Samar ElFeky - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Samar ElFeky

Research paper thumbnail of WHO EMRO | Assessment of World Health Organization Collaborating Centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Following in-house training, there was a need for assessing perceived performance of World Health... more Following in-house training, there was a need for assessing perceived performance of World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with special relevance to WHO’s programme of work. Thus, a questionnaire was shared with responsible officers covering: selection process, frequency of communication, monitoring mechanisms, key delivered activities, and identified gaps during implementation. These included: tendency to implement regular activities, weak technical capacity and communication, and discrepancies between planned activities and actual implementation. Recommendations for centres included: establishing communication plan/modalities, selecting activities of global/regional nature, and mobilizing resources for work plan implementation. Recommendations for responsible officers included: carefully explaining

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of eating habits and lifestyle during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic in the Middle East and North Africa region: a cross-sectional study

British Journal of Nutrition, 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockd... more Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockdowns and strict social distancing measures. The aim of this study was to assess eating habits and lifestyle behaviours among residents of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study among adult residents of the MENA region was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms during April 2020. A total of 2970 participants from eighteen countries participated in the present study. During the pandemic, over 30 % reported weight gain, 6·2 % consumed five or more meals per d compared with 2·2 % before the pandemic (P < 0·001) and 48·8 % did not consume fruits on a daily basis. Moreover, 39·1 % did not engage in physical activity, and over 35 % spent more than 5 h/d on screens. A significant association between the frequency of training during the pandemic and the reported change in weight was found (P < 0·001). A significa...

Research paper thumbnail of Healthy Cities Programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region:concurrent progress and future prospects

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Health research institutional mapping: an Eastern Mediterranean Regional perspective

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of World Health Organization Collaborating Centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2017

notamment en relation avec le programme de travail de l'OMS. Pour cette raison, un questionnaire ... more notamment en relation avec le programme de travail de l'OMS. Pour cette raison, un questionnaire a été communiqué aux responsables traitant de domaines tels que le processus de sélection, la fréquence de communication, les mécanismes de suivi, les activités clés proposées, et les lacunes identifiées pendant la mise en oeuvre. Il s'agissait notamment de la tendance à mettre en oeuvre les mêmes activités, la faiblesse des capacités techniques et une mauvaise communication, un décalage entre les activités planifiées et la mise en oeuvre réelle. Les recommandations adressées aux centres étaient les suivantes : établir un plan/ des modalités de communication ; sélectionner des activités à caractère mondial/régional ; et mobiliser des ressources pour la mise en oeuvre du plan de travail. Les recommandations faites aux administrateurs responsables consistaient à expliquer clairement les règles et règlements actualisés de l'OMS, à garantir que les attribution spécifiques soient définies conformément aux mandats mondiaux/régionaux de l'OMS ; à mettre au point des mécanismes de communication courants ; à convenir de modalités de suivi et de coordination régulières ; et à assurer que les dispositions en vue des redésignations soient prises au cours de la quatrième année de la période initiale. ABSTRACT Following in-house training, there was a need for assessing perceived performance of World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with special relevance to WHO's programme of work. Thus, a questionnaire was shared with responsible officers covering: selection process, frequency of communication, monitoring mechanisms, key delivered activities, and identified gaps during implementation. These included: tendency to implement regular activities, weak technical capacity and communication, and discrepancies between planned activities and actual implementation. Recommendations for centres included: establishing communication plan/modalities, selecting activities of global/regional nature, and mobilizing resources for work plan implementation. Recommendations for responsible officers included: carefully explaining updated WHO rules and regulations; ensuring that specific terms of reference are set as per WHO's global/regional mandates; setting up regular communication mechanisms; agreeing on regular monitoring and coordination modalities; and ensuring that redesignation planning takes place during the 4th year of prior designation period.

Research paper thumbnail of Community participation and empowerment in Healthy Cities

Health Promotion International, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of WHO EMRO | Healthy Cities Programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: concurrent progress and future prospects

Urbanization has been rapidly increasing during the past two decades and it is estimated that by ... more Urbanization has been rapidly increasing during the past two decades and it is estimated that by 2030, two thirds of the world's population would be living in urban areas (1), exposing the population to a large number of environmental, social, cultural, economic and behavioural

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of COVID-19 on mental health and quality of life: Is there any effect? A cross-sectional study of the MENA region

PLOS ONE, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. Th... more The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life among the general population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A total of 6142 adults from eighteen countries within the MENA region completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2020. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the social and family support impact was assessed with questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). The IES-R mean score was 29.3 (SD = 14.8), corresponding to mild stressful impact with 30.9% reporting severe psychological impact. Most participants (45%–62%) felt horrified, apprehensive, or helpless due to COVID-19. Furthermore, over 40% reported increased stress from work and financial matters. Higher IES-R scores were found among females, participants aged 26–35 years, those with lower ed...

