Arab Children Research Articles

MENINGKATKAN PENGENALAN KOSAKATA BAHASA ARAB MELALUI PEMANFAATAN MEDIA GAMBAR PADA ANAK KELOMPOK B DI RA AL-JANNAH JAKARTA

The acquisition of a child’s language is a poses of mastery of the child’s language experienced by the environment. Foreign language acquisition generally through informal and formal education. Learning media is anything that can be used to convey a message or information in the learning process so that it can stimulate the attention and interest of students in learning. Two-dimensional media can be a medium that quickly stimulates the attention and interest in children’s learning. Based on pre-research results in RA AL-Jannah Jakarta, the introduction of the vocabulary of Arabic children with a value of 29%. The method in this research is Classroom Action Research Method (PTK) with 2 cycles. In cycle I, there are 8 actions and 2nd cycle twice, with the success criteria reach 70%. Subjects in this study were at RA AL-Jannah Jakarta with 10 children aged 5-6 years consisting of 7 girls and 3 boys. Each cycle consists of four stages: planning, action, observation, and reflection. Data collection techniques through observation, field notes, interview notes and documentation. Data analysis uses data reduction, data presentation and conclusion. The results of this study note that 1) in the initial assessment of the ability of the vocabulary of Arabic language of children 29%, 2) after the child was given action in Cycle I, the ability of children began to increase to 65%, 3) Cycle II obtained results of 85%. So it can be concluded that the image media can improve the ability of the introduction of Arabic vocabulary of group B in RA AL-Jannah Jakarta.

Understanding the Simber Effect: Why is the age-dependent increase in children's cognitive ability smaller in Arab countries than in Britain?

Previous research indicates that the typical increase in IQ during childhood is greater in European countries than in Arab countries. A systematic literature review of age-dependent IQ in Arab countries is conducted, yielding relevant studies for 12 countries that fulfil the inclusion criteria. In almost all of these studies, Arab children exhibit an age-dependent IQ decline relative to Caucasian children, from 5 to about 12years of age in particular. We term this phenomenon the Simber Effect. We propose two non-exclusive explanations. (1) The Flynn Effect is less intense in Arab countries because of localised differences, including poorer education quality and greater religiosity. (2) Those from Arab countries follow a faster Life History Strategy than Europeans, for environmental and possibly genetic reasons. Either way, the Simber Effect may amount to a Wilson Effect, meaning that the impact of genetic IQ increases with age.

ثورات الربيع العربي وآثارها على أطفال هذه الدول (دراسة وصفية)

وفقا لاتفاقية حقوق الطفل التى أقرتها الأمم المتحدة ووافقت عليها الدول الأعضاء، تلتزم الدول بحماية الطفل من التنکيل والاستغلال، وتعريض حياته للخطر. وتقديم الرعاية والحماية القانونية لضمان عدم استغلاله فى المنازعات أو بيعه أو استخدامه في الأعمال المنافية للأخلاق. في أواخر عام 2010 ومطلع 2011،اندلعت في عدد من الدول العربية حرکات احتجاجية سلمية ضخمة أثرت على أطفال هذه الدول وهددت ثروات هذه الدول الحقيقية المتمثلة في أطفال اليوم شباب المستقبل. ولهذا يهدف البحث الحالي إلى(التعرف على آثار ثورات الربيع العربي على أطفال المنطقة العربية المتضررين ـ الکشف عن التدابير التي يمکن أن تحد أو تقلل من هذه الآثار) واستخدم البحث الحالي المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، القائم على التحليل باستخدام فئة الموضوع، وتمثلت عينة الدراسة الحالية في تحليل المواد الاعلامية التي تناولت ثورات دول الربيع العربي في کل من (سوريا-اليمن-العراق ـ-تونس-ليبيا-مصر) تشير نتائج الدراسة الحالية إلى وجود انتهاکات صارخه في الجوانب الصحية والنفسية والاجتماعية بحق أطفال هذه الدول يمکن تصنيفها من وجهة نظر البرتوکول الاختياري لاتفاقيه حقوق الطفل کجرائم حرب. Summary: - According to United Nation child's, rights agreement of which approved by all members. They agreed to have an obligation protecting children from abuse, exploitation, and endangering his life. They ensure Care and legal protection to him, not to exploited in armed conflicts, slavery or use in non-morality acts.. In late 2010 and early 2011, huge peaceful protest movements broke out in a number of Arabic countries. These protest Affectingkids States and threatened these countries real fortunes (todays, children are the future youth). Current research aims to (identify the effects of Arab spring revolutions on Arabic region children affected by. How could limit or reduce these effects? The current research used analytical descriptive method, based on analysis using the subject category. The sample of the current study was the analysis of the information materials that dealt with the revolutions of the Arab Spring countries in (Syria Yemen,Iraq, Tunisia,Libya, and Egypt) The results showed the existence of gross violations in psychological, social and health aspects of theArab spring revolutions children. According to the Optional Protocol of the child rights Convention we can classify as war crimes.

