Female Arab Research Articles

Red and White Meat Intake in Relation to Gut Flora in Obese and non-Obese Arab Females

Red and White Meat Intake in Relation to Gut Flora in Obese and non-Obese Arab Females

Gender Discrimination towards Female Arab Teenagers in Israel and Their Involvement in Severe Violence: The Mediating Role of Closeness to Parents

Abstract The field of antisocial behaviour has been systematically ignoring women, particularly from ethnic minorities, probably because they occupy a lower position in society. Based on intersectionality theory, the current study examined perceptions of being discriminated against as a result of being a female in a conservative society, which restricts familial support, and the contribution of such discrimination towards violence against others amongst female Arab adolescents. The present study is based on a sample of 404 Arab female adolescents and young women (aged 12–21 years) in Israel. Participants completed a structured, anonymous self-report questionnaire. The results showed that perpetration of severe violence by female participants was correlated significantly and positively with affiliation with delinquent peers, perceived ethnonational discrimination and sexual victimisation. Conversely, closeness to parents was significantly and negatively correlated with perpetration of severe violence by female participants. The findings also showed that the association between gender discrimination and severe physical violence was mediated by closeness to parents. The findings suggest that traditional patriarchal attitudes towards gender roles might be a risk factor for antisocial behaviour and involvement in delinquency. They also highlight the critical role of parental factors in mediating violent behaviours amongst female adolescents experiencing gender discrimination in a patriarchal society.

The Role of Social Media in Developing Interests in Sports Among Arab Women

This paper examines the impact of social media in developing Arab women’s interest in sports. A survey questionnaire based on the uses and gratification theory was distributed to 411 Arab women from different age groups, education levels, and employment statuses. In analyzing the results to explore the participants’ motivation in their use of social media for sports, the study indicates that entertainment and information-seeking were the main motivations for women consuming sports on social media. The overall findings also suggest that social media plays a pivotal role in driving Arab females’ interests in sports.

Prevalence of neutropenia among adult Arabs in Qatar: Relation to other hematological parameters and anthropometric data.

Neutropenia ranges from a normal variant to life-threatening acquired and congenital disorders. This study aims at providing baseline information regarding the prevalence and spectrum of neutropenia in the Arab blood donors who are living in Qatar. This retrospective cohort study was conducted to review the data of healthy Arab individuals (≥18 years) who donated blood between January 1, 2015 to May 15, 2019. A complete blood count was performed using automated analyzers. The prevalence of neutropenia was 10.7%. The prevalence in females was 32% and in males, it was 6%. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) below 1 × 109/L was detected in 10% of Arab females and 1.8 % of Arab males. In females, the neutropenic group had significantly lower hemoglobin (Hb) levels and higher red cell distribution width, and lower total white blood cells and lymphocyte counts (P < .001) compared to the group with ANC > 1.5 × 109/L. Significant correlations were found between the ANC and Hb (r = 0.33, P < .05) and ANC and total white blood cells (r = 0.45, P < .01). The prevalence of neutropenia is considerably high in Arab adult females compared to other ethnic groups. Besides the genetic constitution of Arabs, the lower Hb and higher red cell distribution width in females suggest that iron deficiency could contribute to the development of neutropenia.

Taboo metaphtonymy, gender, and impoliteness: how male and female Arab cartoonists think and draw

ABSTRACT The debate about whether the sexes communicate and behave differently continues. The stereotype that women are not funny or that their language or behavior is more “ladylike” is very widespread and has been current for decades, if not centuries. Gender differences in politeness and humor were also frequently reported by early anthropologists, sociolinguists, and cognitivists, but many modern linguists are far from convinced by such findings. Examining multimodal communication, a development phase within many fields, may help us find evidence to support or undermine a sociocognitive hypothesis such as women are more polite or are naturally less funny than men. Using a corpus of political cartoons, this study identifies whether there are gender differences in the use of taboo language and humor, putting special emphasis on impolite metaphor and metonymy. The results of this research show no differences between male and female cartoonists in the use of taboo or impolite metaphors and metonymies. Rather, individual variations are reported. This analysis, then, offers a new window on an age-old question about how men and women think, communicate, and behave.

