Jordanian People Research Articles

Variation in Address Forms for Arab Married and Unmarried Women in the Workplace: A Sociolinguistic Study

This study aims at investigating address forms that are usually used in the workplace to address Arab married and unmarried women, from a sociolinguistic point of view. Despite the universality of the notion of using address forms, the elements that make them up and the rules that govern their use are cultural and social bound. It examines the use of address forms in relation to the impact of social variables such as gender, age and status on the form being used. To this end, a discourse completion task (DCT) was used to collect data. Analysis of 2000 occurrences of using address terms was carried out. Occurrences were collected from 100 Jordanian people working for JHAS organization. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively. Data were categorized into ten major categories. Results of the study highlight the most persistent terms of address. Results show that personal ‘first name’ form was the most frequently used address form, while ‘kinship terms’ were the least used form of address.

Osteoporosis Amongst Jordanians: Effect of Pharmacist- Directed Brochure Education on People’s Knowledge

Purpose: To assess osteoporosis knowledge among Jordanian people and to evaluate the effect of a pharmacist-directed brochure on the knowledge.Methods: This study was an interventional study conducted in two major cities of Jordan. The baseline knowledge of participants about osteoporosis (KOS) was evaluated by a validated, back-translated questionnaire. Thereafter, participants received a pharmacist-directed brochure education about osteoporosis, and then their knowledge was assessed using the same questionnaire.Results: Of the 395 people visiting community pharmacies in Jordan that were enrolled into the study, their age ranged from 18 to > 60 years old and 70.4 % were female. More than 60 % of the participants had good baseline knowledge about osteoporosis (median KOS > 50 %). Gender, education and smoking status significantly affected baseline knowledge. The pharmacist-directed brochure significantly improved KOS score (78 % vs. 56 %, p < 0.001).Conclusion: Current knowledge of Jordanians about osteoporosis is moderate, especially females. However, majority of Jordanians believe that they need more education about osteoporosis. The educational brochure significantly improved knowledge in various important aspects. Comprehensive educational programs, which cover more areas of osteoporosis knowledge, and that should not necessarily depend only on written material, is therefore recommended.Keywords: Osteoporosis, Patient education, Pharmacists, Disease management

“It’s our Culture” and the Transition to Parenthood in Jordan: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Purpose: This research study aimed to identify and describe the importance of cultural values and beliefs in shaping the experience of the transition to parenthood for new parents, in relation to marriage, birth and family life. Method: Qualitative research interviews were conducted on a convenience sample of young men (n=15), young women (n=15) and 10 older people selected from three regions of Jordan. All interviews were audio taped and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: The results revealed that culture has a major influence in structuring the experiences of the transition to parenthood in relation to marriage, birth and family life. Conclusion: Because of cultural limitations on young people, Jordanian young people feel completely “unprepared” for the transition to parenthood. This unpreparedness impacts on the whole experience of marriage, birth and family life. Preparing young adults for the transition to parenthood needs collaboration between all Institutions such as the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Health and the community services.

Assessment of Important Trace Elements in Jordanian Adult Females and Males by Using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

2 Abstract: The human body requires certain minerals for the overall health and proper functioning of th e organ systems. The essential trace elements were very important for human life, which their imbalance in blood leads to very dangerous diseases (Zn, Cu, Fe, Cr, Se, Co, Mn and Mg). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of Zinc, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Chromium, Selenium, Cobalt and Manganese in serum of healthy adult females and males in Jordan. Serum levels of Zn, Cu, Fe, Mg, Cr, Se, Co, Mn and Mg were determined by flame and flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Blood have been collected from1000 men and 1000 women apparently healthy Jordanian people aged 20-70 years. The mean concentration of zinc was between (0.96-1.02 and 0.8-1.02 µg/mL) in men and women, respectively. The concentration of zinc was slightly increased with ages. The mean values of copper were between (1.38- 1.72 µg/mL), there is no significance deficiency in all ages and sexes. The average mean values of Fe were found to be (1.28-1.62 µg/mL) for men and (1.12-1.57 µg/mL) for women, with a deficiency of 5.9% in men and 8.5% in women. The chromium mean in men were between (0.04-0.055 µg/mL) with a deficiency of 43.06%, while in women were between (0.041-0.049 µg/mL), with a deficiency of 40.28%. The concentration of magnesium in blood serum was between 14.2-16.1 µg/mL for men and 14.3-16.3 µg/mL for women. The mean selenium concentrations in all healthy volunteers were in the range of 85-100 ng/mL for men and 82- 99 ng/ml for women. The lowest levels of Se were shown in old people. The adult serum Co values were 0- 34 ng/mL for men and 0-35 ng/mL for women. The cobalt deficiency was about 17% in men and women. The level of serum Manganese was 14-19 ng/mL for men and 11-15 ng/mL for women, it was noted that the level of Mn in men was higher than in women for all ages. The Mg concentrations of serum were 14.10±3.3 and 14.89±3.3 µg/mL for men and women. On the basis of this study finding and those of other reports, trace elements deficiency may contribute to diets and diseases through its significant effects on various organs parameters. It seems that the estimation of serum or plasma trace elements may help in investigation and treatment of some diseases in both males and females.

