A Telephone-Based Tobacco Cessation Program in the State of Qatar: Protocol of a Feasibility Study.

In Qatar, tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death and disease. Telephone-based interventions for smoking are cost-effective and scalable interventions that are effective in promoting smoking behavior change. While many countries have implemented these services within their tobacco control programs, there is a distinct dearth of a telephone-based smoking cessation intervention that is adapted and tailored to meet the needs of people who smoke in Qatar.

The effect of vitamin D supplementation on the glycemic control of pre-diabetic Qatari patients in a randomized control trial.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with indicators of pre-diabetes including, insulin resistance, β-cell dysfunction and elevated plasma glucose with controversial findings from current trials. This study aims to investigate the long-term effect of vitamin D on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in pre-diabetic and highly vitamin-deficient subjects.

Methods: One hundred thirty-two participants were randomized to 30,000 IU vitamin D weekly for 6 months.

A birth cohort study in the Middle East: the Qatari birth cohort study (QBiC) phase I.

Background: The latest scientific reports raise concerns about the rapidly increasing burden of chronic diseases in the state of Qatar. Pregnant Qatari women often confront complications during pregnancy including gestational diabetes, hypertension, abortion and stillbirth. The investigation of early life environmental, genetic, nutritional and social factors that may affect lifelong health is of great importance.

Study protocol: Mother and Infant Nutritional Assessment (MINA) cohort study in Qatar and Lebanon.

Background: The Middle East and North Africa region harbors significant proportions of stunting and wasting coupled with surging rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Recent evidence identified nutrition during the first 1000 days of life as a common denominator not only for optimal growth but also for curbing the risk of NCDs later in life. The main objective of this manuscript is to describe the protocol of the first cohort in the region to investigate the association of nutrition imbalances early in life with birth outcomes, growth patterns, as well as early determinants of non-communicable diseases.