Lebanese Residents Research Articles

Patients’ perceptions of community pharmacists’ role: A cross-sectional study in Lebanon

Introduction Recognizing, fostering, and maintaining a favorable public image is crucial for developing strong connections between patients and pharmacists, ultimately enhancing the pharmacist’s influence on healthcare results. Consequently, this research seeks to evaluate how the community perceives the role of pharmacists in Lebanon. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among the Lebanese residents over 2 months. One-way analysis of variance assessed the relationship between the perception score and the general characteristics of the study sample. A multivariate analysis was performed using linear regression models to evaluate the combined effect of predictors on the perception score. Results The study comprised exclusively Lebanese participants, with a slightly higher proportion of males (53.4%) than females (46.6%) and a diverse age distribution, ranging from 18 to 65 years old, with 9.1% being 65 years or older. After adjusting for covariates, females scored 0.25 points lower than males (CI (−0.65, 0.15); p = .217), while individuals aged 40–49 and 50–65 had perception scores of 0.18 and 0.55 points lower than those aged 18–29, respectively (CI (−0.83, 0.48); p = .595 and CI (−1.29, 0.20); p = .153, respectively). Participants from Nabatiyeh had a perception score increase of 0.82 compared to those in Beirut (CI (0.15–1.49); p < .017), and those working in non-medical fields scored 0.90 points lower than others (CI (−1.49, −0.32); p = .002). Individuals with at least one comorbidity scored 0.83 points lower (CI (−1.44, −0.21); p = .008), while patients with public insurance and those with a treatment duration of 6 months had perception scores 0.57 and 0.66 points lower, respectively, compared to their counterparts (CI (−1.12, −0.03); p = .039 and CI (−1.29, −0.03); p = .040). Conclusion Findings stress the significance of tailored healthcare and consistent patient-pharmacist relationships, especially for managing complex conditions, underscoring the importance of understanding these dynamics to bolster trust and appreciation for community pharmacists in Lebanon.

Prevalence and socioeconomic factors associated with non-utilization of dental care in Lebanon: A nationwide cross-sectional survey.

To assess the prevalence of non-utilization of dental care in Lebanon and associated socioeconomic factors and self-care behaviours. A nationwide, quantitative, survey-based study was conducted by trained interviewers with Lebanese residents aged ≥18 years between July and September 2019. Univariate analyses were performed using Pearson Chi Square test or the Fisher's exact test followed by a binary logistic regression using the SPSS Version 25. Of the 1070 participants, 247 (23.1%) did not utilise any type of healthcare and 144/247 (58.3%) did not utilise dental care. The prevalence of non-utilization of dental care was estimated at 13.5%. Only 4.7% of the respondents consulted their dentist in the past year, among which 53% cited pain/emergencies as the reason for their consultation. Socioeconomic factors associated with the non-utilization of dental care were lack of social medical insurance (OR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.31 to 0.79]) and long waiting time/patient time restriction (OR, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.26 to 3.35]). On the other hand, facilitators for utilization of dental care included ethical standards/personal qualities of the dentist (OR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.32 to 0.88]) and convenient cost with respect to the individual's economic status (OR, 0.28 [95% CI, 0.18 to 0.43]). This study suggests that dental care practices in Lebanon, including the non-utilization of dental care, are suboptimal. Measures such as reducing sugar and tobacco consumption, providing information on oral hygiene, and using fluoride products are inexpensive; however, implementing these measures may take substantial time and input by multiple stakeholders.

An exploratory study to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Lebanese residents towards acrylamide.

For years, heat treatment has been an essential method for ensuring mature food that meet the desired quality and safety characteristics. However, this process could lead to the formation of harmful compounds such as acrylamide. In this study we aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) of the Lebanese population toward the potential risk associated with acrylamide. An online survey (n = 598) was conducted among residents in Lebanon aged 18 years and above. The survey was divided into five sections including participants' sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practice sections, and some questions related to consumer's preferences. The results showed that the majority of the participants had low food safety knowledge regarding acrylamide. Specifically, 82.9% of the consumers had no idea about the chemical, its formation, the foods with a high risk of acrylamide formation and the health risks associated with its exposure. Despite lack of knowledge, good domestic food practices (storage, pre-treatment) were noticed among participants. Moreover, the majority of consumers (> 80%) showed positive attitude towards proper acrylamide labeling. Participants with a bachelor's degree appeared to have a more positive attitude toward food safety compared to those with no qualifications (p<0.001). Despite the high consumption of acrylamide by the consumers in Lebanon through fried potatoes, bread, and coffee, the majority have no idea about acrylamide's presence in food, its sources and its adverse health effects. Raising awareness among the public, involving policy makers in addressing the issue of clear labeling and encouraging the adoption of alternative practices to reduce acrylamide are all crucial to protect consumers' health in Lebanon and promote healthier food consumption habits.

