Perceived Experiences and Needs of Digital Resources Among Postpartum Women in the United Arab Emirates: Qualitative Focus Group Study.

Background: The postpartum period is a critical phase in a woman's life, marked by various physical, psychological, and social challenges. In light of the rapid proliferation and uptake of digital technologies, particularly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), mothers increasingly seek informational and emotional support from digital resources. No previous study has thoroughly explored the usage of various digital resources beyond telehealth services in the UAE.

The perceived mental health experiences and needs of postpartum mothers living in the United Arab Emirates : A focus group study.

Background: After childbirth, mothers are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems including anxiety and depression, which often remain undetected and untreated. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), recent figures revealed a substantial prevalence of postpartum depression. However, postpartum mental health remains largely understudied in the country's clinical and research settings.

Disease severity-based subgrouping of type 2 diabetes does not parallel differences in quality of life: the Maastricht Study.

Aims/hypothesis: Type 2 diabetes is a highly heterogeneous disease for which new subgroups ('clusters') have been proposed based on disease severity: moderate age-related diabetes (MARD), moderate obesity-related diabetes (MOD), severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD) and severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD). It is unknown how disease severity is reflected in terms of quality of life in these clusters. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the cluster characteristics and cluster-wise evolution of quality of life in the previously defined clusters of type 2 diabetes.

Determinants of preventive sexual behaviours among first year university students in Beira city, central Mozambique: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Understanding determinants of preventive sexual behaviours is important for intervention efforts to support these behaviours and, thereby, reduce STIs and HIV burden. In general, there is limited insight into determinants of preventive behaviours among university students in Mozambique. Therefore, this study set out to assess both the prevalence and the determinants of condom use and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) service use in first year university students.

How to use machine learning and fuzzy cognitive maps to test hypothetical scenarios in health behavior change interventions: a case study on fruit intake.

Background: Intervention planners use logic models to design evidence-based health behavior interventions. Logic models that capture the complexity of health behavior necessitate additional computational techniques to inform decisions with respect to the design of interventions.

Objective: Using empirical data from a real intervention, the present paper demonstrates how machine learning can be used together with fuzzy cognitive maps to assist in designing health behavior change interventions.

Maternal Health Care Service Utilization in the Post-Conflict Democratic Republic of Congo: An Analysis of Health Inequalities over Time.

This study assessed inequality in maternal healthcare service utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, using the Demographic and Health Surveys of 2007 and 2013-2014. We assessed the magnitude of inequality using logistical regressions, analyzed the distribution of inequality using the Gini coefficient and the Lorenz curve, and used the Wagstaff method to assess inequality trends. Women were less likely to have their first antenatal care visit within the first trimester and to attend more antenatal care visits when living in eastern Congo.

Basic Health Service Delivery to Vulnerable Populations in Post-Conflict Eastern Congo: Asset Mapping.

Populations in post-conflict settings often have increased healthcare needs, residing in settings where basic services needed to maintain good health may be non-existent or hard to access. Therefore, there is a need for better identification and reallocation of resources as part of the post-conflict health rehabilitation effort. Assets can be described as the collective resources that individuals and communities have at their disposal, which protect against adverse health outcomes and promote health status.

Patterns and Determinants of Weight Gain among People Who Use Drugs Undergoing Treatment for Recovery in Lebanon.

Substance use disorder compromises the nutritional status and the eating habits of drug users, often leading to malnutrition. Once referred for treatment, hyperphagia and poor lifestyle practices leading to weight gain are observed. This study aimed to examine the patterns and extent of weight change as well as the determinants of weight gain in a sample of drug users who were receiving treatment in Lebanon.

Changes in structure and function of social networks of independently living middle-aged and older adults in diverse sociodemographic subgroups during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study.

Background: Social networks, i.e., all social relationships that people have, contribute to well-being and health.

Evaluation of a Sexual Transmitted Infection Prevention Program Among University Students in Beira City Central Mozambique: A Study Protocol.

Unhealthy sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sexual intercourse and lack of using screening services increase cyclical transmission of sexually transmitted infections including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), especially among young adults. Hence health promotion programs can contribute to reduce the consequences, by changing (determinants of) these behaviors. Such interventions need to embrace a comprehensive approach and apply theory-and evidence-based methods.

FCMpy: a python module for constructing and analyzing fuzzy cognitive maps.

FCMpy is an open-source Python module for building and analyzing Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs). The module provides tools for end-to-end projects involving FCMs. It is able to derive fuzzy causal weights from qualitative data or simulating the system behavior.

Prevalence and risk factors of postpartum depression among women living in the United Arab Emirates.

Purpose: Postpartum depression received almost no attention in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The aim was to examine the prevalence of depressive symptomatology and the associated risk factors among women in the UAE.

Methods: A prospective cohort study recruited women from postpartum wards in hospitals across four emirates in the UAE.

