Nasra Shah - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Nasra Shah
Medical Principles and Practice, 2019
Objective: Although in recent years the world has witnessed great advances in the medical field, ... more Objective: Although in recent years the world has witnessed great advances in the medical field, much ambiguity still surrounds the issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, with increasingly favorable attitudes among physicians around the world. In our study, we aimed to assess the attitudes of physicians in Kuwait towards different types of euthanasia and examine whether physicians’ frequent encounters with terminally ill patients were associated with their approval. Subjects and Methods: We conducted a cross- sectional study on 464 physicians employed in government hospitals (6 general and 3 specialty hospitals). A self-administered questionnaire adapted from previous studies was used. Results: Of the physicians in our study, 43.9% reported that the Ministry of Health should legalize euthanasia under certain restricted conditions. In addition, 29.1% of our population was willing to perform euthanasia. After controlling for several characteristics in logistic regression ...
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2017
Social Science & Medicine, 1995
The Arab, Muslim, oil-rich nation of Kuwait has achieved unusually high levels of knowledge and u... more The Arab, Muslim, oil-rich nation of Kuwait has achieved unusually high levels of knowledge and use of contraception for a developing, high fertility country. Almost all women know of contraceptive pills without prompting, and 57-86% report having ever used a method (usually the oral pill or IUD) in recent studies. Based on a survey of six randomly selected clinics the present study compares the knowledge and use levels of two major ethnic groups-the Beduins and non-Beduins. It also analyses preference for various contraceptive methods and probable reasons for this. While Census or Survey data do not provide information about the size of ethnic groups analyzed in this paper, it is estimated that at least one-third of the population of Kuwait is Beduin. There is a significant difference between the levels of knowledge and use of contraception between the Beduin and non-Beduin women; current use being 42% and 65%, respectively. The differentials between the two groups are particularly marked among women of lower socioeconomic status, and tend to reduce notably once variables such as education and income are controlled. Within the subgroup of non-Beduins, socioeconomic differences in contraceptive use have virtually disappeared; the illiterate and relatively less amuent women are as likely to use a contraceptive method as the university educated, and richer women. However, among the Beduins, the usually expected differences by socioeconomic characteristics still persist. The oral pill is the best known and most commonly used method. Male sterilization is the least known and not practiced at all. Despite the high level of contraceptive use, the total fertility rate is still around 6 per woman. Some of the sociocultural reasons for the lack of a fertility impact are the use of contraceptive methods for spacing rather than limitation purposes, and the persistently large ideal family size which is 7.0 among Beduins and 5.7 among non-Beduins. The latter is consistent with the country's goal to increase the percentage of Kuwaiti nationals who presently comprise less than half of the total population.
Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2010
A cross-sectional interview survey of 2,487 Kuwaiti individuals aged 50 and above was conducted t... more A cross-sectional interview survey of 2,487 Kuwaiti individuals aged 50 and above was conducted to identify the background factors and chronic diseases that exacerbate functional disability among older Kuwaitis. Functional disability was measured as physical ability, ability for self-care, and ability to perform daily routine activities. Association of sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, depressive symptoms, and five chronic illnesses with disability was analyzed. A quarter of respondents ( n = 607) reported to suffer from functional disability and 33% of them from severe disability. Logistic regression indicated that stroke, arthritis, and heart disease were positively associated with functional disability. Older age, unmarried status, non-Bedouin background, lower education, and lower income were significant positive correlates. Stroke was significantly associated with severe disability, as were older age, unmarried status, lower socioeconomic status (SES), higher depression leve...
International Family Planning Perspectives, 1998
International Migration Review, 1991
"A human capital framework is utilized to examine the economic progress of nine national... more "A human capital framework is utilized to examine the economic progress of nine nationality groups of foreign workers [in Kuwait] using data from the 1983 national Labor Survey. The sources of earnings' variations of particular interest to us included different degrees of education and experience transferability, occupational affiliation and ethnic background. In general, the results derived from the analysis suggest that 1) foreign workers achieve a discernible economic progress as their residence lengthens; 2) the rate of economic progress varies depending on worker's education, home and Kuwait-specific experience, occupational status and ethnic background; and 3) about one third of the earnings inequality is due to unexplained factors including discrimination."