Blastocystis spp. and Other Intestinal Parasites in Polish Soldiers Deployed to Lebanon and Iraq.

Intestinal parasitic infections are one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide, particularly in developing countries. A distinct group at increased risk of infection is military personnel deployed overseas for extended periods, typically six months at a time. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. and other intestinal parasites in Polish military personnel returning from deployments to Lebanon (n = 206) and Iraq (n = 220). In this group of subjects, we found Blastocystis spp. (13.6%), Dientamoeba fragilis (3.3%), Entamoeba coli (0.9%), and Endolimax nana (0.5%). Entamoeba histolytica sensu lato and Chilomastix mesnili infections were detected only in one soldier returning from Lebanon and Iraq, respectively. Blastocystis subtype (ST) 3 was predominant in soldiers returning from Lebanon, followed by ST2 and ST1. ST1 infection was predominant in soldiers returning from Iraq, followed by ST3 and ST2. Our study affirms that, deployment abroad is of no influence of the prevalence of parasitic protozoa. However, it would be worth to monitor parasite infection in military personnel returning from tropical zone even if they have no actual symptoms. In addition, it is very important to determine the subtypes of Blastocystis-this may help to clearly define their pathogenicity, especially considering the scarcity of studies on Blastocystis genotypes in Iraqi and Lebanese residents.

Reflections on the initiatives of NGOs, INGOs, and UN organizations in eradicating poverty in Lebanon through the case study of RMF

Despite several measures aimed at helping the poor, almost three-quarters of the Lebanese residents plunge into poverty (ESCWA, 2021), owing to a severe political, economic and financial crisis that hit the country since the last quarter of 2019 (WorldBank, 2021). These combined shocks have resulted in a drop in the living conditions for a large percentage of the Lebanese, minorities, and refugees. Many efforts have been set to lower the levels of poverty by INGOs,NGOs, and UN organizations in the country whether by providing direct relief support to the poor, minorities and refugees or by funding SMEs and startups, yet the changes in the poverty levels are still low. This paper aims at exploring the effects of the programs and projects being implemented by key local NGOs, International NGOs, and UN organizations in the country in an attempt to examine their ability in changing the lives of the beneficiaries and in reducing poverty in the nation. To do so, the paper considers one of the relief programs implemented by René Moawad Foundation RMF; the “Food for Assets through the Construction and Rehabilitation of Irrigation Canals and Agricultural Roads” project that is funded by the European Union MADAD Trust Fund – WFP. The Yin case study protocol was used (R. K. Yin, 2011) (Stake, 1995) (Tellis, 1997) to gather data and analyze them. The paper concludes that such interventions are important and can change the living conditions of the beneficiaries temporarily, but for reducing poverty, sustainable interventions are needed to achieve long run goals.

Letter and Category Fluency: Normative Data for Lebanese Older Adults.

Verbal fluency tasks are frequently used for neuropsychological assessment in clinical practice and research. It consists of two tasks namely category and letter fluency tests. To determine normative values in category (animals, vegetables, fruits) and letter fluency [Mim () "M", Alif () "A", Baa () "B"] tasks in Arabic language in 60 s. This study was a cross-sectional national survey and included 859 community-dwelling, cognitively intact Lebanese residents aged ≥55 years. Norms were presented according to age (55-64 years, 65-74 years, ≥75 years), sex and level of education (illiterate, no diploma, primary certificate, baccalaureate or higher). Level of education had the most significant positive effect on verbal fluency tasks performance amongst Lebanese older adults. The negative effect of older age was more prominent in the category fluency task compared to the letter fluency task. Women outperformed men in vegetables and fruits categories. This study provides clinicians with normative scores of category and letter fluency tests, which can be used for neuropsychological assessment of older Lebanese patients being evaluated for cognitive disorders.

