with a focus on methods, causes, and management of cases. The summary demonstrates that suicidal attempts in this part of the world share sociocultural and logistic grounds. The prominent archetypes of suicidal attempts are middle-aged Arab women ingesting poisonous substances secondary to familial or interpersonal stressors. We also link these presentations to the Arab culture and its associated beliefs, which at times can dictate privacy and stigmatization of mental health and suicide. Even though religion plays a role in mollifying suicidal attempts, it might exacerbate stigma regarding suicide among Arab societies. Lastly, we recommend management measures that enhance suicide risk detection in the ED and provide an ameliorated understanding of suicidal ideations and behaviors of patients in the Arab countries of the MENA region.

Transitions Within Queer North African Cinema

Screen Bodies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter S. Temple
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Film Festivals ◽  
Global Awareness ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
North African ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
African Cinema ◽  
Queer Cinema

In recent years, North African queer cinema has become increasingly visible both within and beyond Arabo-Orientale spaces. A number of critical factors have contributed to a global awareness of queer identities in contemporary Maghrebi cinema, including the dissemination of films through social media outlets and during international film festivals. Such tout contemporain representations of queer sexuality characterize a robust wave of films in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, inciting a new discourse on the condition of the marginalized traveler struggling to locate new forms of self and being—both at home and abroad.

scholarly journals Child Nutrition Among Circular Migrant Families Working in the Brick Kilns of Bihar, India (P10-052-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reshma Roshania ◽  
Rakesh Giri ◽  
Melissa Fox Young ◽  
G Sai Mala ◽  
Amy Webb Girard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immunization Coverage ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Nutrition Status ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Brick Kilns ◽  
Migrant Families

Abstract Objectives The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of child malnutrition and the determinants of nutrition status among circular migrant families working in the brick industry in Bihar, India, focusing on differences by origin. Methods We used a stratified, cluster sampling design consisting of a cross-sectional survey in 552 randomly selected brick kilns (clusters) throughout Bihar. Circular migration was defined as residence outside the home block for at least 60 days for employment plus at least one home return in the previous year. Per kiln, three circular migrant households with children 0–35 months of age were randomly selected. We collected kiln, household and child-level data including anthropometric measurements for each selected child (n = 1198). Descriptive, bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted in SAS. The primary outcomes were stunting (<-2 SD height-for-age z score) and wasting (<-2 SD weight-for-height z score). The primary exposure of interest was intrastate vs. interstate origin; covariates included household wealth index, parity of the mother, and child age and gender. Results Prevalence of stunting was lower among interstate migrants (47%) compared to intrastate migrants (55%, aOR: 0.66, 95%CI: 0.50–0.88). Wasting was higher among interstate migrants (43%) compared to intrastate migrants (34%, aOR:1.51, 95%CI: 1.17–1.94). Among children 6–23 months, 13% had a minimum acceptable diet; MAD was higher among interstate migrants (17%), compared to intrastate migrants (10%) (P = 0.014). Full immunization coverage among circular migrants was 39%, lower than the overall state (62%, NFHS IV). Open defecation was reported by over 90% of circular migrants. Conclusions Our results are likely to inform the ongoing policy discourse on circular migrants’ access to health and nutrition benefits. State of origin emerged as an important predictor of nutrition status, operating differently for acute and chronic malnutrition; we will further explore pathways of nutrition by origin in future analyses. Funding Sources Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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