Comparative analysis of the impact of cigarette taxation on consumption, revenue and mortality in Jordan.

Background: Tobacco taxes are a powerful tool for reducing tobacco consumption and a reliable source of revenue for government.

Aim: To investigate the potential efficacy of tobacco taxation strategies in Jordan in relation to their fiscal and health-related outcomes.

Methods: Using Tobacconomics, we conducted a comparative analysis of several taxation scenarios: maintaining the status quo; increasing both specific excise and tiered taxes; increasing tiered tax rates alone; and raising specific excise taxes only.

Impact of Multimedia Messaging Service Education and Exercise Social Support on Physical Activity Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: Social support is one of the interpersonal stimuli that define an individual's predisposition to engage in health-promoting behaviors and is considered a facilitator in improving health habits. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can benefit from educating supportive families and friends on self-care management including exercise behavior. Multimedia messaging service (MMS) could also be an effective method for delivering targeted educational interventions that focus on physical activity (PA).

Maturity Level of Digital Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Initiatives in Jordan and Palestine.

Background: While there is a rapid increase in digital health initiatives focusing on the processing of personal data for strengthening the delivery of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services in fragile settings, these are often unaccompanied at both the policy and operational levels with adequate legal and regulatory frameworks.

Objective: The main aim was to understand the maturity level of digital personal data initiatives for RMNCH services within fragile contexts. This aim was performed by choosing digital health initiatives from each country (two in Jordan and three in Palestine) based on RMNCH.

Duty to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Perceptions of Health Care Providers in Jordan.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess perceptions of duty to work among health care providers during the coronavirus disease 2019 response and to identify factors that may influence their perceptions.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from April 1, 2020, to April 20, 2020, using an online survey distributed to health care providers in Jordan. Descriptive statistics were used, as well as chi-square test for independence to assess relationships between variables.

Effectiveness of theory-based Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) on exercise benefits and barriers among patients with type 2 diabetes.

The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of multimedia messaging service (MMS) education on exercise benefits and barriers in patients with type 2 diabetes. A quasi-experimental, pretest-post-test design recruited 98 patients with type 2 diabetes. The intervention group received MMS education to improve perceived exercise benefits and decrease exercise barriers over two months, and the control group received routine care.

Effect of Multimedia Messaging Service on Exercise Self-efficacy in Diabetic Patients.

To increase patients' self-efficacy for initiation of physical activity, there is a need to include physical activity into patient education in clinic settings. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of multimedia messaging service (MMS) education on exercise self-efficacy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We used a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design to study 98 patients with T2DM.

Midwives and women's perspectives on family planning in Jordan: human rights, gender equity, decision-making and power dynamics.

Objectives: This study explored midwives' and Jordanian and Syrian women's perceptions towards family planning (FP) counseling and the process of FP decision making mechanism to provide evidence for expanding the access and improving the quality and utilization of FP services in Jordan.

Methods: Explorative qualitative study that purposively recruited 24 women for 4 focus group discussions (FDGs) and 17 midwives for in-depth interviews from two governorates in Jordan. The transcribed narratives were subjected to deductive content analysis.

Walk the Talk: The Transforming Journey of Facility-Based Death Review Committee from Stillbirths to Neonates.

Background: Facility-based death review committee (DRC) of neonatal deaths and stillbirths can encourage stakeholders to enhance the quality of care during the antenatal period and labour to improve birth outcomes. To understand the benefits and impact of the DRCs, this study was aimed at exploring the DRC members' perception about the role and benefits of the newly developed facility-based DRCs in five pilot hospitals in Jordan, to assess women empowerment, decision-making process, power dynamics, culture and genderism as contributing factors for deaths, and impact of COVID-19 lockdown on births.

Methods: A descriptive study of a qualitative design-using focus group discussions-was conducted after one year of establishing DRCs in 5 pilot large hospitals.

Gender-specific differences in plasma ferritin in adolescents smoking cigarettes versus waterpipe smoking: the Irbid-TRY Project.

Introduction: Ferritin has been implicated in body physiology and pathology. Smoking cigarettes (Cg) alters ferritin metabolism. Waterpipe (Wp) smoking has recently reemerged as a global epidemic and is linked to the most devastating diseases.

The Association Between Cognitive Medical Errors and Their Contributing Organizational and Individual Factors.