Phenotypic characteristics and outcome of juvenile dermatomyositis in Arab children.

This study describes the disease characteristics and outcome of Arab children with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and compares the findings with other ethnicities. We retrospectively reviewed the hospital registries of the participating hospitals for children with JDM seen between 1990 and 2016 in three Arab countries. All patients fulfilled Bohan and Peter criteria for JDM, diagnosed before 14years of age and were of Arab ethnicity. Clinical and laboratory features as well as the long-term outcomes including accrual disease damage were collected at the last follow-up visit. A total of 92 JDM patients (58 girls) were included. Mean age at the onset was 6±3years, with a mean follow-up duration of 5±4.4years. Forty-three patients (46.7%) had polycyclic disease course, 34 (36.9%) had a monocyclic course, while 15 (16.3%) had a continuous progressive course. Forty-five patients (48.9%) had arthritis, 14 (15.2%) patients had an upper airway and dysphagia, and 10 patients (10.9%) had lung involvement. Eight patients (8.7%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), 4 of them required mechanical ventilation. Methotrexate had been the most frequently used immunosuppressive drug (86%) and rituximab was used in eight patients. Additionally, 31 patients received IVIG. Most of the patients achieved a complete clinical response, but 16 ended up with permanent skin changes and 12 had a residual muscle weakness. Twenty-seven patients developed calcinosis. There were two deaths due to infection during the follow-up period. We report the largest phenotypic data on Arab children with JDM. Our patients have similar characteristics to previously described cohorts. Majority of the patients remained with inactive disease.

The Psychometric Properties of an Arabic version of the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale Tested for Children with Cancer

ABSTRACTFatigue is considered to be one of the most reported symptoms experienced by children with cancer. A major aim of this study was to develop an Arabic version of the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (child report) and to test its psychometric proprieties for the assessment of fatigue in Arabic children with cancer. The PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (Arabic version) and the PedsQL TM 4.0 Generic Core scale (existing Arabic version) were completed by 70 Jordanian children with cancer. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were found to be 0.90 for the total PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (Arabic version), 0.94 for the general fatigue subscale, 0.67 for the sleep/rest fatigue subscale, and 0.87 for the cognitive fatigue subscale. The PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale scores correlated significantly with the PedsQL TM 4.0 Generic Core scale and demonstrated good construct validity. The results demonstrate excellent reliability and good validity of the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (Arabic version) for children with cancer. This is the first validated scale that assesses fatigue in Arabic children with cancer. The English scale has been used with several pediatric clinical populations, so this Arabic version may be equally useful beyond the field of cancer.

Arab Children and Teens as Main Characters in Children’s Literature

How meaningful is it to check out books from the library, or donate books to libraries and schools, or read and discuss books with children? When these are children’s books with Arab children and teens as main characters, such simple acts resist the cultural anti-Arab and anti-Muslim message prevalent in the media, entertainment, and textbooks. This article analyzes picture books: Silent Music by James Rumford and Sitti’s Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye, along with two novels for early teen readers: The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye and The Shepherd’s Granddaughter by Anne Laurel Carter.