Hollywood’s (Mis) Construction of Gender: The Aesthetics and Politics of Stigmatising Arab/Muslim Women

The image of the Arab and Muslim woman, whether as sexually obsessed and oppressed or simply a backward terrorist invented and reinvented in the studios of Orientalist filmmakers, has been an object for decades (and hardly a subject) of imperial Orientalist discourse. From being depicted as repressed mysterious harems sexually outfoxing one another to gain the sheik’s attention to eroticised veiled belly dancers alluring the audience to eventually fanatical extremists threatening the United States, Arab and Muslim women’s representation reflects that Hollywood cinema had reached its sexist and racist height long before the September 11 attacks. By presenting them as voiceless and unable to speak for themselves, the entire industry not only undermine the efforts of female Arab and Muslim activists to achieve gender equality but also acts and reacts within a vicious hegemonic patriarchal discourse that hinders their progressive attempts to better their image.

Cartooning and sexism in the time of Covid-19: Metaphors and metonymies in the Arab mind.

Using a large-scale corpus of 706 coronavirus cartoons by male and female Arab artists, this study takes a fresh and more cognitive look at sexism in multimodal discourse. Specifically, it examines the role of salience and grammar (and hence of metaphor and metonymy) in gender bias and/or in discrimination against women. It argues that both men and women are vulnerable to the influence of stereotypical and outdated beliefs that create unconscious bias. But this raises the crucial issue of whether we can speak of 'overt' sexism in images. Issues around terminology and conceptualization are thus also investigated. Importantly, this paper makes the following contributions to feminist and cross-cultural pragmatics: (i) it brings a distinctly Arabic perspective to gender and language; (ii) it expands socio-cognitive pragmatics beyond spoken and written communication; (iii) it shows a close coupling between an Arabic grammar and other aspects of culture; and (iv) it has the potential for impact beyond academia, specifically in the sphere of coronavirus care or of health communication.

Metacognitive Listening Comprehension Strategies of Arab English Language Learners

Based on the premise that the higher the metacognitive awareness is, the more successful the learners are or vice versa; this study aimed at categorizing the metacognitive listening comprehension strategies (MLCS) of Arab EFL learners in the Preparatory Year Deanship (PYD), Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), Saudi Arabia. The data of 353 participants (237 males and 116 females) collected through the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) and analysed using descriptive statistical techniques showed that all participants were higher moderate users of all five subscales formed out of 21 strategies. However, their most preferred subscale was problem-solving and the least favourite was mental translation. Directed attention, planning and evaluation, and personal knowledge strategies ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively. Female and male respondents were also found to have preferred similar strategies. In other words, male and female Arab EFL learners did not differ much in employing the MLCS while listening to English texts. The pedagogical implications of being aware of MLCS were also discussed, along with suggestions for students, instructors, and syllabus designers to integrate explicit metacognitive instructions for preparing, planning, managing, monitoring, assessing, and reflecting on listening activities.

Women (Re)Writing Milton

Women (Re)Writing Milton

“A Whiff Like the Effect of Butterflies at the End of the Earth”1 : Esthetics of Linguistic Discourse in the Poems of Arab Poetesses as Mirrors of Liberation and Influence

Many female Arab writers have chosen poetry as the most efficient and esthetically most gratifying medium for expressing the discourse of liberation and influence that they are leading. The present paper discusses the new poetic devices adopted by various women poets, from the use of shocking titles to the creation of unusual devices for communication between reader and poem. In this study, we focus on three poems by three women poets and compare the role that verbal esthetics play in promoting the concept of liberation and influence in them. The first poem is ‘Taḥaddin’ (Challenge) by the Algerian poet Aḥlām Mustaghāminī (b. 1942). In it, language appears as an instrument for a discourse of liberation in face of great challenges: politics, society, the writer herself. The poet uses such traditional devices as harmonizing intertexuality and functional rhyme to construct her vision. The Iraqi poet Wafā Abd al-Razzāq (b. 1952) in her ‘Waqfāt’ (Pauses) takes symbols out of their usual context and deprives them of their evocative power in the reader’s mind, enabling her to use them to create images of her own vision of women composers of poetry. Maysūn Ṣaqr (b. 1958) of the United Arab Emirates expresses redemption through the act of writing by using meta-linguistic esthetic constructions such as écart, contrasting intertextuality and enjambement that shatter the meaning. All three poems use devices that are similar to those used by male Arab poets in modern times, the poetesses have succeeded in giving these devices a feminine coat unique to them. The difference lies in the mode of their use: 1) clearly hearing the feminine first person, 2) allusions to children’s voices, masks and stories, and 3) biographical tales whose protagonists are women, all of which are rarely to be found in the writings of male poets.