Deficiency of vitamin B12 among Jordanian people with psychological and biological activity

This study was conducted to evaluate vitamin B12 level among Jordanians healthy people and its effects on psychological parameters. One hundred and eighty six subjects were recruited in the study. The subjects were chosen to be healthy, aged between 16 to 71 years. Participants were asked to fill a detailed questionnaire that covered medical data then they were divided into three age groups. Serum vitamin B12 levels were done for all volunteers. Results showed the mean values of B12 concentrations in males and females. There were lower mean B12 concentration in females (264.02 pmol/L) than males (281.56 pmol/L) and a total mean concentration was 265.79 pmol/L that is near the cutoff value which was 258 pmol/liter. The mean value of the B12 distributed in different age ranges for the mean concentration of the 16 to 25 years group was 249.03 pmol/L significantly lower than the other group. There were highly significant difference between the groups in terms of low sexual activity, Memory loss, Loss of appetite and depression and deficiency of vitamin B12. Key words: Vitamin B12, B12 deficiency and psychological parameters.

Smoking Practices in Jordanian People and their Impact on Semen Quality and Hormonal Levels among Adult Men

Despite worldwide anti-smoking campaigns, cigarette smoking prevalence is increasing in the third-world countries. It is now regarded as the most important public health issue. Here, we study the current smoking situation and investigate the impact of cigarette smoking on semen quality and hormonal levels among adult people. Furthermore, we suggest various strategies to reduce smoking consumption among young individuals. Across-sectional data from 804 adult smoker subjects (male n = 530 and female n = 274) aged between 15 and 45 years were analyzed. One hundred and eleven males were agreed for further evaluation of their semen quality and hormones compared with 93 age-matched non-smoking males. This study showed that the majorfactors initiating smoking among women were friends' influence (49%), life pressures (16%) and parental imitation (14%). The major reasons in men was friends' influence (65%). Furthermore, 61% ofwomen and 89% of men smoke in public implying social acceptance oreven encouragement of this habit. This study also found that low-income Jordanians consume more tobacco materials than those in the middle- and higher income. Furthermore, smokers had significantly lower (p < 0.001) sperm concentration and motility values and higher (p < 0.001) serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels than non-smokers.

Anthropometric cutoff values for detecting metabolic abnormalities in Jordanian adults.

ObjectivesTo determine cutoff values for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as indicators of metabolic abnormalities in the adult Jordanian population.MethodsA structured questionnaire was administered to collect relevant information. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical measurements were carried out. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses were used to examine the overall discriminatory power of the four anthropometric indices.ResultsWC cutoff values varied from 88.5 to 91.8 cm in men and from 84.5 to 88.5 cm in women. The BMI cutoff values varied from 26.2 to 27.2 kg/m2 in men and from 27.2 to 30.0 kg/m2 in women. The WHR cutoff values varied from 0.88 to 0.90 in men and from 80.0 to 0.83 in women. The WHtR cutoff values varied from 0.50 to 0.51 in men and women. Of all anthropometric indices, WHtR had the strongest association with each metabolic abnormality in men and women.ConclusionBMI, WC, WHR, and WHtR were found to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, with WHtR being the better predictor. We recommend that health care professionals use WHtR, with a cutoff value of 0.5 for screening and counseling Jordanian people.

Evaluation of calcium content of drinking water supplies and its effect on calcium deficit in Jordan

In this study, calcium intake by Jordanians from diet and different sources of water was evaluated. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared and distributed to 300 persons in three major cities namely: Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa. The questionnaire included the type of diet which people eat daily and the type of water they drink. The amount of calcium intake was calculated by knowing the calcium content of the diet, the type of water and calcium bioavailability. The concentration of calcium in sold-RO water, home-RO water, bottled water and rain water was determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The calcium content in tap water was obtained from the Jordanian water authority determined by ion chromatography. It was found that 63% of the Jordanian people who live in Amman, 43% living in Irbid and 30% living in Zarqa depend on reverse osmosis (RO) water for drinking and cooking due to high salinity of tap water. Results showed that such water contains not more than 6 mg/L calcium which is ...