School-time physical activity among Arab elementary school children in Qatar

BackgroundRecent data from a self-administered questionnaire show that approximately 75% of school children in Qatar do not meet the daily recommended levels of physical activity (PA). Since children spend half of their waking hours in school, it is important to understand when and how much PA children accumulate during the school day. This study aimed to objectively assess school-time PA among elementary school children in Qatar and to determine association of PA with age, gender, body mass index (BMI) status, or day of the week.MethodsA cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in four randomly selected elementary schools in Qatar. Two classes representing grade 1 children (age 5) and grade 4 children (age 9) were randomly selected within each school. A total of 183 elementary school children (86 boys and 97 girls) ages 6–12 years participated in this study. PA was assessed using a three-axial accelerometer (ActiGraph® wGT3X-BT). Participants wore accelerometers on their non-dominant wrist at school (7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) for five consecutive school days during the week. A cutoff points of 818 counts per 5 s was classified as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).ResultsThe average duration of MVPA in our study was 28.2 ± 13.5 min per day. Only 39% of participated children reach the recommended school-based MVPA of 30 min or more per day. Students spent on average 58.1 ± 8.4% of school time on sedentary activities. MVPA of boys and girls was similar in age 5 while girls age 9 were less active (23.7 ± 1.5 min/day) than boys of the same age (42.7 ± 1.8 min/day), ES = 0.269, P < 0.001. Neither overweight children nor children at risk for being overweight showed any differences in physical activity parameters when compared to children of normal weight. Our results showed, percentage of MVPA on the first (7.7 ± 5.1%) and last (7.1 ± 4.1%) day of the week was generally lower compared to other weekdays (P < 0.001).ConclusionThis was the first study to objectively assess PA during school hours among elementary school-children in Qatar. This study found that many of school children do not perform sufficient time being physically active at school. All students in two age categories (age 5 and age 9) spend the majority of school time engaged in sedentary activities. The low participation of girls age 9 in MVPA is a cause for concern and need to be addressed.

Relationships between emotion and educational achievement in Arabic children

Relationships between emotion and educational achievement in Arabic children

A content analysis of food and beverage advertisements associated with Arabic children's videos on the internet and its relation to dental health

Background and Aim: The use of targeted advertising by internet providers has meant that unlike television, all viewers do not view the same advertising content. The aim of this study was to analyze three popular Arabic children's video channels on YouTube™ and analyze the advertisements associated with these channels. The study also aimed to evaluate if the advertisement content varied according to the type of user. Methodology: The three most popular Arabic children's channels on YouTube™ were accessed using two separate Google™ accounts; one which frequently accessed children's content and one that never did. The content of advertisements and the number and pattern of repetition of advertisements were tabulated. The food and beverage content and the sugar content were documented. These were compared between the two accounts using the Chi-square test. Results: Food and beverage advertising comprised almost half the total advertising with a significantly greater number of high sugar food and beverage content advertising on the account which frequently accessed children's content. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the content and penetration of advertisements on the internet vary too much to be meaningfully regulated. Dentists should be aware of the effect of these advertisements and counsel parents to the dangers of targeted advertising of high sugar products on the internet.

Prevalence of infective organisms of infections of urinary tract in a sample of Arab infants and children