A rare homozygous p.Arg87Trp variant of the GBA gene in Gaucher disease: A case report

Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare metabolic disorder due to pathogenic variants in the GBA gene. We report the first case of the rare p.Arg87Trp pathogenic variant (formerly known as R48W) of the GBA gene in the Tunisian population. A female Arab patient was assessed at the age of 26 due to abdominal distension, bone pain, and headache since she was 25. Physical examination revealed splenomegaly, rib deformation, lumbar scoliosis, and upper limb tremor. Bone marrow was infiltrated by Gaucher cells. The patient was homozygous for the rare p.Arg87Trp variant which is known to be associated with a mild phenotype. This report highlights the necessity of screening the Tunisian population for this rare variant.

Screening for Sarcopenia among Elderly Arab Females: Influence of Body Composition, Lifestyle, Irisin, and Vitamin D.

Sarcopenia is the loss of skeletal muscle mass, and is most common in older people. The present multi-center cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and possible risk factors among Arab elderly females. A total of 131 ambulatory Saudi elderly females aged 60–85 years (mean age 65.9 ± 5.5 years) were recruited to participate. A general questionnaire with questions related to sociodemographic factors, medical history, diet, physical activity, and lifestyle was administered. Anthropometrics and muscle assessments were done. Fasting blood glucose and lipids were measured routinely. Circulating 25(OH)D and irisin levels were measured using commercially available assays. Sarcopenia was assessed using the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). Over-all prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.8% (26 out of 131 participants). Novel measures such as abdominal volume index (AVI), dietary fiber, and irisin were found to be significantly lower in the sarcopenia group than those without sarcopenia, independent of age. No associations were found with physical activity or dietary and lifestyle habits. In conclusion, sarcopenia is relatively common among Arab elderly females. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether lifestyle modifications can decrease the incidence of sarcopenia in this population. Irisin maybe a promising biomarker for sarcopenia but needs to be confirmed using larger sample sizes.

Cancer Burden Among Arab World Males in 2020: The Need for a Better Approach to Improve Outcome.

PURPOSECancer is a leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. This work aims to study the Arab world males' cancers (AMCs) and the similarities and disparities with the world males' cancers (WMCs) from different burden points of view.MATERIALS AND METHODSA descriptive review of the 2020 Global Cancer Observatory revealed AMCs compared with the 2020 WMCs and the 2018 AMCs. Data on the top 27 AMCs were compared among the region's countries and the world groups.RESULTSIn 2020, a total estimate of 217,203 new AMCs, 2.2% of WMCs, with an average age-standardized rate of 133.5/100,000 population, compared with 222/100,000 population of WMCs, was observed. Death estimates were 148,395, 2.7% of WMCs, with an average age-standardized rate of 95/100,000 population, compared with 120.8/100,000 population of WMCs. The five-year prevalence was observed in 442,014, 1.8% of WMCs. The average AMC mortality to incidence ratio (MIR) was 0.68, compared with 0.55 in WMCs and 0.54 in Arab females. Lung cancer was the top in incidence and mortality, whereas penile cancer was the lowest. The range of MIRs among the 27 cancer types was 0.19-0.96.CONCLUSIONThe descriptive review of the 2020 males' cancers in the Arab world revealed a relatively high MIR, compared with males' cancers worldwide and the females' cancers in the Arab world. This requires further evaluation to discern the underlying causes and address them systematically. More cancer control actions are warranted.

Female rap in Arab countries. The case of Mayam Mahmoud

Female rappers in the Arab world have increased in both number and prominence in recent years. Yet, while there is extensive bibliography on female rap in the Western world, few studies have examined female rap in the Arab world. This paper represents a preliminary approach to this phenomenon, offering a general overview of the fe- male rappers in various Arab countries and the different issues they address. The paper then goes on to analyze a corpus consisting of the texts of the young Egyptian rapper Mayam Mahmoud, who has become internationally famous, highlighting linguistic aspects as well as the themes. The topics preferred by female Arab rappers include political problems in their country and social themes such as the situation of women, their day-to-day reality, the struggle against sexism and solidarity among women. The language used is direct, straightforward and free of social conventions. These aspects are in line with “conscious” rap created by women around the world. Rap music has become a vehicle through which women seek to secure a share of the power, affirm their choices and build alternative visions of their identity.

