Research Projects
Psychiatric distress and use of services among women attending gynecological clinics in Beirut Previous
studies on subjects attending primary health clinics have reported a high
level of distress among clinic attendants and have linked psychiatric distress
to demand for health services. This study aims at assessing the level of
psychiatric distress among women attending gynecology clinics and its relation
to use of health services. Presenting gynecological complaints that are
commonly associated with psychiatric distress will also be investigated.
Instrument for data collection was prepared and pilot-tested. Data collection
has also started. M. Chaaya. (Supported by a Mellon Grant; URB.)
Meeting women’s reproductive health needs in Lebanon: a coordinated program on childbirth The
ultimate aim of this work is to develop and implement interventions so
as to better meet Lebanese women’s reproductive health needs, specifically
in the area of childbirth. Also how to develop a better understanding of
how research can lead to action and change. We aim to do this by carrying
out a project of six components: 1) overall co-ordination; 2) women’s experiences
in childbirth; 3) hospital policies in labour and delivery; 4) how experiences
and expectations in pregnancy and delivery affect postpartum outcomes,
including depression; 5) a regional meeting to disseminate our research
findings and to mobilize the medical profession; and 6) an intervention
study to improve women’s experiences of childbirth. The project will be
carried out at the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB, with links to the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Data collection for components
2-4 will start in July 1997. M. Chaaya and O. Campbell.*
(Supported by a Mellon Grant; URB.)
Beirut: A Health Profile 1984-1994 As
editor of this book, coordinating and overseeing its final preparation,
including writing an introduction and conclusion as well as co-authoring
three of the five chapters. The book will be published by AUB in August
1997. M. Deeb. (Supported by the Ford Foundation.)
Widowhood and mortality risk in a cohort community sample during wartime Secondary
analysis of the Beirut 1994 household survey. M. Deeb and H.
Armenian*.
Measurement of gynecological morbidity Interest
in the reproductive health of women has raised awareness about the scarcity
of population-based data on reproductive morbidity. Given the experience
from epidemiological studies in measuring morbidity, population-based interviews
are useful in giving rough ideas about how common some problems are among
women in a certain population. They are also useful in determining the
prevalence of symptoms, although not representative of medically, diagnosed
conditions. Data gathered from health services can be informative, but
they fall short of giving a good representation of the morbidity level
in the community. The aim of this research is to expand our understanding
and experiences in the measurement of reproductive morbidity by exploring
the advantages and the limitations of measuring gynecological morbidity
of women in Beirut from two sources of data: gynecological health care
utilization information from a household interview, and a survey of women
visiting gynecological clinics in Beirut. M. Deeb, F. Ghorayeb, N. Aswad
and T. Kabakian. (Supported by the Ford Foundation.)
Validity of causes of death in an urban setting in Lebanon The
lack of a valid source of information on the causes of death in Lebanon
hinders policy making and limits options for research. One alternative
approach is data obtained from relatives of the deceased through direct
interviewing (verbal autopsies). The present study aims at assessing the
utility of the use of tverbal autopsies in ascertaining causes of death
in an urban community setting. Causes of death based on verbal autopsies
will be compared with the medical diagnosis based on hospital records among
a sample of 125 deaths. This validity study is expected to find usage among
researchers, district doctors and policy makers. M. Deeb and A.
Sibai. (Supported by LNCSR.)
Psychological distress among adolescents with sensorial disabilities in Lebanon Prevalence
and determinants of psychological distress were investigated in adolescents
with sensorial disabilities attending special schools in Lebanon as compared
to age and sex-matched able-bodied children from neighborhood schools.
The project is in the analysis phase. K. Shaar.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among demarcation-line populations. PTSD
was investigated in an area sample of families who resided along the demarcation
line in Beirut during the war, compared to families who returned to the
demarcation line by the end of the war. Prevalence rates and determinants
of PTSD were investigated in both study groups. The project is in the analysis
phase. K. Shaar and K. Kassak.
The impact on families and state of traumatic injury-related disabilities among adults in Lebanon and the Autonomous Palestinian State The
project is a collaborative study among researchers from different countries,
including England, France and the Autonomous Palestinian Authority. The
project started in September 1996 and is expected to extend over a period
of 33 months. A. Sibai and K. Sen*. (Supported by the European
Economic Commission.)
