Research Projects
National Water Research Unit: potable water quality control program A
follow-up national surveillance on the quality of potable water in Lebanon
is in progress. Samples of all water sources feeding networks of the 22
water authorities have been collected. In addition, representative samples
from networks were collected. The objective is to evaluate intervention
processes, and to develop a more comprehensive quality database (physical,
chemical, organic and inorganic, and micro-biological). The study will
be completed by November 1997. M. Jurdi. (Supported by UNICEF; LNCSR;
AID Project.)
The physical and psychological outcomes of detention in Israeli concentration camps The
purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship of demographic
and socio-economic variables to physical and psychological outcomes among
liberated detainees as compared to non-detainees. More specifically, it
aims at assessing the relationship of age, sex, marital status, education
and social support to PTSP, depression, anxiety and life satisfaction.
M. Jurdi, M. Kamris and K. Shaar.
National Water Research Unit: surface water network The
project is concerned with the utilization of surface waters to meet increased
water demands. The study includes: a) mapping the Lebanese rivers to determine
the source and types of contaminants; b) determining the quality of surface
water for drinking, agricultural, industrial, and recreational activities;
c) the assessment of the self-purification capacity of the rivers. The
study started by surveying Nahr Ibrahim, as it is the second largest river
in Lebanon after the Litani, and it constitutes a potential source of water
for the suburbs and cities north of Beirut. Currently the project is directed
towards studying the five major water basins (rivers, lakes). Actual analytical
work is targeted to start early July 1997. M. Jurdi, K. Khair, N. Karahagopian
and S. Korfali. (Supported by LNCSR; AID Project.)
Blood lead level and iron-deficiency among children presenting to the AUB Medical Center The
proposed study aims at concurrently exploring the problems of lead poisoning
and iron-deficiency among young children presenting to the AUB Medical
Center. It is hypothesized that lead poisoning and iron-deficiency are
prevalent but under-diagnosed among children living in Lebanon. A total
of 320 well babies and children, aged 1 to 6 years, will be recruited from
the pediatrics services of the outpatient department (OPD) and the private
clinics of the American University Medical Center. The mothers of the 320
babies and children will be interviewed to inquire about the family’s demographic
and socio-economic status, to elicit any symptoms among the children that
could be related to lead poisoning or iron-deficiency, to identify potential
sources of exposure to lead, to assess dietary habits, and to measure the
prevalence of hyperkinetic behavior. In addition, blood samples will be
drawn by trained technicians to analyze for lead level, iron level, and
hematocrit. S. Mouwakit, I. Nuwayhid, M. Mikati, M. Ariss and
G. Salem*. (Supported by URB; LNCSR.)
Personal and environmental determinants of war-related injuries, war-related deaths, and non-war injuries among a sample of Beirut population This
study utilizes the data collected on a sample of Beirut residents by the
Faculty of Health Sciences in the household surveys of 1983-84 and 1992-93.
The objective of this case-control study is to compare the personal and
environmental characteristics of the following groups: (1) those who reported
a non-war injury to those who did not, (2) those who reported a war injury
between 1982 and 1990 to those who did not, (3) those who were reported
to die of a war injury between 1982 and 1990 to those who were not injured,
and (4) those who were reported to die of a war injury between 1982 and
1990 to those who died from other causes. I. Nuwayhid. (Supported
by URB.)
Perception of risk among construction workers and site engineers in the city of Beirut The
construction industry ranks among the most hazardous industries. Construction
workers mostly die because of falls, electrocution, and machine operation.
They are also exposed to a wide range of physical and chemical hazards,
in addition to severe weather conditions. However, the health risks among
construction workers have not been studied extensively due to methodological
difficulties. The objectives of this study are to: (1) assess the exposure
of workers to safety hazards, (2) assess their perception of hazards and
risk, (3) determine the availability and extent of use of preventive measures,
and (4) estimate the magnitude of construction-related injuries. I.
Nuwayhid, M. Kambris and N. Awar*. (Supported by URB.)
Work-related diseases and injuries among nurses at AUB Medical Center A
questionnaire was designed, pre-tested, then administered to all head nurses,
registered nurses, practical nurses, orderlies, and nurse aides who had
been working for at least 6 months at a major medical center. A total of
370 responded by March 1994 (response rate >75%). Information was collected
about their shift work, perception of workload, physical and mental stress,
and work satisfaction. The questionnaire also inquired about accidents
(falls, slips, needle pricks), and selected health problems (mental stress,
gastro-intestinal discomfort, menstrual irregularities, back pain, and
accidents). The study will describe stressors and perception among the
nurses, and link them to selected health outcomes. I. Nuwayhid, M. Kambris
and J. Usta. (Supported by URB.)
A survey of childhood injuries presenting to the emergency rooms in Beirut The
1992 or 1993 emergency room records were reviewed in 4 major hospitals
that receive close to 60% of all emergency cases in administrative Beirut.
Cases were defined as all children £
16 years of age who presented to an emergency service with an injury. A
total of 6,578 children cases were identified (36% of all children presenting
to emergency services). These cases will be described as to age, sex, place
of injury, and type of injury. I. Nuwayhid and M. Mahfoud*.