The Use of Social Media as a Tool for Learning: Perspectives of Students in the Faculty of Education at Kuwait University

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of social media by students in the Faculty of Education, University of Kuwait. The study was conducted within the context of the socio-cultural characteristics of Kuwait, and was underpinned by Alsaied’s (2017) Social Media - Learning Performance model, designed for female Arab students. A volunteer sample of 35 Kuwaiti undergraduate students (88.6% female) was interviewed. Students reported frequently using social media informally for socialization and entertainment, but less frequently as a formal educational tool. Most of the students perceived that social media facilitated interaction with peers, interaction with faculty, engagement, and collaborative learning. However, technical difficulties, and certain negative attitudes towards women using social media, were identified. We recommend that Kuwait University needs to harness the full benefits of social media for teaching and learning and to formulate official guidelines to control the use of social media by all faculty members and students.

Neutropenia and Lymphocytopenia Among Arab Females with Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) and their Response to Iron therapy.

Introduction:The link between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and neutropenia/lymphocytopenia is not well established in the literature. This study aims at assessing the prevalence and clinical characteristics of neutropenia and lymphocytopenia in IDA patients considering the impact of iron replacement on the total and differential WBCs’ count.Subjects and Methods:The records of all female patients with IDA who attended our hematology clinic (Jan 2018 to Jan 2020) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with systemic or chronic diseases were excluded. Age, BMI, CBC, and iron parameters were collected before and after IV iron therapy.Results:Out of 1,567 adult females with IDA, 80 patients had leukopenia (5.1%), 64 had neutropenia (4.0%), and 20 had lymphocytopenia (1.2%). After iron therapy, their mean leukocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes increased significantly to 4.38 ± 1.82 ×103/L, 2.3 ±1.56 ×109/L and 1.76 ± 0.48 ×103/L, respectively. About 67% of women with IDA and neutropenia had increased ANC in response to iron therapy. However, no significant correlation was found between leukocytes, ANC, or lymphocytes with TIBC or serum iron concentration.Conclusions:Neutropenia and/or lymphocytopenia may occur in patients with IDA and are reversible with iron therapy. Iron therapy led to the correction of anemia in 100% and increased ANC in 67%. Therefore, neutropenic women with IDA should be treated, initially only with iron, and observed for their Hb and ANC responses before starting any other treatment. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Female Arab teenagers' involvement in antisocial behavior: Intersection of perceived ethnonational discrimination, sexual victimization, and affiliation with delinquent peers.

Based on intersectionality theory, the present study examined the contribution of direct, indirect, and interactive effects of individual, family, peer, and contextual factors on violence against others among female Arab teenagers. The study is based on a sample of 193 at-risk teenagers aged 12-21 (M = 16.5), who completed questionnaires in their out-of-home care settings. Almost 60% of participants reported having perpetrated at least one moderate act of physical violence against others at least once during the preceding month. More than one-third (40%) had experienced at least one incident of sexual victimization during their lives. In addition, almost two-thirds (61%) reported experiencing at least one incident of ethnonational discrimination at least once during the past year. The findings also showed that the association between sexual victimization and moderate physical violence against others was mediated by the teenagers' affiliation with delinquent peers and moderated by perceived ethnonational discrimination. Finally, for participants with medium or high levels of perceived ethnonational discrimination, the associations between sexual victimization and perpetration of moderate physical violence, and between sexual victimization and peer delinquency, were stronger than for participants with low perceived discrimination. Examining the association between sexual victimization and violence perpetration is important, especially among at-risk teenagers in a conservative society, which expects victimized adolescents and young women to remain silent, given that silencing increases the risk of victims' involvement in delinquency and antisocial behavior. Intervention programs should be sensitive to the special situation of at-risk teenagers who experience marginalization consisting of several risk factors, including membership in an ethnonational minority and a traditional society in the context of a political conflict. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Body dysmorphic features among Snapchat users of “Beauty-Retouching of Selfies” and its relationship with quality of life

Within the history of social networking applications the use of Snapchat has risen rapidly. Users of Snapchat can apply filters to change their appearance before they share photos. The present study aimed at assessing body dysmorphic features among Snapchat users of “Beauty-Retouching of Selfies” and its relationship with quality of life. A total of 507 Arab females participated in this study by responding to the Quality of Life (QOL) and Body Dysmorphic Features (BDF) scales as well as some demographic questions. Results showed that the mean of the body dysmorphic features was slightly above the theoretical mean of the BDF scale, which indicates that females who use Snapchat Beauty-Retouching features have a high tendency toward body dysmorphic features. Additionally, the quality of life mean was clearly above the theoretical mean of the QOL, which means that participants in general have a good quality of life. The study found a fundamental relationship between the two variables, QOL and BDF, and the relationship is in the negative direction. The results indicated that the relationship between BDF and QOL changes with age, educational levels, and social status. This study proposes further research to focus on identifying the most noteworthy factors influencing body image and QOL.