International Migration Review, 1991
The author examines trends in the roles of immigrant Asian women workers in Kuwait, using data fr... more The author examines trends in the roles of immigrant Asian women workers in Kuwait, using data from published censuses and reports and from three national-level surveys conducted in 1977-1979, 1983, and 1986-1987. "The study deals separately with the two major types of migrants: the domestic servants and the clerical and professional (or semiprofessional) workers.... The policies of sending countries and of Kuwait are discussed to reach some conclusions about the likely future patterns of migration of Asian women workers to Kuwait."
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2001
Ž. Ž. Oral contraceptive pills OCPs are available over-the-counter OTC in Kuwait, and constitute ... more Ž. Ž. Oral contraceptive pills OCPs are available over-the-counter OTC in Kuwait, and constitute a leading method for spacing and limiting children. Data from a nationally representative survey of Kuwaiti women are used to examine OTC use of OCPs. One-fourth of the women initiated use without consulting a doctor, and 50% bought OCPs from the pharmacy. No socioeconomic or demographic differences were found between those who consulted a physician, implying that women of different background have similar accessibility to the physician. Using multivariate analysis, the odds of consulting a physician were found to be significantly lower for women who first bought OCPs directly from the commercial pharmacy. The duration of first time OCP use did not differ according to physician consultation. It is concluded that OTC availability of OCPs has many advantages and prevents unwanted pregnancy. However, there is a need for better packaging and instructions that would enable high-risk women to identify themselves and to use OCPs under physician supervision.
Medical Principles and Practice, 2000
Objectives: The attitudes of physicians in Kuwait towards euthanasia were examined. An additional... more Objectives: The attitudes of physicians in Kuwait towards euthanasia were examined. An additional objective was to examine whether physician characteristics such as nationality, qualifications, years of experience and/or religion affect their attitude toward euthanasia. A comparison was also made between the experience of physicians who generally treat terminally ill patients and those who generally treat non-terminally ill patients in terms of attitudes toward hastening death to alleviate suffering. Methods: A descriptive study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 228 physicians working in 5 selected government hospitals. The response was 92%. Results: Nearly 92% of all the respondents did not support the provision of means for terminally ill patients to commit suicide while 8% did. A majority favored providing pain killers and comfort even if this hastens the patient’s death. About 20% of the physicians felt that the Ministry of Health should allow euthanasi...
Medical Principles and Practice, 1994
This paper analyzes whether patients visiting the Medical Emergency Rooms (ERs) perceive their ge... more This paper analyzes whether patients visiting the Medical Emergency Rooms (ERs) perceive their general health to have deteriorated, improved or stayed the same one year before the Iraqi occupation and one year after the liberation. The paper also examines the impact of such perceptions on the utilization of an ER. Data were collected by means of a survey of the
Annals of Saudi Medicine, 1999
World Health & Population, 2013
Social Science & Medicine, 2000
The aim of this paper was to investigate whether socioeconomic factors such as parent&amp... more The aim of this paper was to investigate whether socioeconomic factors such as parent's education, occupation, and income constitute risk factors in perinatal mortality after controlling for biological variables such as birth weight and length of gestation, and maternal factors such as age, parity and reproductive history. A case-control study covering all perinatal deaths in Kuwait was conducted for one year from 1 October, 1997 to 30 September, 1998. Each case (perinatal death) was matched with a control (live birth). Matching criteria were: father's nationality, place, and date of birth. Information was successfully collected on 463 matched pairs, 274 Kuwaitis and 189 non-Kuwaitis. Only singleton births were included in the analysis. Bivariate analysis showed that several of the socioeconomic variables (e.g. lower education, lower income) increased the risk of a perinatal death. However, none of these variables remained significant in the multivariate analysis in which birth weight and length of gestation emerged as the two major determinants of perinatal deaths among both nationality groups. Among the Kuwaitis, primiparity and high parity, and previous history of miscarriage were also significant risk factors. Among the non-Kuwaitis, none of the socioeconomic factors, or the maternal factors, were significant predictors of perinatal mortality. For Kuwaitis, it appears that the government's policies and programs aimed at reducing social inequalities in the society have been effective in eliminating perinatal mortality differences between socioeconomic groups. Among non-Kuwaitis, the lack of differences is reflective of the fact that this group is relatively homogenous and selective of the more affluent who can bring the family to Kuwait. Both nationality groups benefit from the government's free health services. However, charges for non-Kuwaitis are due to be levied soon which may increase disparities in access to health care.
