Baby walker injury, disability, and death in a high-income middle eastern country, as reported by siblings.

Background: Baby walkers (BWs) are frequent causes of infant injuries. Little research is reported from the Middle East and few population-based studies anywhere.

Methods: Using multistage random sampling in a city of the United Arab Emirates, 4 of 8 female Arab government high schools and 3 final-year classes each from science and arts tracks were selected.

Baby walker injury awareness among grade-12 girls in a high-prevalence Arab country in the Middle East.

Baby walkers (BWs) are a consumer product frequently associated with infant injuries. With little research in the Middle East and few population studies anywhere, female students in grade 12 in the United Arab Emirates were surveyed, assessing the prevalence of use, perceived safety, and interventions. The study population included grade-12 students in a large UAE city.

Vehicle occupant restraint systems impact on eye injuries: a review.

Vehicle occupant trauma to the eyes and associated facial structures has evolved rapidly in conjunction with safety-oriented vehicle design, including restraint systems. Trends vary worldwide with culture, personal factors, vehicle safety equipment, and the traffic environment-including physical, legislative, and enforcement. Wearing safety belts is essential to occupant protection.

Child and youth traffic-related injuries: use of a trauma registry to identify priorities for prevention in the United Arab Emirates.

Objective: Traffic-related injuries are the main cause of death during childhood and youth in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), use of safety restraints by citizens is uncommon, rollovers are frequent, and current legislation does not protect rear-seat occupants. Because little was known about the circumstances of hospitalizations for traffic injuries to guide prevention, a trauma registry was used to assess causes and determinants for traffic-related injuries during childhood and youth (<19 years) and its value for prevention.

Methods: One hundred ninety-three children and youth with traffic injuries were admitted for more than 24 h at surgical wards of the main trauma hospital in the Al-Ain region during a 36-month period (2003-2006).

Motorcycle-related injuries in the United Arab Emirates.

Objectives: To study the anatomical distribution, severity, outcome, and age by nationality of hospitalized motorcycle-related injured patients in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates so as to improve preventive measures.

Methods: All motorcycle riders involved in a road traffic collision and admitted to Al-Ain Hospital for more than 24 h or who died in hospital after arrival were studied. Patient data were retrieved from Al-Ain Hospital Trauma Registry.

Home and other nontraffic injuries among children and youth in a high-income Middle Eastern country: a trauma registry study.

A trauma registry in the United Arab Emirates was used to ascertain nontraffic injuries of 0- to 19-year-olds. The registry's value for prevention was assessed. A total of 292 children and youth with nontraffic injuries were admitted for >24 hours at surgical wards of the main trauma hospital in Al Ain region during 36 months in 2003-2006.

Carbon monoxide poisoning in the United Arab Emirates.

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is rare in the Arabian Peninsula and occurs almost exclusively during the winter months. Knowledge and perception of the hazards of carbon monoxide is limited. Migrant workers from warm climates appear particularly at risk.

Midwifery training in post-conflict Afghanistan: tensions between educational standards and rural community needs.

Objective: To compare the performance of students selected for midwifery education by three methods: community mobilization in rural Afghanistan, a regional examination by the Institute of Health Sciences (IHS), and the National University Entrance Examination (NUEE).

Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted in January 2009 on academic records of 178 midwives trained at the IHS in Herat, including 147 graduates from 2003-08 and the cohort of 31 final-semester students graduating in March 2009. An interview survey of the 31 final semester students was also conducted.

Occupational injury in the United Arab Emirates: epidemiology and prevention.

Background: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is developing rapidly, with many foreign construction, farm and industrial workers.

Aims: To assess the epidemiology of occupational injury hospitalizations using a trauma registry.

Methods: Surgical admissions from March 2003 to April 2005 were recorded in the registry at the main trauma hospital in Al Ain city (population 348,000).

Effects of a rapid peer-based HIV/AIDS educational intervention on knowledge and attitudes of high school students in a high-income Arab country.

Introduction: In response to low knowledge about HIV and intolerant attitudes toward persons living with HIV among Arab university students, a peer-based educational intervention was developed and impact evaluated on knowledge and attitudes of high school students in 2 of 4 main cities of United Arab Emirates.

Methods: Four small teams of final year medical students, 3 female and 1 male, were trained. Multistage random sampling selected 14 female and 5 male Arab schools, then 56 female and 14 male grade 12 classes in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.

Severe childhood burns in the Czech Republic: risk factors and prevention.

Objective: To assess risk factors for paediatric burn injuries in the Czech Republic and to suggest preventive measures.