Challenges in the diagnosis and management of gaucher's disease in a young adult libyan arab female

Gaucher's disease is a rare lysosomal storage disease that can present with a wide range of clinical symptoms according to type and severity, ranging from mild general wellbeing, organomegaly, pancytopenia, neurological symptoms, lung involvement, and even death, making the diagnosis and work up challenging to reach a diagnosis. We report a Libyan Arab female presented with bruises after minor trauma, bone aches, and fatigue. A 35-year-old female from Libyan–Arab ethnicity attended the hematology clinic complaining of bruises after minor trauma, bone aches, and undue fatigability. She mentioned and evident from her medical record that she has been suffering from these complaints for 5 years and does not have any definite diagnosis. Mild splenomegaly was the only finding on clinical examination this time. There was no fever and no lymphadenopathy. Thrombocytopenia with a platelet count 90 × 10 and quot; 3/ml, and splenomegaly of 16 cm was found on investigations. She was diagnosed with cryptogenic thrombocytopenia, and she was advised for a follow-up visit. Our patient attended a follow-up visit twice in the next 18 months with similar complaints of manageable bruising, bone pain, and fatigability. Hematology reports showed thrombocytopenia in each visit. An ultrasonogram of the abdomen revealed a gallbladder stone and spleen have a size of 17 cm. Bone marrow biopsy was done, and a blood test confirmed glucocerebrosidase enzyme deficiency. Considering the diagnosis of Gaucher's disease, treatment with imiglucerase infusion was started. Unfortunately, she failed to continue the treatment due to a shortage of supply of the medication. A few months later, she got pregnant and developed threatened abortion, which ended with a miscarriage. This case illustrates the need to consider this disease in the differential diagnoses when dealing with unexplained thrombocytopenia, anemia, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly. There are several challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of Gaucher's disease, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Educational level, ethnicity and mortality rates in Israel: national data linkage study

BackgroundMany studies have shown significant gaps in mortality, and cause specific mortality by educational status. This study investigated these measures in Israel by educational and ethnic status in recent decades.MethodA mortality follow-up till 2017 was done of a cohort of Israeli residents aged 25–64 in 2000 who remained in Israel and had available educational data, grouped into under 8, 9–11, 12, 13–15 and 16 and above years of education. Indirect age adjustment was used to calculate Standard Mortality Ratios (SMRs) by sex and educational group, and a Cox regression model to assess relative risk of total and cause specific mortality controlling for age and ethnic group (Jews and Others and Arabs).The analysis was repeated for each ethnic group separately.Results2,776,422 persons were included of whom 174,792 (6.3%) died till 2017. SMR’s for total mortality of males and females with less than 8 years of education compared to 16 and over were 2.2 and 1.8, respectively. Corresponding HR were 2.13 (95% CI 2.08–2.18) and 1.77 (95% CI 1.72–1.82), respectively.The highest cause specific hazard ratios in males were for homicide, 4.40 (95% CI 3.19–6.07), respiratory diseases, 4.01 (95% CI 3.61–4.44), infectious diseases, 3.55 (95% CI 3.15–3.19) and diabetes 3.41 (95% CI 3.06–3.79) and in females for diabetes, 4.41 (95% CI 3.76–5.16), infectious diseases, 4.16 (95% CI 3.52–4.91), respiratory diseases, 4.13 (95% CI 3.55–4.81), and heart disease, 2.96 (95% CI 2.66–3.29).Education-adjusted risk of all-cause mortality for Arab males was 1.07 (1.05–1.09) times that of Jews and Others and non-significant in females. High mortality risk was found for Arab males and females compared to Jews and Others for homicide, diabetes, heart and cerebrovascular disease and for respiratory disease in males. Lower risk was found for suicide and infectious diseases in both sexes andcancer in females.ConclusionWe found significant effect of educational level on all-cause and cause specific mortality, particularly respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes and homicide. Our results highlight the importance of increasing the educational level of all groups in the population and of encouraging healthy behavior in the lower educated.