Research paper thumbnail of WHO collaborating centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: an agenda for action and improvement

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Engagement of health research institutions in knowledge translation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit, Jan 6, 2018

Health research institutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) can play an integral role ... more Health research institutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) can play an integral role in promoting and supporting Knowledge Translation (KT). Assessing institutions' engagement in KT and bridging the "research- policy" gap is important in designing context-specific strategies to promote KT and informing funding efforts in the region. The objective of this study was to explore the engagement of EMR institutions in KT activities. A cross-sectional survey of institutions undertaking health research in the 22 EMR countries was undertaken. The survey covered institutional characteristics, institutional planning for research, national planning for health research, and knowledge management, translation and dissemination. 575 institutions were contacted of which 223 (38.3%) responded. Half the sampled institutions reported conducting priority-setting exercises, with 60.2% not following a standardized approach. Less than half institutions reported frequently/ always ...

Research paper thumbnail of Healthy Cities in the Eastern Mediterranean: From Sanitation to Comprehensive Policy

Healthy Cities, 2017

This chapter explains the emergence and evolution of healthy city approach in the countries of Ea... more This chapter explains the emergence and evolution of healthy city approach in the countries of Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO). Currently, two main approaches have been implemented in the EMR region; they include community-based initiatives (CBI) and Urban Heart to improve health of cities. In 1988, the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of WHO (EMRO) adopted community-based initiatives as a strategy to promote community health which encompasses four main programmes: basic development needs, Healthy Cities, Healthy Villages, and gender in health and development. The healthy city programme was initially implemented in the ‘Kooye 13 Aban’ area of Tehran in 1991 as a component of CBI programmes, and then expanded to 17 member states, now covering a population of nearly 18 million. WHO Kobe Centre for Health Development, established in 1995, and after pre-testing the tool in Malaysia it was piloted in a number of low- and middle-income countries in different regions, including in EMRO counties such as Iran, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia in 2008–2009. This chapter briefly provides few case studies from countries of the region explaining their local approach to creating healthy cities and extracts lessons learnt.

Research paper thumbnail of Prioritizing action on health inequities in cities: an evaluation of Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) in 15 cities from Asia and Africa

Social Science & Medicine, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of WHO EMRO | Assessment of World Health Organization Collaborating Centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Following in-house training, there was a need for assessing perceived performance of World Health... more Following in-house training, there was a need for assessing perceived performance of World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with special relevance to WHO’s programme of work. Thus, a questionnaire was shared with responsible officers covering: selection process, frequency of communication, monitoring mechanisms, key delivered activities, and identified gaps during implementation. These included: tendency to implement regular activities, weak technical capacity and communication, and discrepancies between planned activities and actual implementation. Recommendations for centres included: establishing communication plan/modalities, selecting activities of global/regional nature, and mobilizing resources for work plan implementation. Recommendations for responsible officers included: carefully explaining

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of eating habits and lifestyle during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic in the Middle East and North Africa region: a cross-sectional study

British Journal of Nutrition, 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockd... more Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockdowns and strict social distancing measures. The aim of this study was to assess eating habits and lifestyle behaviours among residents of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study among adult residents of the MENA region was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms during April 2020. A total of 2970 participants from eighteen countries participated in the present study. During the pandemic, over 30 % reported weight gain, 6·2 % consumed five or more meals per d compared with 2·2 % before the pandemic (P < 0·001) and 48·8 % did not consume fruits on a daily basis. Moreover, 39·1 % did not engage in physical activity, and over 35 % spent more than 5 h/d on screens. A significant association between the frequency of training during the pandemic and the reported change in weight was found (P < 0·001). A significa...

Research paper thumbnail of Healthy Cities Programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region:concurrent progress and future prospects

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Health research institutional mapping: an Eastern Mediterranean Regional perspective

