Detrimental effects of variable work shifts on quality of sleep, general health and work performance.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the detrimental effects of working a varying pattern of 8-hour shifts on quality of sleep, general health and work performance.

Subjects And Methods: The Arabic version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)and 2 self-administered questionnaires were used to assess quality of sleep, work performance and general health in a sample of 200 males on a schedule of varying 8-hour shifts at the Kuwait Oil Company. A matched sample of an equal number of workers on a fixed daytime shift as a control group was enrolled in the study.

Olanzapine in the treatment of behavioral problems associated with autism: an open-label trial in Kuwait.

Objectives: To study the efficacy and safety of olanzapine for the treatment of children with autism associated with disruptive behavior problems.

Subjects And Methods: A prospective open-label trial was conducted on 40 male children (mean age 12.2 +/- 2.

Toxic trace elements in the hair of children with autism.

Excess or deficiency of natural trace elements has been implicated in the etiology of autism. This study explores whether concentration levels of toxic metals in the hair of children with autism significantly differ from those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. In-hair concentration levels of antimony, uranium, arsenic, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, lead and aluminum from 40 boys with autism and 40 healthy boys were determined by Perkin-Elmer mass spectrometry.

Coping with infertility among Kuwaiti women: cultural perspectives.

Background: Although previous studies conducted in western countries have reported that psychological factors are part of the experience of infertility, no study has assessed this relationship in Arab women.

Aims: To examine psychological distress among Kuwaiti women with infertility problems and explore the perceived causes of infertility.

Methods: An Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to examine the psychological status of 120 Kuwaiti infertile women and an age-matched sample of 125 healthy pregnant women as a control group.