Prevalence and determinants of high lead blood levels among actively working adult males in the city of Beirut This
study aims to determine the distribution of blood lead levels (BLL) among
the working adult population of Beirut and to identify the risk factors
associated with higher BLLs. A convenience sample of adult males actively
working in different areas of Greater Beirut at the time of interview was
approached (March-June 1993). A total of 579 (response rate 96%) were interviewed
but only 315 (54.4%) provided a blood sample. The samples were stored between
4 months and 2 years before mailing them to an accredited laboratory in
the United States for lead analysis; 24 samples were lost for technical
reasons, leaving n = 291. Prolonged storage could have lowered the
BLL. Blue-collar job, current smoking, distance commuted, and years in
current occupation determined the risk for a BLL exceeding 15 ug/dl. Younger
age, years of employment, and blue-collar jobs were associated with BLL
exceeding 20 ug/dl. I. Nuwayhid, K. McPhaul*, R. Bu-Khuzam*,
S.H. Duh*, R.H. Christenson*, and J.P. Keogh*. (Supported
by URB.)
Physical health and psychological adjustment of children of working and non-working mothers The
objective of this study is to compare the physical health status and the
psychological adjustment of children of working mothers to those of non-working
mothers after controlling for different social, demographic, and occupational
factors. Children of working and non-working mothers were selected from
each class (first intermediate to second high) of 15 randomly selected
private schools in Beirut. I. Nuwayhid, K. Shaar and M. Kadi.
(Supported by LNCSR.)
The effect of narghile smoking on weight of newborn and other pregnancy outcomes This
study aims at identifying the effect of smoking narghile during
pregnancy on the weight of the newborn and other pregnancy outcomes. A
total of 106 women who smoked narghile during their pregnancy, 277
who smoked cigarettes during their pregnancy, and 512 women who did not
smoke at all during their pregnancy were interviewed 1-2 days post-delivery
in a hospital. The mean birth weight of babies born to women who smoked
narghile or cigarettes during pregnancy will be compared to that
of babies born to non-smokers. The association between narghile smoking
and other pregnancy outcomes (e.g., Apgar score, respiratory distress,
head circumference) will be assessed. I. Nuwayhid, B. Yamout, G. Azar
and M. Kambris. (Supported by URB.)
Adib, S.M., Nuwayhid I.A. and Hamadeh G.N., Most frequently reported diseases in primary health care centers in Lebanon. Lebanese Medical Journal, 43, 17-22, 1995. Fayerweather, W. E.*, Karns, M.E.*, Nuwayhid I.A. and Nelson, T.J.*, Case-control study of cancer risk in tetra-ethyl lead manufacturing. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 31, 28-35, 1997. Jurdi, M. (ed), Berbari, W., Nuwayhid, I., Milki, R., Atrash, R., Attalah, H., Kadi, M., Kalot, J. Melhem, N. and Zouhairi, K., Manual for Public Health Inspector, Ministry of Public Health. World Health Organization , 6 sections, 582 pp, 1996. Jurdi, M. (ed.), Raad, D., Zouhairy, K., Karahagopian, N. and Korfali, S., Assessment of Karoun Lake Water for Potable, Agriculture, Industrial, and recreational Uses. Report for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 20 pages, 1995. Nuwayhid,
I. A., Occupational health in Lebanon: Overview and challenges. International
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1, 349-358, 1995.
Abstracts, Presentations and Proceedings Jurdi, M., Wastewater management in Lebanon: problems and prospective for implementation of simple environmental technologies. First Arab Conference on Environment and City Planning, Organized by the Lebanese Engineering Syndicate and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Beirut, Lebanon, 1995. ———, Health, environment and development in Lebanon. Second Conference on Health Environment, Organized by EMRO-WHO, Beirut, Lebanon, 1995. Country Position Paper, WHO-EM/PEH/ 484-EIL, 23, 1996. ———, Water quality management monitoring assessment needs: current needs and facilities for future demands in Lebanon. Workshop on Environmental Monitoring Assessment- Water and Air Pollution. Organized by LNCSR and the Monitoring and Assessment Research Center (MARC), King’s College, University of London, Beirut, Lebanon, 1996. ———, Impact of environmental management on the quality of ground water supplies in Lebanon, Conference on Development of a National Water Resource Data Base in Lebanon. Organized by LNCSR and Frederich-Ebert Stufung, Beirut, Lebanon, 1996. Jurdi, M. and Baltagi, A., Status of water supply and sanitation in Lebanon. Regional Conference on Water Supply and Sanitation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. World Health Organization (EMRO-WHO), Beirut, Lebanon, 1995. Country Position Paper, WHO/EM/PEH/ 485-E, 19-20, 1996. Jurdi, M., Sayrawan, S. and Baltagi, A., Supportive environments for promoting health (Country Position Paper). WHO/UNEP Country Meeting for Countries in the West Asia Region on Supportive Environments for Promoting Health: Focus on the Settings Approach Especially Healthy Cities, Bahrain, 1995. Nuwayhid, I.A., Injuries and accident prevention in Lebanon. The Consultation on Development of National Strategy for Safety Promotion and Accidental Injury. Organized by the World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Amman, Jordan, November 1995. ———, Occupational Health and Safety: A comparative analysis. The Regional Conference on Health and Environment in the Health Sector. Organized by the Arab Federation of Labor Unions and Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon, December 1996. Nuwayhid
I.A., and Kambris, M., Construction workers in Lebanon: Perception of risk
and policy implications. One Hundred Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of
the American Public Health Association, San Diego, November 1995.
Jurdi, M., Milki, R., Healthy Cities: World Health Day, April 7, 1996, Public Awareness Exhibition and festival, AUB, April 3-5, 1996; AUB Bulletin, 38 (3/4), 1996. Jurdi, M., Coordinator of Career Guidance Activity to introduce High School students to the Academic Programs of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Hariri Career Guidance Center/AUB, Downtown Beirut Exhibition Hall, October 24-27, 1996.
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