Neck Circumference as a Screening Tool for Metabolic Syndrome among Lebanese College Students.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of symptoms that, when present, increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. There is a need for reliable screening tools that are ethnically sensitive. Two hundred and sixty-six college students were assessed anthropometrically.

Health inequalities in post-conflict settings: A systematic review.

Conflict can be a primary driver of health inequalities, but its impact on the distribution of social determinants of health is not very well documented. Also, there is limited evidence on the most suitable approaches aiming at addressing health inequalities in post-conflict settings. Thus, we undertook a systematic review of the literature concerning the current knowledge and knowledge gaps about structural determinants of health inequalities and assessed the effects of approaches aimed at addressing health inequalities in post-conflict settings.

Tunneling a crosstown highway: a natural experiment testing the longitudinal effect on physical activity and active transport.

Background: In the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands, a highway crossing several deprived neighborhoods was tunneled in 2016. The vacant space on top of this tunnel was redesigned and prioritized for pedestrians and cyclists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of this major infrastructural change, named the Green Carpet, on total and transport-based physical activity (PA) levels.

Nutritional parameters and lifestyle practices of people who use drugs undergoing treatment for recovery in Lebanon: a descriptive study.

Drug use disorder is a major public health problem. Once people who use drugs (PWUD) are referred to treatment, addressing their lifestyle practices and improving their quality of life improves treatment outcomes. The present study assessed the nutritional status and lifestyle practices among PWUD undergoing treatment for recovery in Lebanon.

People who use drugs in rehabilitation, from chaos to discipline: Advantages and pitfalls: A qualitative study.

Evidence-based models emphasizing on lifestyle behaviours for the treatment of drug use is still in its infancy. The development of multicomponent effective drug use intervention programs as part of health promotion is crucial to decrease risk of relapse. This study aims at exploring the lifestyle practices including dietary intake, physical activity and sleep of people who use drugs undergoing residential rehabilitation treatment in Lebanon with its perceived benefits and pitfalls.

The effectiveness of telemedicine interventions, delivered exclusively during the postnatal period, on postpartum depression in mothers without history or existing mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Postpartum depression, one of the most common forms of depression, is highly prevalent worldwide among women during childbirth. Despite available treatments for postpartum depression, numerous barriers hinder women to access care including time, financial constraints, and childcare concerns. Telemedicine interventions are suggested to be feasible to prevent and improve postpartum depression.

The role of knowledge, risk perceptions, and cues to action among Iranian women concerning cervical cancer and screening: a qualitative exploration.

Background: Iran has a low incidence but higher rate of death from cervical cancer (CC). The country is in the process of implementing an organized screening program including HPV testing and cytology. Studies show high dropout in continued testing among eligible women.

Nutritional status and eating habits of people who use drugs and/or are undergoing treatment for recovery: a narrative review.

A comprehensive overview is presented of the nutritional issues faced by people who use drugs or are undergoing treatment for recovery. Chronic substance use affects a person's nutritional status and body composition through decreased intake, nutrient absorption, and dysregulation of hormones that alter the mechanisms of satiety and food intake. Anthropometrics alone is not the best indicator of nutritional status, because this population has hidden deficiencies and disturbed metabolic parameters.

Beyond the ticked box: organ donation decision-making under different registration systems.

Objective: To explore how people experience organ donation decision-making under the conditions of an opt-in, opt-out or no-objection registration system.

Design: A between-subjects experimental 3 × 2 design (registration system x preselection). Participants ( = 1312) were presented with a description of one of the three registration systems and went through a mock donor registration process.

Towards a better understanding of factors affecting smoking uptake among Saudi male adolescents: A qualitative study.

Introduction: An increased smoking uptake by Saudi male adolescents and a lack of data about its determinants emphasize the need for a better understanding of factors leading to the onset of smoking and identifying ways to prevent it. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore adolescents' views on smoking and their opinions about a smoking prevention program.

Methods: A total of 103 school-going adolescents, aged 12-16 years, were purposely selected from grades seven, eight and nine from nine schools in Taif in Saudi Arabia.

Implementation of an interactive organ donation education program for Dutch lower-educated students: a process evaluation.

Background: As organ donation registration rates remain low, especially among lower-educated people, it is important to support this group in making their registration decision. To prepare lower-educated students in the Netherlands for making a well-informed decision, an interactive educational program was developed. We aim to understand both the (quality of) implementation as well as to contextualize the effects of this program in a lower-educated school setting.

Factors associated with smoking initiation among Saudi male adolescents: A longitudinal study.

Introduction: Knowing country-specific predictors of smoking behaviour for adolescents is crucial for successful smoking prevention programs. This study aims to assess demographic and socio-cognitive variables related to smoking initiation among Saudi male adolescents.

Methods: Longitudinal data were collected at T1 (baseline) and at T2 (followup at 6 months) using a self-administered questionnaire.