Methods: This study included all children aged 0-16 years hospitalized during 1993-2000 at the Prague Burn Centre and data from the Czech Ministry of Health on national paediatric burn hospitalizations during 1996-2006. Personal, equipment and environmental risk factors were identified from hospital records.

Factors affecting anatomical region of injury, severity, and mortality for road trauma in a high-income developing country: lessons for prevention.

Objectives: To study the factors affecting anatomical region of injury, severity, and mortality among road users in United Arab Emirates so as to improve preventive measures.

Methods: Data of the Trauma Registry of Al Ain city were collected prospectively over 3 years (2003-2006) at the main trauma hospital. For traffic injuries, the following were assessed: gender, nationality, road user type, anatomical region(s) of injury, systolic blood pressure on admission, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), and mortality.

Strengthening public health medicine training for medical students: development and evaluation of a lifestyle curriculum.

Background: Lifestyle factors are major determinants for health and safety. Although many graduates lack interviewing and observational skills for prevention and student lifestyle often deteriorates during training, few medical schools teach comprehensive assessment of lifestyle, particularly in the context of the home environment.

Aims: A lifestyle curriculum was developed to teach basic causality and provide practical experience in assessing nutrition, exercise, safety, tobacco addiction, and food hygiene, together with generic skills in history taking, on-site observation, researching and presenting.

A study of the chemical composition of traditional eye cosmetics ("kohls") used in Qatar and Yemen.

This study looks at the chemical composition of traditional eye cosmetics ("kohls") used in Qatar and Yemen. Of especial interest was how many samples in each country contain the toxic element lead. In Qatar 19 observably different kohl samples were obtained, and in Yemen ten such samples obtained.

Prevalence and issues in non-use of safety belts and child restraints in a high-income developing country: lessons for the future.

Objective: In United Arab Emirates (UAE), a high-income developing country, safety belt (SB) legislation was implemented in 1998, covering only front-seated adults on highways outside cities. We assessed wearing of SBs after 5 years, together with use of safety restraints by rear passengers and children, perceptions about SBs, and use of tinted glass.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey in 2003-2004 in Al Ain, population 400,000 and the main desert city of UAE, used random sampling of petrol stations; about 80% of UAE's population is non-citizens.

Nosocomial HIV infection: epidemiology and prevention--a global perspective.

Because, globally, HIV is transmitted mainly by sexual practices and intravenous drug use and because of a long asymptomatic period, healthcare-associated HIV transmission receives little attention even though an estimated 5.4% of global HIV infections result from contaminated injections alone. It is an important personal issue for healthcare workers, especially those who work with unsafe equipment or have insufficient training.

Risk factors and prevention for spinal cord injury from diving in swimming pools and natural sites in Quebec, Canada: a 44-year study.

Background: Diving is the most frequent cause of spinal cord injury (SCI) from recreation and sport in Canada. This study was done to identify risk factors for SCI from diving in the province of Quebec.

Methods: An interview survey was done for a target population of 203 subjects with a SCI from diving treated in the two specialized rehabilitation centers in Quebec during 1961-2004.

Drowning in a high-income developing country in the Middle East: newspapers as an essential resource for injury surveillance.

Despite frequent media accounts of drownings in the United Arab Emirates, little was known about the epidemiology and prevention of such incidents. The research objective was to assess newspapers as a national source on incidence, activities, and risk factors for drowning in this high-income media-rich developing country where official sources do not include sufficient variables for injury prevention. The three main national English and six Arabic newspapers were assessed for electronic retrieval of incidents, which proved impractical; however, the largest English-language paper maintained a clipping file on drowning.

Epidemiology of geriatric trauma in United Arab Emirates.

The mechanisms and outcome of trauma in hospitalized elderly patients were studied. The data of Al-Ain Hospital Trauma Registry were prospectively collected over a period of 3 years (2003-2006). All elderly trauma-patients above 60 years who were admitted to surgical ward or who died on arrival were studied.

Break the silence: HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and educational needs among Arab university students in United Arab Emirates.

Purpose: In light of increasing spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Middle East, we assessed knowledge, attitudes, and educational needs of young people in United Arab Emirates (UAE), a modern and moderately conservative Islamic country.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey among randomly selected first-year, gender-segregated Arab students at the national university in Al Ain in 2005 was conducted using an adaptation of an anonymous self-administered World Health Organization questionnaire. Knowledge and attitudes were scored.

Fear of HIV infection and impact of training on the attitudes of surgical and emergency nurses toward inpatient HIV testing.

This study evaluates the association between the degree of fear of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and support for different HIV testing policies. A strong fear of acquiring HIV infection at work was widespread among a sample of 601 Polish surgical and emergency nurses. Most favored inappropriate HIV testing of all surgical patients and inpatients.