Background: Infections of urinary tract were considered as the most common hospital-acquired infections in hospitalized patients. Area-specific monitoring studies aimed to assess the prevalence of causative organisms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and their responsiveness to different available antimicrobials in a sample of Arab children, which may help the clinician to choose the correct empirical treatment. We aimed to study the type of urinary pathogens isolated from hospitalized patients with first-episode UTI in our locality and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Materials and Methods: Urine samples were collected from 320 clinically suspected cases of UTI from inpatient wards and outpatient clinic of Pediatric Department of Tanta University Hospital during the period from June 2016 to June 2017. The samples were tested microbiologically by standard procedures. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated pathogens was tested for commonly used antibiotics by disc diffusion method according to hospital policy. Results: Significant bacteriuria was present in 75% of the samples, 16.25% were sterile, and 8.75% showed insignificant bacteriuria. The most common pathogens were Escherichia coli (55%), Klebsiella spp. (26.6%), and Proteus mirabilis (14.2%). The mean susceptibility was high for amikacin (85%), ceftriaxone (82%), cefotaxime (80%), nitrofurantoin (80%), and nalidixic acid (78%) but low for ampicillin (21%), cephalexin (30%), and sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim (37%). Conclusions: The antibiotics which are commonely used in UTIs such as trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole,ampicillin and cephalexin are not appropriate for embrical treatment of common UTIs.This may be attributed to high rate of bacterial resistance .Regular monitering of these patients is recommended to establish reliable information about patterns of urinary pathogens aiming optimal embrical therapy for children with UTI.

Total endoscopic excision of branchial cyst in a child aged 3 years

This is the case report of a three-year-old female Arab child who presented with a neck swelling since one year of age. Physical examination was suggestive of a 6 × 4 cm swelling in the right lateral neck, which was dumbbell shaped, deep to sternocleidomastoid muscle on either side of the muscle. Ultrasound scan revealed a large cyst with internal echoes in the right carotid space anteriorly. The cyst was dissected endoscopically by an axillary approach and complete excision was achieved, thus avoiding the need for a large incision in the neck. No complications noted after treatment. The lowest age at which branchial cyst excision was carried out endoscopically was 18 years as per the available literature. Hence this case seems to be the first ever endoscopic branchial cyst excision in the pediatric age group.

Health needs assessment in Jerusalem schools - a comparison between Arab and Jewish children

Health needs assessment in Jerusalem schools - a comparison between Arab and Jewish children

Reluctance Versus Urge to Disclose Child Maltreatment: The Impact of Multi-Type Maltreatment.

Child maltreatment is a major public health issue in Israel. According to a recent Israeli national epidemiological survey, approximately half of Jewish and Arab girls and boys between the ages 12 and 17 experienced at least one type of child maltreatment, at any severity level. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of multi-type maltreatment on Israeli children and youth survivors' reluctance versus urge to disclose; with the effects of gender, age, and ethnicity taken into account. The study is important since non-disclosure has deleterious effects in terms of continuation of the abuse, delays in criminal prosecution and commencement of treatment. A self-report questionnaire incorporating the following instruments was administered: the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire. The sample consisted of 6,253 Jewish and Arab children and youth who reported experiencing at least one lifetime child maltreatment event. Study results indicated that children and youth's reluctance to disclose is positively associated with their emotional reactions to disclosure, as well as with higher instances of child maltreatment exposure; whereas urge to talk is negatively correlated with their emotional reactions to disclosure.

A school-based intervention for reducing posttraumatic symptomatology and intolerance during political violence.

Studies indicate that individuals who are exposed to political violence and who experience personal threat and posttraumatic distress might also develop prejudicial and exclusionist attitudes toward outgroup members. To tackle this destructive dynamics in children, the authors implemented a 2-pronged approach, combining stress-reduction interventions with strategies geared to reducing stereotyping and discriminatory tendencies toward the other. A teacher-delivered universal school-based program, ERASE-Stress-Pro-Social (ESPS), was designed and implemented with Jewish Israeli students exposed to the 2008 Gaza War. Two hundred students from third to sixth grade were assigned to either 16 sessions of ESPS intervention (n = 99) or to a regular social skills (SS) program as a control group (n = 101). They were assessed on posttraumatic symptomatology (PTS), anxiety, somatic complaints, and functional problems, as well as stereotyping and discriminatory tendencies toward White, Arab, and Ethiopian children at 2 time-points: before the intervention and 2 months later. Elementary school students exposed to security threats and war exhibited significant levels of PTS distress as well as stereotyping and discriminatory tendencies toward Arab and Ethiopian children. Two months after the program ended, students in the ESPS group showed significant reduction on all measures compared to the SS group. Results show a strong link between PTS reduction and changes in attitudes toward Arabs. The ESPS program might help reduce PTS as well as prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory tendencies toward minorities in children exposed to political violence, thereby helping to preserve the democratic values and the delicate fabric of our multicultural societies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Cross-Informant Evaluations of Preschoolers’ Adjustment in Different Cultures