Social Science & Medicine, 1996
Utilization of the emergency rooms (ERs) in Kuwait has increased considerably during the last dec... more Utilization of the emergency rooms (ERs) in Kuwait has increased considerably during the last decade. Such an increase is a concern for health planners because of the burden on ER services, lack of continuous service provided by the ER and the higher cost of such services. Based on a study of 2011 patients attending the medical ERs in the six government hospitals in early 1993, the predictors of non-urgent utilization were analyzed. Patients were asked about their reasons for visiting the ER rather than the primary health care (PHC) centre. Both patients and doctors were asked to rate the urgency of the visit. According to the doctors" judgment, 61% of the visits were for non-urgent problems that did not require emergency care, while 23% of the patients viewed their visits to be non-urgent. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that perceived urgency of the visit was the most important predictor of a non-urgent visit to the ER, after controlling for several predisposing and enabling factors. Patients who perceived their visit to the ER to be non-urgent were about four times more likely to visit the ER for a non-urgent condition as judged by the doctor. The level of education had a significant, positive effect on non-urgent utilization among both Kuwaiti nationals and expatriates. Several factors may explain the above finding. Employment of educated persons in the hospital was one route through which education facilitated ER use. It is also likely that educated persons had more influential contacts or wasta in the hospital. Also, the less educated might have delayed seeking care while the educated consulted for non-urgent reasons as soon as they noticed the symptoms. Like education, the level of non-urgent utilization was higher among Kuwaiti nationals with higher incomes. Thus, a higher social class seems to facilitate ER use for non-urgent reasons. Among the non-Kuwaitis, lack of registration at the PHC centre was a significant reason for non-urgent use of the ER. It is recommended that hurdles in the utilization of PHC facilities should be removed. Registration of non-Kuwaitis at the PHC must be improved, and referrals to the PHC back from the ER should be instituted to ensure the necessary follow-up care.
Social Science & Medicine, 2004
Based on a nationally representive household survey of Kuwaiti women held in 1999 (n = 1502) unme... more Based on a nationally representive household survey of Kuwaiti women held in 1999 (n = 1502) unmet need for contraception was analyzed in Kuwait, an oil-rich Muslim country. It was found that 9.7% currently married women had an unmet need for contraception. Of those, 6.1% wanted to stop child bearing, while 3.6% wanted to space their children. A bivariate comparison of the women with unmet need and current contraceptors showed that the unmet need group comprised of relatively older women with a significantly higher level of parity and ones where husband or wife disapproved of contraception. Also, larger percentages of the unmet need group belonged to relatively lower socio-economic status and were Bedouins. Among the reasons for current non-use, two-third believed that they had a low risk of pregnancy due to infrequent sexual activity or sub-fecundity, and 22% were not using a method because of health concerns. A significantly larger percentage of the unmet need group disapproved of contraception, and believed that Islam forbids family planning, compared to current users (30% and 15%, respectively). The logistic regression analysis showed that the wife's perception of the husband's disapproval of contraceptive use had the strongest negative association with unmet need. We conclude that the contraceptive needs of about 90% of all non-pregnant currently married women who wanted to delay or limit children were being met adequately despite the absence of a formal family planning program, while about 10% women had an unmet need. Issues for health care providers are discussed and family planning counseling is recommended for higher risk older women with unmet need.