Knowledge and attitude towards monkeypox among the Lebanese population and their attitude towards vaccination.

Monkeypox is a currently re-emerging disease in the world and several cases have been detected in Lebanon. For this reason, an assessment of the knowledge and attitude of the Lebanese population towards monkeypox and smallpox or monkeypox vaccines had to be done. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire developed from previous literature among a sample of Lebanese residents. It recorded the sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities of the participants and analyzed the patterns of knowledge and attitudes in Lebanon. Among 493 participants, it was found that there is a generally low knowledge of and an average attitude toward monkeypox. However, knowledge is better with higher educational levels, COVID-19 vaccination, and residency in the south of Lebanon and poorer with marriage and residency in Beirut. Attitude is better in females but poorer with higher educational levels. Several other effectors have been devised too. As for vaccination, taking the smallpox vaccine as a proactive measure is predicted with previous COVID-19 vaccination and better attitude but not in the residents of the north of Lebanon and married Lebanese residents. Higher educational levels and a better attitude were positive predictions of taking the monkeypox vaccine whenever it is developed. This study revealed low level of knowledge and attitude towards monkeypox and its vaccines, which can be a rich resource when proactive measures are developed.

COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptability: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Lebanese Residents.

Concerns about the side effects of available coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines have posed a significant barrier to vaccination in several countries. Accordingly, the current study aimed to assess the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination and its predictors among the Lebanese population. A cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2021 among Lebanese adults from the 5 main Lebanese districts. The questionnaire included demographic data, questions about COVID-19 experience, COVID-19 anxiety syndrome scale, and attitudes regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Data were analyzed on SPSS, version 23. Statistical significance was considered at a P value ≤ 0.05 with a 95% CI. Of 811 participants, 45.4% (95% CI: 41.9-48.9) accepted taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Choices were negatively affected by concerns about the side effects of the vaccine and positively affected by anxiety and seeking COVID-19 news very closely. Moreover, if the COVID-19 vaccination was a requirement for traveling, participants would be more willing to get the vaccine. Since 54.7% of the studied Lebanese adults were either unwilling or undecided to get the vaccine and COVID-19 news was retrieved mainly from the Ministry of Public Health online site and the local news, the existing targeted campaign should be enforced toward encouraging vaccination to reach herd immunity against COVID-19 and revealing the safety of the vaccines.

When empathy predicts greater support for intergroup violence: Counter-dominance against the U.S. in Syria and Lebanon

For many Arabs, American power and how to contest it has been a crucial issue. We tested the novel hypothesis that people higher in empathy might support attacking the US military to enact counter-dominance. Using random samples of 200 Syrian and 198 Lebanese residents in March, 2010, we examined whether approval of violence was predicted by empathic concern and counter-dominance orientation, and the personal values underlying each. Empathic concern and counter-dominance shared the same underlying values in both countries: they were positively associated with self-transcendence and conservation, and negatively associated with self-enhancement and openness-to-change. We tested whether perceived power differences between Arabs and the U.S. moderated the extent to which support for violence was predicted by empathy. Empathy positively predicted support for violence against the U.S., especially in Syria when perceived power of the U.S. relative to Arabs was higher. Counter-dominance mediated the positive relationship between empathy and support for violence against the U.S. in both countries. The importance of power dynamics in understanding when empathy is associated with support for violence is discussed.

Weight change-related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based cross-sectional study using social cognitive theory.