Background: Examining cognitive medical errors (MEs) and their contributing factors is vital in health systems research, as it provides baseline data that can be used to develop appropriate interventions to prevent and/or minimize errors. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive MEs and hospitals' organizational factors and the individual psychological and functional factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three main hospitals in Northern Jordan.

Levels of Trace Elements in Human Breast Milk in Jordan: a Comparison with Infant Formula Milk Powder.

Human breast milk and infant formula milk powder (IFMP) are the main nutritional sources for infants. In the literature, there is a lack of studies concerning levels of trace elements in human milk and IMP in Jordan. The aim of this research was the determination of levels of 24 trace elements in human breast milk from Jordanian mothers (n = 76) and IFMP from Jordanian market (n = 22).

Parental Smoking Behavior and Childhood Cancer: A Case-control Study.

In this paper, we examine the relationship between parental cigarette, waterpipe, or dual smoking behavior and the development of childhood cancer. We utilized a case-control design (200 in the case age- and sex-matched with 400 control group). The sample was selected from 3 main public hospitals in Jordan.

Sociocultural, political, and health system-related determinants of perinatal deaths in Jordan from the perspectives of health care providers: a qualitative study.

Background: Perinatal mortality is a fundamental indicator of the quality of the healthcare provided to women during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the healthcare provided to neonates in the first week of life. At the national level, determining the direct and indirect causes of these deaths is vital, as it will assist in tracking the quality of antenatal, natal and postnatal care and help to detect the areas for avoidance. This study aimed to identify the main determinants of perinatal deaths in Jordan from the perspectives of health care providers (HCPs).

Assent and consent in adolescent research: teachers' perspectives from a developing country.

Teachers play a vital role in facilitating research in schools. However, teachers' views of informed consent/assent for children participation in research in the Middle East have not been investigated. In this study, focus group interviews were conducted to understand high-school teachers' perspectives toward adolescent assents and consents.

Do modern family planning methods impact women's quality of life? Jordanian women's perspective.

Background: Although Jordan has made progress in meeting Family Planning (FP) needs in last decades, recently the use of FP methods has declined significantly. Women's personal experiences, knowledge, and perceptions of how a FP method might impact their quality of life (QoL) can influence FP decisions. However, a lack of comprehensive understanding of the impact of modern FP methods on women's QoL continues to exist among Jordanian couples.

Gender-Specific Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Differences in Adolescents Smoking Cigarettes, Waterpipes or Both.

The effect of concurrent cigarette and waterpipe (i.e. both) smoking on cardiovascular function is still a scarce, especially among adolescents.

Assent and consent in pediatric and adolescent research: school children's perspectives.

Background: School students' views and perceptions of informed parental consent and child assent about child participation in research in the Middle East are not known.

Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted to understand high school students' perspectives toward child and adolescent assents and consents in research including the importance of, and depth of information needed in consent and assent, and perception toward written vs verbal consent and assent.

Results: The majority of students agreed that it is necessary to take parental approval and that they would not participate in research if their parents refused.

Relationship between Peer Pressure and Risk of Eating Disorders among Adolescents in Jordan.

Background: The prevalence of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) have increased worldwide. It is estimated that about 31.6% of Jordanian adolescents developed DEB.

Serum VEGF Level Is Different in Adolescents Smoking Waterpipe versus Cigarettes: The Irbid TRY.

Waterpipe (Wp) use is associated with most devastating diseases and particularly popular among adolescents. Vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) is essential for generating new vessels. The effect of smoking tobacco on VEGF is controversial and unknown among adolescents.

Plasma and saliva levels of three metals in waterpipe smokers: a case control study.

In this case-control study, the influence of waterpipe tobacco smoking on the plasma and saliva levels of cadmium, lead and zinc was examined in participants who were waterpipe tobacco smokers (WS) or never-smokers (NS). The concentration of metals was higher in WS relative to NS. The mean (SEM) cadmium concentration in plasma was 3.

Evaluation of maternal and newborn health services in Jordan.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the maternal and newborn services in Jordanian hospitals to provide policymakers, health professionals, and researchers with a clear picture about the current status of maternal and newborn health services.

Methods: A total of 32 main hospitals that provide maternity services in Jordan were assessed. The study involved direct observations of these hospitals and interviews with basic health and hospital staff, with the purpose of assessing and evaluating the availability of various services for mothers and newborns, availability of resources, equipment and supplies, documentation and staff training, and provision of the health care services.