An accurate and agreed upon evaluation of preschoolers' behavior is crucial for young children's positive development. This study explores possible cultural differences in cross-informants’ evaluations. The premise is that informants who are from different cultures tend to give different evaluations of preschoolers’ adjustment and/or that the disparity size between informants differs across different cultures. Data on children’s kindergarten adjustment, early development and current behavior at home were collected among 135 Arab and Jewish Israeli preschoolers, as evaluated by their kindergarten teachers, parents, and independent observers who conducted home visits. The study findings indicate that, generally speaking, Arab children received more positive evaluations than Jewish children, with no significant gender or interaction effect. Nevertheless, that culture effect was non-significant when the teachers evaluated the children’s problem behavior. Thus, the current study results support the notion that profound bias may exist in adults’ evaluations of preschoolers.

Low serum vitamin-D status is associated with high prevalence and early onset of type-1 diabetes mellitus in Kuwaiti children.

BackgroundType 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is highly prevalent in Kuwait with incidence of around 40.1/100,000 individuals. Evidence indicate that vitamin D plays an important role in modulating the immune system and could thus impact the onset and high prevalence of T1DM. We report serum vitamin D levels in Kuwaiti children with T1DM and non-diabetic controls to explore its relationship with prevalence and onset of the disease.MethodsThis study included 216 Kuwaiti Arab children with T1DM. The diagnosis of T1DM was based on the ISPAD criteria. The control subjects (204 Kuwaitis) were age and gender matched, healthy, non-diabetic, and had no close relative with T1DM. Vitamin D levels were determined in serum using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) method.ResultsThe age of onset of T1DM was <4y in 20 % of the T1DM cases, between 4 and 6y in 28 % cases and >6y in 52 % patients. In T1DM patient group, 84 % subjects were found to be deficient in serum vitamin D level compared to 77 % of the controls (p = 0.046). Collectively, the deficient and insufficient vitamin D status was detected in 99 % of the T1DM patients compared to 92 % of the controls (p = 0.027). The mean serum vitamin D levels were found to be significantly different in early onset cases (age <4y) compared to the late onset sub-group (p = 0.001). A significant correlation was found between some elements of socioeconomic status, SES (i.e. parent’s profession and family’s income) and lower vitamin D levels in Kuwaiti T1DM children. There was no significant difference between mean serum vitamin D levels during winter and summer months in the T1DM patients.ConclusionsThe proportion of cases with a deficient vitamin D status was significantly high in Kuwaiti T1DM children compared to the controls. The serum vitamin D levels were found to be significantly different in early onset and late onset T1DM patients. Therefore, serum vitamin D status can be considered an important contributor in high prevalence of T1DM in Kuwaiti children.

The Role of Bibliotherapy in Reduction of Violence in Arab Schools in Israel

For many societies violence has become a major problem to be immediately dealt with and overcome. Schools, for reasons ranging from their framework, structure, client population and lack of appropriate educational tools suffer from manifestations of this phenomenon no less than other societal institutions and much more than some. This state of affairs leaves teachers, in general, and Arab teachers in Israel in particular, utterly frustrated and in many cases extremely helpless and bewildered. The situation calls for fast intervention in order to find suitable educational solutions for the reality of Arab teachers and Arab schools that function as a minority with its own set of values, standards and distinguishing features within general Israeli society. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of group bibliotherapy on violence among Arab elementary school children in Israeli society. The study hypothesis is that group bibliotherapy diminishes violence among aggressive children. The study sample included 60 pupils from grades one to six in one Arab elementary school in Israel. The results show a decline in the level of violence among aggressive children that went through bibliotherapy, in comparison with aggressive children that did not receive bibliotherapy. Results suggest that school violence can be mitigated significantly by use of appropriate teacher training programs. Lack of such training and the experience it furnishes may encourage a violent and dangerous environment for the pupils. The program furnished teachers with a tool for successful handling of the violence.