Oral Disease Status of a Sample of Jordanian People Ages 10 to 28 with Cleft Lip and Palate

To determine the levels of periodontal disease and dental caries in subjects with cleft lip and palate and to compare them with matched noncleft control subjects. A total of 32 subjects with cleft lip and palate, ages 10 to 28 years, and a similar number of noncleft control subjects were examined for plaque biofilm deposits, gingivitis, periodontitis, and dental caries by using the Silness and Löe plaque index (PI), Löe and Silness gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and the decayed-missing-filled-teeth (DMFT) index, respectively. Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, and Prince Rashed Hospital, Royal Medical Services, northern Jordan. Scores for PI, GI, PPD, and DMFT were significantly higher in subjects with cleft lip and palate than in control subjects. Subjects with cleft lip and palate are at an increased risk for dental caries and periodontal disease when compared with a noncleft population.

The New Jordanian Hospitality: House, Host, and Guest in the Culture of Public Display

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan evokes a simpler time, a sense of place and a cherished way of life. A visit to Jordan brings a return to respected and hallowed tradition. Immediately upon arrival, the visitor is aware of the inherent hospitality of the Jordanian people as exemplified by the Arabic “Ahlan wa sahlan” (“I Welcome You”), heard at every turn.

Tourism and Social Change: The Case of Israeli Ecotourists Visiting Jordan

This study evaluated the role of tourism as an agent of change between two countries that have been traditionally hostile to each other—Israel and Jordan. Fifty Jewish Israeli ecotourists who traveled to Jordan for the first time were asked to complete a structured questionnaire that measured attitudes toward Jordanian people, their political beliefs, and their institutions. Each tourist was asked to complete the questionnaire before leaving for Jordan and after returning home. A control group of Israeli ecotourists who did not go to Jordan was also asked to complete the questionnaire twice. The results showed that the tourist experience that the Israeli ecotourists encountered significantly altered their opinions and attitudes toward the Jordanian people and their institutions, in the positive direction. Overall, of 33 attitudinal statements, 15 (45.4%) show a positive change as a result of the tourist experience, while none of the attitudes changed in the negative direction.

A Jordanian view about cancer knowledge and attitudes.

Cancer is a major cause of death in Jordan. It is noticed that the majority of the Jordanian people still have many misconceptions about this disease. Public education campaigns were launched regularly when the first cancer center in the country was initially opened and began to function partially in 1996. However, the baseline data needed for the initial planning of these campaigns were not available. This study aimed at exploring the knowledge and attitudes of a sample of the Jordanian people toward cancer. The questionnaire, Public Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Cancer (PKAC), developed by the researchers, was the main tool used in the study. The questionnaire consisted of two sections: The first section obtained demographic data about the participants, and the second solicited data concerning the participants' knowledge and feeling about the disease. The second section contained items to which the participants answered yes, no, or don't know. The findings of this study will contribute to our general understanding and knowledge of the educational needs in Jordanian society regarding cancer as a disease.

Congratulation and thank you announcements in Jordanian newspapers: Cultural and communicative functions

This study examines congratulation and thank you announcements in Jordanian newspapers. The practice of placing personal messages of congratulations and thanks in newspapers, which is very common in Jordan, will be looked at in terms of their use by Jordanian people for the purpose of serving a number of communicative functions. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the full extent of the communication that is thereby achieved, which clearly extends well beyond the normal information‐giving function of newspaper announcements. Various aspects of these announcements — their structure, distribution, size, number, position in the newspaper, frequency, use of photographs — were examined in order to see what type of sociolinguistic information they attempt to communicate. The findings demonstrate that these announcements can be seen as real communicative events, in the sense that they attempt to communicate a wealth of information about the announcer and the addressee(s). Some announcement were also found to be used by some institutions or individuals for the purpose of selling themselves or selling the addressee(s) to the public. Moreover, the study also revealed that congratulation and thank you announcements are governed by such sociological factors as sex, socio‐economic status, and occasion, among other factors. The findings presented here bear on orientations toward the importance of studying language as a communicative device in relation to the society in which it is used and the sociocultural functions it attempts to serve.