BackgroundPublished studies during the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic have focused on eating and exercise behaviors and failed to portray a comprehensive understanding of the factors associated with weight change in a setting of a behavioral change framework. This study explores factors associated with weight change during the COVID-19 pandemic among Lebanese residents using the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) framework, integrating behavioral, environmental, and cognitive factors.Materials & MethodsThis study uses a cross-sectional design using an anonymous online survey. Participants were recruited from a tertiary hospital patient portal and social media posts. The survey included four domains: demographics, cognitive, behavioral, psychological, and environmental factors. Multiple validated self-reported instruments were included Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 items (GAD-2), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C), and the dietary pattern evaluation tool.ResultsA sample of 335 complete responses was obtained. Mean age was 39.0 ± 13.4 years old. Participants were mostly females (n = 224, 66.9%), employed (n = 191, 57.4%), nonsmokers (n = 227, 70.5%), reporting depression (n = 224, 80.3%) and anxiety (n = 242, 84.3%). Mean weight change was −7.0 ± 6.0 kg in the decrease weight group and 6.4 ± 5.0 kg in the increase group. When compared to stable weight, the multinomial logistic model factors that were found to correlate significantly to weight gain were: overeating/binge eating (p-value = 0.001) and unbalanced food pattern (p-value = 0.012). Baseline BMI (p-value = 0.003), anxiety (p-value = 0.020) and smoking (p-value = 0.004) were significant factors of weight loss as compared to stable weight.ConclusionsCOVID-19-related weight change is multifactorial and is associated with specific behavior and individual characteristics. Hence, addressing people’s behaviors and relationship to food is vital to control weight change during this continuing and future pandemic or natural occurrence.

Smoking, health risks, coping mechanisms and depression in the age of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study of the Lebanese population.

IntroductionWe compared depression of people who smoke and those who do not, depending on whether they have an underlying disease making them at risk for COVID-19. Moreover, we analyzed the factors associated with their depression.MethodsWe recruited 948 Lebanese residents, ages 18 and above. Our survey included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression. We divided participants, based on smoking and having a disease making one at risk for a COVID19 infection into four groups: non-smokers not at risk (NSNR), non-smokers at risk (NSR), smokers not at risk (SNR), and smokers at risk (SR).ResultsSR had PHQ-9 scores higher than other groups. The diet was not changed during the pandemic, whereas weight increased in all groups but SR. Those not at risk slept longer, while sports were decreased in NSR and SNR. Hobbies were decreased in all groups except SNR. Depending on the group, factors such as age, sex, residency, diet, exercise, sleep duration, and hobbies were associated with PHQ-9 scores.Limitationswe cannot draw causal relationships. Participation required internet access, and participants might not represent the actual population due to the snowball effect. Also, recall bias might skew results. We did not inquire about sexual activity, which could be an essential coping mechanism.ConclusionFactors associated with depression for one group did not necessarily do so for another. Controlling the underlying risk or smoking cessation could move a patient to a group with more options associated with depression, thereby additional methods to decrease depression.

Burnout prevalence and associated factors in a sample of Lebanese residents

ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the prevalence of burnout in a sample of Lebanese residents, and to identify its correlates and risk factors compared to local and international data. MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted at the end of the academic year 2018-2019, between the months of April and July, and targeted residents enrolled at Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine (USJ- FM), in Beirut, Lebanon. Data was gathered via an anonymous online survey which was sent to all the residents through the Faculty administration on their personal email addresses. The questions dealt with demographic and mental health data. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) was used to measure burnout. Results25.7% of the residents responded to the survey, two thirds of whom were female. 72.22% of the respondents suffered from personal burnout whereas as 77.78% suffered from work-related burnout. Only 26.39% residents were concerned with patient-related burnout. Money and professional problems were associated with burnout whereas suicidal thoughts were correlated with higher scores. Alcohol consumption was negatively correlated with CBI. ConclusionThe surveyed residents suffered from burnout which was mainly related to personal and occupational factors. Burnout was not an isolated entity; it should be considered as a whole and described as a subjective experience that varies from one person to another and results from complex biological, psychological and social interactions. It has consequences on the victims’ health and quality of life.

Young people’s perspectives of inequitable urban change in Lebanese towns affected by mass displacement

AbstractThis paper assesses the planning processes which shape urban change in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, from the perspectives of adults working in planning, and young residents. Beginning with the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the towns of Bar Elias, Marj and Majdal Anjar have grown rapidly, as tens of thousands of people have been displaced there. Young Syrians and Lebanese residents’ experiences of urban change point to the role that planning processes play in inequitable urban change. Inequitable urban change negatively impacts Lebanese as well as Syrian residents. Post‐2011 planning policies addressing the Syrian Refugee Crisis do not effectively address the planning processes which create and enable inequalities. They risk obscuring this source of common struggles and exacerbating inequalities.