An assessment of the validity of data provided by proxies Proxy
respondents are frequently used in epidemiologic studies to provide information
on exposure and disease status in the absence of index respondents. The
current study was conducted to assess the validity of data provided by
proxies as compared to the subjects themselves. This study is in the analysis
phase. H. Tamim.
Altorki, S.* and Zurayk, H. Changing values in the Arab Family. Al Mustakbal Al-Arabi, 10, 76- 116, 1995. Armenian, H.K.* and Shaar, K.H., The physical and mental health status of orphans in time of war. In Case studies in Community Medicine (in Arabic), Z. Sibai (ed.). Nasr: Al Dar Al Arabiyah Lil Nashr Wal Tawzi, 1995. Baba, N., Shaar, K.H., El-Sheikh, I. L. and Adra, N., Comparison of nutritional status of preschool children at daycare centers and at home from different socio-economic backgrounds. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 9, 89-103, 1996. Deeb, M., Khlat, M. * and Courbages, Y.*, Child survival in Beirut during wartime: time trends and socio-religious differentials. International Journal of Epidemiology, 26, 110-119, 1997. Deeb, M. and Sayegh, L.G., Population dimensions in the Arab world. In Genetic Disorders Among Arab Populations, A. S. Teebi and T.I. Farag (eds.). New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Khlat*, M., Deeb, M. and Courbages, Y.*, Fertility limitations and differentials in Beirut during wartime: An indirect estimation based on maternity registers. Population Studies, 51, 85-92, 1997. Shaar, K.H. and Armenian, H.K.*. Familial paroxysmal polyserositis (Mediterranean Fever). In Genetic Disorders Among Arab Populations, A.S. Teebi and T.I. Farag (eds.). New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Shaar, K.H. and Shaar, M.A. The nutritional status of children of displaced families in the light of the rise in food prices. In Case Studies in Community Medicine (in Arabic), Z. Sibai (ed.). Nasr: Al Dar Al Arabiyah Lil Nashr Wal Tawzi, 1995. Sibai,
A.M. and El Hajj, S.S. The role of television in public health efforts
in Lebanon. The Lancet, 347 (1), 1269-70, 1996.
Abstracts, Presentations and Proceedings Chaaya, M., The impact of war on the mental health of youth and adolescents in Lebanon. YMCA Regional Meeting, Bikfaya, Lebanon, 1996. Deeb, M.E., Maternal mortality in Lebanon. Concerted Action Network on Maximizing Arab Maternal Health, Amman, Jordan, 1996. Deeb, M.E., Ghorayeb, F., Kabakian, T., Khayyat, R. and Aswad, N., Patterns of gynecological morbidity and preventive care among Lebanese women. International Meeting for Arab Demographers of the International Union of Scientific Studies of Population (I.U.S.S.P.), Cairo, Egypt, 1997. Deeb, M.E., Ghorayeb, F., Kabakian, T. and Aswad, N., Measurement of gynecological morbidity in Beirut: Comparison of two sources of data. International Conference on Population, Health and Environment in the Arab Region, Beirut, Lebanon, 1997. Shaar, K. H., Prevalence of hypertension among demarcation-line populations in Beirut. Second Lebanese Epidemiologic Day, Beirut, Lebanon, 1996. Shaar, K.H. and Baba, N., Social inequalities in health among children in Lebanon. International Conference on Population, Health and Environment in the Arab Region, Beirut, Lebanon, 1997. Shaar, K.H., Birbari, A. and Abdennur, A.*, Determinants of hypertension among demarcation-line populations—preliminary findings. Third Meeting for Lebanese Scientific Research of the National Council for Scientific Research, Beirut, Lebanon, 1996. Skaff, J.*, Chaaya, M. and Farhood, L., The epidemiology of eating disorders in psychiatric practice in Lebanon. The Pan Arab Congress of Psychiatry, Kaslik, Lebanon, 1996. Zurayk, H. and Kabakian, T. Measurement of reproductive morbidity: the usefulness of perceived/reported morbidity on reproductive tract infections. Seminar on Innovative Approaches to the Assessment of Reproductive Health, The International Union for the Scientific Study of Population, Manila, Philippines, 1996
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