Chronic Pain, Comorbid Medical Conditions, and Associated Risk Factors in Kuwait: Gender and Nationality Differences.

Objective: Chronic pain is an international health problem that imposes enormous costs on societies around the world. There is good reason to suspect that chronic pain is a serious health issue in Kuwait and is associated with comorbid medical conditions like diabetes. The aim of this study is to examine the report of pain and incidence of medical comorbidities among a large convenience sample of patients treated at a private rehabilitation center in Kuwait and to examine differences in patient groups based on age, gender, and Kuwaiti nationality.

The Bone and Joint Decade (BJD) initiative: how did Kuwait perform?

Background: The World Health Organization proclaimed the period between 2000 and 2010 as the Bone and Joint Decade (BJD). The BJD initiative set out to raise awareness regarding increasing incidence of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the degree to which the BJD goals were met in Kuwait.

Seat-belt use still low in Kuwait: self-reported driving behaviours among adult drivers.

Kuwait mandated seat-belt use by drivers in 1976 and by front seat passengers in 1994. The study objectives were to identify and estimate current factors associated with seat-belt use and levels of potentially unsafe driving behaviours in Kuwait. In 2010, 741 adults were surveyed regarding driving habits and history.

Keeping our children safe in motor vehicles: knowledge, attitudes and practice among parents in Kuwait regarding child car safety.

Child safety restraints can reduce risk of death and decrease injury severity from road traffic crashes; however, knowledge about restraints and their use in Kuwait is limited. A cross-sectional, self-administered survey about child car safety was used among a convenience sample of parents of children aged 18 years or younger at five Kuwaiti university campuses. Of 552 respondents, over 44% have seated a child in the front seat and 41.

A SWOT analysis of the physiotherapy profession in Kuwait.

Background And Purpose: Since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, Kuwait has become one of the wealthiest countries in the world and one that has a highly socialized health-care system. This rapid growth and socio-economic development appears to have had a negative impact on the health of its people. As such, the profession of physiotherapy may be in a unique position to address this issue by providing health behaviour interventions and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with self-reported carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among office workers in Kuwait.

Background: The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is not well understood in many Arabian Peninsula countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with self-reported CTS in Kuwait.

Findings: A cross-sectional, self-administered survey of CTS-related symptoms was used in this study.

Exploring the meaning of childhood disability: perceptions of disability among mothers of children with disabilities (CWD) in Kuwait.

The purpose of this exploratory research was to examine perceptions of mothers with children with disabilities (CWD) in Kuwait in order to understand the meaning of disability from their perspective and to explore the extent to which such perceptions influence rehabilitative services that their children receive. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers of CWD receiving services at a large pediatric facility in Kuwait. Four themes emerged from the interviews: (1) mother's perceptions of disability, (2) mother's extended caregiver role, (3) religious beliefs as a coping strategy, and (4) perception of rehabilitation services.

Accessing timely rehabilitation services for a global aging society? Exploring the realities within Canada's universal health care system.

The proportion of older persons is increasing in developed and developing countries: this aging trend can be viewed as a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it represents remarkable successes regarding advances in health care; and on the other hand, it represents a considerable challenge for health systems to meet growing demand. A growing disequilibrium between supply and demand may be particularly challenging within publicly funding health systems that 'guarantee' services to eligible populations.

The precarious balance between 'supply' and 'demand' for health care: the increasing global demand for rehabilitation service for individuals living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is becoming a critical health concern that affects people living in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has been demonstrated to be a clinical and cost-effective approach to minimizing the effects of COPD. Despite global predictions of an increased incidence of COPD, there continues to be an important misalignment between the demand and the supply of PR services.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with low back pain among health care providers in a Kuwait hospital.

Study Design: A cross-sectional survey among health professionals working in a Kuwait hospital.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with low back pain (LBP).

Summary Of Background Data: The literature suggests that health professionals are exposed to occupational risk factors that predispose them to developing LBP.