Medical Principles and Practice, 1996
Earlier research has shown that birth notifications in Kuwait often have a high amount of missing... more Earlier research has shown that birth notifications in Kuwait often have a high amount of missing data on many items such as weeks of gestation and complications of pregnancy. The situation has deteriorated even further since the Iraqi occupation. To rectify this situation in the Maternity Hospital, an evaluative management study was conducted. After collecting benchmark data for December 1992,
Medical Principles and Practice, 1992
It is generally agreed that the coverage of the vital events of births and deaths is fairly compl... more It is generally agreed that the coverage of the vital events of births and deaths is fairly complete in Kuwait where 99% of all births and 65% of all deaths occur in a hospital. However, some items of the notifications have a very large number of missing data. On the birth notification, the items that are most often poorly recorded are medical complications, prenatal visits and length of gestation. On the death notification, information on sociodemographic features of the deceased’s parents is missing in approximately 90% of the cases, although the cause of death is completely reported. A majority of the items on the fetal death notification have more than 20% of the information missing. A comparison of notification items with matching information obtained from a survey of mothers indicates a relatively high level of reliability for several items. The need for improvement in data quality is highlighted, and suggestions to reduce the level of missing data are offered.Copyright © 1992 S. Karger AG, Basel
Medical Principles and Practice, 2010
Objective: To provide community-based information on the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and... more Objective: To provide community-based information on the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease and to highlight their significant correlates. Materials and Methods: Data were collected in a cross-sectional household survey of 2,487 Kuwaiti nationals aged 50 and over in 2005/2006. A proportionately representative sample of 1,451 respondents from a relatively more urban area (Capital) and 1,036 respondents from a relatively less urban area (Ahmadi) were interviewed. A proxy respondent was used in 5.4% of cases. Among the 2,605 potentially eligible persons approached, 2,487 (95.5%) participated. Results: Doctor-diagnosed prevalences of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease in the two governorates were reported to be 53.4, 50.6 and 17.5%, respectively. If the prevalence in the two governorates is reflective of the nation, a remarkable increase seems to have occurred since 1996. The prevalence of each of the three diseases increased linearly by age among both sexes. C...
Medical Principles and Practice, 2002
Objective: The aim of this oral health survey was to determine the oral health status and oral he... more Objective: The aim of this oral health survey was to determine the oral health status and oral health behavior in the whole population in Kuwait. This survey was part of the Kuwait Health Survey, which was conducted by the Ministry of Public Health. The original data were destroyed during the Gulf War (1990/1991), but the aim of this report is to publish the main findings concerning oral health and related factors. Methodology: The data were collected between April 1984 and April 1985. The sample consisted of 3,358 households and 26,530 individuals. The survey consisted of interviews and clinical examinations (>12-year-olds). WHO (1977) criteria were used for examinations. Results: Females were more often brushing their teeth at least once a day than males and non-Kuwaitis slightly more often than Kuwaitis. Over one third (39%) had visited a dentist during the previous 12 months. The proportion of subjects with soft deposit was 66%, calculus 45%, intensive gingivitis 46% and adva...
Medical Principles and Practice, 2019
Objective: Although in recent years the world has witnessed great advances in the medical field, ... more Objective: Although in recent years the world has witnessed great advances in the medical field, much ambiguity still surrounds the issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, with increasingly favorable attitudes among physicians around the world. In our study, we aimed to assess the attitudes of physicians in Kuwait towards different types of euthanasia and examine whether physicians’ frequent encounters with terminally ill patients were associated with their approval. Subjects and Methods: We conducted a cross- sectional study on 464 physicians employed in government hospitals (6 general and 3 specialty hospitals). A self-administered questionnaire adapted from previous studies was used. Results: Of the physicians in our study, 43.9% reported that the Ministry of Health should legalize euthanasia under certain restricted conditions. In addition, 29.1% of our population was willing to perform euthanasia. After controlling for several characteristics in logistic regression ...
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2017
Social Science & Medicine, 1995
The Arab, Muslim, oil-rich nation of Kuwait has achieved unusually high levels of knowledge and u... more The Arab, Muslim, oil-rich nation of Kuwait has achieved unusually high levels of knowledge and use of contraception for a developing, high fertility country. Almost all women know of contraceptive pills without prompting, and 57-86% report having ever used a method (usually the oral pill or IUD) in recent studies. Based on a survey of six randomly selected clinics the present study compares the knowledge and use levels of two major ethnic groups-the Beduins and non-Beduins. It also analyses preference for various contraceptive methods and probable reasons for this. While Census or Survey data do not provide information about the size of ethnic groups analyzed in this paper, it is estimated that at least one-third of the population of Kuwait is Beduin. There is a significant difference between the levels of knowledge and use of contraception between the Beduin and non-Beduin women; current use being 42% and 65%, respectively. The differentials between the two groups are particularly marked among women of lower socioeconomic status, and tend to reduce notably once variables such as education and income are controlled. Within the subgroup of non-Beduins, socioeconomic differences in contraceptive use have virtually disappeared; the illiterate and relatively less amuent women are as likely to use a contraceptive method as the university educated, and richer women. However, among the Beduins, the usually expected differences by socioeconomic characteristics still persist. The oral pill is the best known and most commonly used method. Male sterilization is the least known and not practiced at all. Despite the high level of contraceptive use, the total fertility rate is still around 6 per woman. Some of the sociocultural reasons for the lack of a fertility impact are the use of contraceptive methods for spacing rather than limitation purposes, and the persistently large ideal family size which is 7.0 among Beduins and 5.7 among non-Beduins. The latter is consistent with the country's goal to increase the percentage of Kuwaiti nationals who presently comprise less than half of the total population.
Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2010
A cross-sectional interview survey of 2,487 Kuwaiti individuals aged 50 and above was conducted t... more A cross-sectional interview survey of 2,487 Kuwaiti individuals aged 50 and above was conducted to identify the background factors and chronic diseases that exacerbate functional disability among older Kuwaitis. Functional disability was measured as physical ability, ability for self-care, and ability to perform daily routine activities. Association of sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, depressive symptoms, and five chronic illnesses with disability was analyzed. A quarter of respondents ( n = 607) reported to suffer from functional disability and 33% of them from severe disability. Logistic regression indicated that stroke, arthritis, and heart disease were positively associated with functional disability. Older age, unmarried status, non-Bedouin background, lower education, and lower income were significant positive correlates. Stroke was significantly associated with severe disability, as were older age, unmarried status, lower socioeconomic status (SES), higher depression leve...
International Family Planning Perspectives, 1998
International Migration Review, 1991
"A human capital framework is utilized to examine the economic progress of nine national... more "A human capital framework is utilized to examine the economic progress of nine nationality groups of foreign workers [in Kuwait] using data from the 1983 national Labor Survey. The sources of earnings' variations of particular interest to us included different degrees of education and experience transferability, occupational affiliation and ethnic background. In general, the results derived from the analysis suggest that 1) foreign workers achieve a discernible economic progress as their residence lengthens; 2) the rate of economic progress varies depending on worker's education, home and Kuwait-specific experience, occupational status and ethnic background; and 3) about one third of the earnings inequality is due to unexplained factors including discrimination."
International Migration Review, 1991
The author examines trends in the roles of immigrant Asian women workers in Kuwait, using data fr... more The author examines trends in the roles of immigrant Asian women workers in Kuwait, using data from published censuses and reports and from three national-level surveys conducted in 1977-1979, 1983, and 1986-1987. "The study deals separately with the two major types of migrants: the domestic servants and the clerical and professional (or semiprofessional) workers.... The policies of sending countries and of Kuwait are discussed to reach some conclusions about the likely future patterns of migration of Asian women workers to Kuwait."
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2001
Ž. Ž. Oral contraceptive pills OCPs are available over-the-counter OTC in Kuwait, and constitute ... more Ž. Ž. Oral contraceptive pills OCPs are available over-the-counter OTC in Kuwait, and constitute a leading method for spacing and limiting children. Data from a nationally representative survey of Kuwaiti women are used to examine OTC use of OCPs. One-fourth of the women initiated use without consulting a doctor, and 50% bought OCPs from the pharmacy. No socioeconomic or demographic differences were found between those who consulted a physician, implying that women of different background have similar accessibility to the physician. Using multivariate analysis, the odds of consulting a physician were found to be significantly lower for women who first bought OCPs directly from the commercial pharmacy. The duration of first time OCP use did not differ according to physician consultation. It is concluded that OTC availability of OCPs has many advantages and prevents unwanted pregnancy. However, there is a need for better packaging and instructions that would enable high-risk women to identify themselves and to use OCPs under physician supervision.
Medical Principles and Practice, 2000
Objectives: The attitudes of physicians in Kuwait towards euthanasia were examined. An additional... more Objectives: The attitudes of physicians in Kuwait towards euthanasia were examined. An additional objective was to examine whether physician characteristics such as nationality, qualifications, years of experience and/or religion affect their attitude toward euthanasia. A comparison was also made between the experience of physicians who generally treat terminally ill patients and those who generally treat non-terminally ill patients in terms of attitudes toward hastening death to alleviate suffering. Methods: A descriptive study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 228 physicians working in 5 selected government hospitals. The response was 92%. Results: Nearly 92% of all the respondents did not support the provision of means for terminally ill patients to commit suicide while 8% did. A majority favored providing pain killers and comfort even if this hastens the patient’s death. About 20% of the physicians felt that the Ministry of Health should allow euthanasi...