The value of emic research in sport for development and peace programs

ABSTRACTThis paper demonstrates the value of researching the emic perceptions expressed by participants of sport for development and peace (SDP) programs about their program. An Israeli SDP program was chosen which addresses Arab children’s educational needs through sport. Ten semi-structured interviews were held with participants: two Jewish male managers, two Arab male principals and six Arab female volunteers, and a three-stage qualitative data analysis was implemented. The analysis revealed that the participants had constructed a complex array of different meanings and were switching them in the changing social contexts. In the discussion we provide the following explanatory framework: the emic data revealed an ‘impression management’ dynamic, which on the one hand exhibits the agency of the participants to control their short-term reality, but on the other hand conceals a miscommunication problem and discrepancies that weaken the impact of the program as a whole. Better dialogue between the actors may present a risk of controversy and perhaps even the dismantling of the program, yet offers a chance for reform and better development achievements. A routine of emic research could benefit SDP programs in uncovering these and other hidden phenomena.

Modeling the Relation Between Self-Esteem, Loneliness and Engagement as Factors of Children Achievement İn Science

Students' mental health plays an important role in child's daily life. Many studies declared that self-esteem, loneliness and engagement could be a crucial factors that affect students' learning and performance in school. This study is examining the relationship of these three factors with child's achievement in science. The study involved 260 (grade 4 to grade 6) Arab children studying at Arab schools in Kuala Lumpur-Malaysia. Data were collected via three questionnaires (for self-esteem, loneliness and the third one for student engagement), and student science achievement determined by students' GPA scores from their schools. All the questionnaires are valid and reliable according to the Cronbach’s Alpha value. The correlational data analysis yielded a negative correlation between self-esteem and loneliness while there is a positive correlation between self-esteem and engagement and between self-esteem and achievement in science. Furthermore, the results showed that both students’ self-esteem and engagement is significantly predicted students’ achievement in science. Furthermore, results reveal that all the goodness-of-fit indexes fulfilled the requirement of the acceptable model fit with significant paths and correlation. The Model has provided a reasonable explanation of the structural model of students’ self-esteem, loneliness, engagement and achievement in science.

Prevalence and determinants of common fears in children and their socio-demographic characteristic

ObjectiveMost children experience some degree of fear during their development. Excessive fears can create serious obstacles to children. The aim of this study was to identify the most common fears in a sample of children and adolescents and examine the socio-demographic correlates of fears.Subjects and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted during the period July 2010 to February 2012 at Public and Private Schools of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, in Qatar. Out of 2188 students approached, 1703 students agreed to participate in this study, with a response rate of 77.8%. The questionnaire includes socio-demographic information, academic performance, behaviour at home and various fears.ResultsMore than half of the children experienced fears (56.7%). Most of them were in the intermediate level, 12–15 years old (46.1%). Overall, reported fears were significantly more frequent in girls (62.6%) than boys (37.4%) (P &lt; 0.001). A significant difference was observed between girls and boys who experienced fears in their age group (P &lt; 0.001), education of mother (P = 0.04), household income (P = 0.008) and academic performance (P &lt; 0.001). The most frequent reported fears were fear of someone dying in the family (85.2%), parents getting divorced (84.5%), breaking religious law (82%), being kidnapped (78.2%), family members ill (78%) and dying (76.7%).ConclusionsThe study findings revealed that fears were highly prevalent in Arab children and adolescents in Qatar. Girls reported more fears than boys. There was a significant difference observed between girls and boys in their age group and academic performance for the reported fears.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.