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of World Health Organization Collaborating Centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2017

notamment en relation avec le programme de travail de l'OMS. Pour cette raison, un questionnaire ... more notamment en relation avec le programme de travail de l'OMS. Pour cette raison, un questionnaire a été communiqué aux responsables traitant de domaines tels que le processus de sélection, la fréquence de communication, les mécanismes de suivi, les activités clés proposées, et les lacunes identifiées pendant la mise en oeuvre. Il s'agissait notamment de la tendance à mettre en oeuvre les mêmes activités, la faiblesse des capacités techniques et une mauvaise communication, un décalage entre les activités planifiées et la mise en oeuvre réelle. Les recommandations adressées aux centres étaient les suivantes : établir un plan/ des modalités de communication ; sélectionner des activités à caractère mondial/régional ; et mobiliser des ressources pour la mise en oeuvre du plan de travail. Les recommandations faites aux administrateurs responsables consistaient à expliquer clairement les règles et règlements actualisés de l'OMS, à garantir que les attribution spécifiques soient définies conformément aux mandats mondiaux/régionaux de l'OMS ; à mettre au point des mécanismes de communication courants ; à convenir de modalités de suivi et de coordination régulières ; et à assurer que les dispositions en vue des redésignations soient prises au cours de la quatrième année de la période initiale. ABSTRACT Following in-house training, there was a need for assessing perceived performance of World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with special relevance to WHO's programme of work. Thus, a questionnaire was shared with responsible officers covering: selection process, frequency of communication, monitoring mechanisms, key delivered activities, and identified gaps during implementation. These included: tendency to implement regular activities, weak technical capacity and communication, and discrepancies between planned activities and actual implementation. Recommendations for centres included: establishing communication plan/modalities, selecting activities of global/regional nature, and mobilizing resources for work plan implementation. Recommendations for responsible officers included: carefully explaining updated WHO rules and regulations; ensuring that specific terms of reference are set as per WHO's global/regional mandates; setting up regular communication mechanisms; agreeing on regular monitoring and coordination modalities; and ensuring that redesignation planning takes place during the 4th year of prior designation period.

Research paper thumbnail of Community participation and empowerment in Healthy Cities

Health Promotion International, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of WHO EMRO | Healthy Cities Programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: concurrent progress and future prospects

Urbanization has been rapidly increasing during the past two decades and it is estimated that by ... more Urbanization has been rapidly increasing during the past two decades and it is estimated that by 2030, two thirds of the world's population would be living in urban areas (1), exposing the population to a large number of environmental, social, cultural, economic and behavioural

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of COVID-19 on mental health and quality of life: Is there any effect? A cross-sectional study of the MENA region

PLOS ONE, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. Th... more The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life among the general population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A total of 6142 adults from eighteen countries within the MENA region completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2020. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the social and family support impact was assessed with questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). The IES-R mean score was 29.3 (SD = 14.8), corresponding to mild stressful impact with 30.9% reporting severe psychological impact. Most participants (45%–62%) felt horrified, apprehensive, or helpless due to COVID-19. Furthermore, over 40% reported increased stress from work and financial matters. Higher IES-R scores were found among females, participants aged 26–35 years, those with lower ed...

Research paper thumbnail of WHO collaborating centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: an agenda for action and improvement

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Engagement of health research institutions in knowledge translation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit, Jan 6, 2018

Health research institutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) can play an integral role ... more Health research institutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) can play an integral role in promoting and supporting Knowledge Translation (KT). Assessing institutions' engagement in KT and bridging the "research- policy" gap is important in designing context-specific strategies to promote KT and informing funding efforts in the region. The objective of this study was to explore the engagement of EMR institutions in KT activities. A cross-sectional survey of institutions undertaking health research in the 22 EMR countries was undertaken. The survey covered institutional characteristics, institutional planning for research, national planning for health research, and knowledge management, translation and dissemination. 575 institutions were contacted of which 223 (38.3%) responded. Half the sampled institutions reported conducting priority-setting exercises, with 60.2% not following a standardized approach. Less than half institutions reported frequently/ always ...

Research paper thumbnail of Healthy Cities in the Eastern Mediterranean: From Sanitation to Comprehensive Policy

Healthy Cities, 2017

This chapter explains the emergence and evolution of healthy city approach in the countries of Ea... more This chapter explains the emergence and evolution of healthy city approach in the countries of Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO). Currently, two main approaches have been implemented in the EMR region; they include community-based initiatives (CBI) and Urban Heart to improve health of cities. In 1988, the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of WHO (EMRO) adopted community-based initiatives as a strategy to promote community health which encompasses four main programmes: basic development needs, Healthy Cities, Healthy Villages, and gender in health and development. The healthy city programme was initially implemented in the ‘Kooye 13 Aban’ area of Tehran in 1991 as a component of CBI programmes, and then expanded to 17 member states, now covering a population of nearly 18 million. WHO Kobe Centre for Health Development, established in 1995, and after pre-testing the tool in Malaysia it was piloted in a number of low- and middle-income countries in different regions, including in EMRO counties such as Iran, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia in 2008–2009. This chapter briefly provides few case studies from countries of the region explaining their local approach to creating healthy cities and extracts lessons learnt.

Research paper thumbnail of Prioritizing action on health inequities in cities: an evaluation of Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) in 15 cities from Asia and Africa

Social Science & Medicine, 2015