Medical Principles and Practice, 1994
This paper analyzes whether patients visiting the Medical Emergency Rooms (ERs) perceive their ge... more This paper analyzes whether patients visiting the Medical Emergency Rooms (ERs) perceive their general health to have deteriorated, improved or stayed the same one year before the Iraqi occupation and one year after the liberation. The paper also examines the impact of such perceptions on the utilization of an ER. Data were collected by means of a survey of the
Annals of Saudi Medicine, 1999
World Health & Population, 2013
Social Science & Medicine, 2000
The aim of this paper was to investigate whether socioeconomic factors such as parent&amp... more The aim of this paper was to investigate whether socioeconomic factors such as parent's education, occupation, and income constitute risk factors in perinatal mortality after controlling for biological variables such as birth weight and length of gestation, and maternal factors such as age, parity and reproductive history. A case-control study covering all perinatal deaths in Kuwait was conducted for one year from 1 October, 1997 to 30 September, 1998. Each case (perinatal death) was matched with a control (live birth). Matching criteria were: father's nationality, place, and date of birth. Information was successfully collected on 463 matched pairs, 274 Kuwaitis and 189 non-Kuwaitis. Only singleton births were included in the analysis. Bivariate analysis showed that several of the socioeconomic variables (e.g. lower education, lower income) increased the risk of a perinatal death. However, none of these variables remained significant in the multivariate analysis in which birth weight and length of gestation emerged as the two major determinants of perinatal deaths among both nationality groups. Among the Kuwaitis, primiparity and high parity, and previous history of miscarriage were also significant risk factors. Among the non-Kuwaitis, none of the socioeconomic factors, or the maternal factors, were significant predictors of perinatal mortality. For Kuwaitis, it appears that the government's policies and programs aimed at reducing social inequalities in the society have been effective in eliminating perinatal mortality differences between socioeconomic groups. Among non-Kuwaitis, the lack of differences is reflective of the fact that this group is relatively homogenous and selective of the more affluent who can bring the family to Kuwait. Both nationality groups benefit from the government's free health services. However, charges for non-Kuwaitis are due to be levied soon which may increase disparities in access to health care.
Social Science & Medicine, 1996
Utilization of the emergency rooms (ERs) in Kuwait has increased considerably during the last dec... more Utilization of the emergency rooms (ERs) in Kuwait has increased considerably during the last decade. Such an increase is a concern for health planners because of the burden on ER services, lack of continuous service provided by the ER and the higher cost of such services. Based on a study of 2011 patients attending the medical ERs in the six government hospitals in early 1993, the predictors of non-urgent utilization were analyzed. Patients were asked about their reasons for visiting the ER rather than the primary health care (PHC) centre. Both patients and doctors were asked to rate the urgency of the visit. According to the doctors" judgment, 61% of the visits were for non-urgent problems that did not require emergency care, while 23% of the patients viewed their visits to be non-urgent. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that perceived urgency of the visit was the most important predictor of a non-urgent visit to the ER, after controlling for several predisposing and enabling factors. Patients who perceived their visit to the ER to be non-urgent were about four times more likely to visit the ER for a non-urgent condition as judged by the doctor. The level of education had a significant, positive effect on non-urgent utilization among both Kuwaiti nationals and expatriates. Several factors may explain the above finding. Employment of educated persons in the hospital was one route through which education facilitated ER use. It is also likely that educated persons had more influential contacts or wasta in the hospital. Also, the less educated might have delayed seeking care while the educated consulted for non-urgent reasons as soon as they noticed the symptoms. Like education, the level of non-urgent utilization was higher among Kuwaiti nationals with higher incomes. Thus, a higher social class seems to facilitate ER use for non-urgent reasons. Among the non-Kuwaitis, lack of registration at the PHC centre was a significant reason for non-urgent use of the ER. It is recommended that hurdles in the utilization of PHC facilities should be removed. Registration of non-Kuwaitis at the PHC must be improved, and referrals to the PHC back from the ER should be instituted to ensure the necessary follow-up care.
