The use of formal language as a strong sign of verbal autistic children in diglossic communities: The case of Arabic.

The current study aimed to investigate whether the use of formal language (Modern Standard Arabic [MSA]) by young children in diglossic Arab communities offers diagnostic insights, especially for verbal autistic children and to further explore this phenomenon. We used a cohort study design, with 4-6-year-old fluent first language Arabic-speaking children attending Arabic Kindergartens in two representative Kuwait governates. Reported cases for MSA use were assessed via a computer-based structured language test and corroborated cases were further assessed for exposure to sources of MSA, verbal IQ, temperamental characteristics, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Prevalence of and factors associated with self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law while driving among adults in Kuwait.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law and examined the factors associated with noncompliance with seatbelt-use while driving in adult working population in Kuwait.

Methods: During October 2017, 822 adults aged 21-60 years from 11 government ministries and departments were enrolled in this study. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured, and self-administered questionnaire.