Social Science & Medicine, 2004
Based on a nationally representive household survey of Kuwaiti women held in 1999 (n = 1502) unme... more Based on a nationally representive household survey of Kuwaiti women held in 1999 (n = 1502) unmet need for contraception was analyzed in Kuwait, an oil-rich Muslim country. It was found that 9.7% currently married women had an unmet need for contraception. Of those, 6.1% wanted to stop child bearing, while 3.6% wanted to space their children. A bivariate comparison of the women with unmet need and current contraceptors showed that the unmet need group comprised of relatively older women with a significantly higher level of parity and ones where husband or wife disapproved of contraception. Also, larger percentages of the unmet need group belonged to relatively lower socio-economic status and were Bedouins. Among the reasons for current non-use, two-third believed that they had a low risk of pregnancy due to infrequent sexual activity or sub-fecundity, and 22% were not using a method because of health concerns. A significantly larger percentage of the unmet need group disapproved of contraception, and believed that Islam forbids family planning, compared to current users (30% and 15%, respectively). The logistic regression analysis showed that the wife's perception of the husband's disapproval of contraceptive use had the strongest negative association with unmet need. We conclude that the contraceptive needs of about 90% of all non-pregnant currently married women who wanted to delay or limit children were being met adequately despite the absence of a formal family planning program, while about 10% women had an unmet need. Issues for health care providers are discussed and family planning counseling is recommended for higher risk older women with unmet need.
Medical Principles and Practice, 1996
Earlier research has shown that birth notifications in Kuwait often have a high amount of missing... more Earlier research has shown that birth notifications in Kuwait often have a high amount of missing data on many items such as weeks of gestation and complications of pregnancy. The situation has deteriorated even further since the Iraqi occupation. To rectify this situation in the Maternity Hospital, an evaluative management study was conducted. After collecting benchmark data for December 1992,
Medical Principles and Practice, 1992
It is generally agreed that the coverage of the vital events of births and deaths is fairly compl... more It is generally agreed that the coverage of the vital events of births and deaths is fairly complete in Kuwait where 99% of all births and 65% of all deaths occur in a hospital. However, some items of the notifications have a very large number of missing data. On the birth notification, the items that are most often poorly recorded are medical complications, prenatal visits and length of gestation. On the death notification, information on sociodemographic features of the deceased’s parents is missing in approximately 90% of the cases, although the cause of death is completely reported. A majority of the items on the fetal death notification have more than 20% of the information missing. A comparison of notification items with matching information obtained from a survey of mothers indicates a relatively high level of reliability for several items. The need for improvement in data quality is highlighted, and suggestions to reduce the level of missing data are offered.Copyright © 1992 S. Karger AG, Basel
Medical Principles and Practice, 2010
Objective: To provide community-based information on the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and... more Objective: To provide community-based information on the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease and to highlight their significant correlates. Materials and Methods: Data were collected in a cross-sectional household survey of 2,487 Kuwaiti nationals aged 50 and over in 2005/2006. A proportionately representative sample of 1,451 respondents from a relatively more urban area (Capital) and 1,036 respondents from a relatively less urban area (Ahmadi) were interviewed. A proxy respondent was used in 5.4% of cases. Among the 2,605 potentially eligible persons approached, 2,487 (95.5%) participated. Results: Doctor-diagnosed prevalences of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease in the two governorates were reported to be 53.4, 50.6 and 17.5%, respectively. If the prevalence in the two governorates is reflective of the nation, a remarkable increase seems to have occurred since 1996. The prevalence of each of the three diseases increased linearly by age among both sexes. C...
Medical Principles and Practice, 2002
Objective: The aim of this oral health survey was to determine the oral health status and oral he... more Objective: The aim of this oral health survey was to determine the oral health status and oral health behavior in the whole population in Kuwait. This survey was part of the Kuwait Health Survey, which was conducted by the Ministry of Public Health. The original data were destroyed during the Gulf War (1990/1991), but the aim of this report is to publish the main findings concerning oral health and related factors. Methodology: The data were collected between April 1984 and April 1985. The sample consisted of 3,358 households and 26,530 individuals. The survey consisted of interviews and clinical examinations (>12-year-olds). WHO (1977) criteria were used for examinations. Results: Females were more often brushing their teeth at least once a day than males and non-Kuwaitis slightly more often than Kuwaitis. Over one third (39%) had visited a dentist during the previous 12 months. The proportion of subjects with soft deposit was 66%, calculus 45%, intensive gingivitis 46% and adva...