Under Pressure: When Refugees Feel Pressured to Leave Their Host Countries

AbstractA significant portion of the global population of 270 million migrants are refugees who were forcibly displaced from and are unable to return to their country of origin for reasons ranging from personal safety to economic instability. Almost 30 million refugees are protected by an international refugee regime, which obliges host states to provide safehaven and protections against forced expulsion. Nonetheless, refugee experiences in host countries are highly varied, including with respect to how welcome they feel in their host states. This matters because refugees that feel pressured to leave may be more likely to look to move on to a third country or return home involuntarily and before conditions are safe to do so. We argue that whether or not refugees feel pressured to leave host countries is affected by the varied nature of their quotidian interactions with authorities and regular citizens. To test the validity of this argument we draw upon approximately 1,700 responses to a survey administered among the Syrian refugee population throughout Lebanon in June and July 2018. Our statistical analyses demonstrate that individuals who are registered with the UN and the Lebanese government both feel more pressure to leave the country, as do individuals who are subject to ill treatment at the hands of Lebanese residents or authorities. We also find some tentative evidence that individuals who are not well socially connected within Lebanese society—those that live in predominantly Syrian neighbourhoods in Lebanon—also feel more pressure to leave the country.

What Drives Migration to Europe? Survey Experimental Evidence from Lebanon

What drives people to migrate? Amid a stark increase in international migration at the global scale, we lack individual-level evidence that causally adjudicates between migration’s many drivers. We implement a survey experiment in Northern Lebanon—a hotbed of international migration—to a random sample of 1,000 Syrian refugees and 1,000 Lebanese residents. Respondents were shown the profile of a hypothetical Syrian refugee and asked whether they recommended that the refugee migrate to the European Union. The vignette randomly primed five prominent causes of migration, including push factors (political instability and poverty) and pull factors (open borders, employment opportunities, and cultural openness). We find that pull factors outweighed push factors, suggesting that migrants carefully weigh their chances in Europe. Still, all five primes yielded positive effect sizes, which underlines that prominent theories of migration are complements, not substitutes. Taken together, the evidence suggests that empirical models of migration can be improved if they take into consideration both pull and push factors, rather than prioritizing one over the other.

Should I stay or should I go? The decision to flee or stay home during civil war

ABSTRACT The literature on forced migration reveals a linkage between conflict-related violence and displacement. However, it often neglects the potential that variable forms of violence have differential impacts on the decision to flee violence. Moreover, there is a mobility bias in the empirical literature, whereby analyses often focus upon individuals that leave their homes, neglecting to assess factors influencing decisions to remain at home during conflict. To address these dynamics, we focus upon Lebanon, which experienced a civil war between 1975 and 1990. We leverage a survey of 2,400 Lebanese residents who lived through the civil war. Our analyses suggest different forms of violence play distinct roles in the decisions taken by individuals who remained at home, those that fled internally, and those that fled abroad as refugees.

Knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to cancer screening and prevention in Lebanon: community and social media users' perspectives.

Common to many countries in the Middle East, Lebanon has an increasing cancer burden; however, national screening programs are limited to breast cancer. The literature on cancer screening practices and beliefs is scarce. This cross-sectional study investigates the knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to the prevention and screening for breast, cervical, colon, lung, and skin cancers among Lebanese residents, recruited through social media advertisements and community outreach activities. Participants filled an anonymous questionnaire either via a web-based interface or using tablets distributed at primary health clinics. The characteristics of the two cohorts were compared with chi-square and t-tests. We performed descriptive analysis, followed by multivariate logistic regression for predictors of cancer screening. A total of 407 participants completed the survey online, and 262 filled the study in tablets available at primary care clinics. The two samples were significantly different in terms of age, education, and perceived socioeconomic status. Online participants demonstrated higher knowledge and higher participation in screening practices than their counterparts recruited through community outreach. Mammography (44.7% online and 39.9% in-person), and cervical cancer screening (44.5% online and 36.7% community) had the highest participation rates. In both samples, participants who were older and more educated were more likely to report engagement with cancer screening practices. Our study revealed significant knowledge gaps in cancer prevention and screening. Different sampling techniques accessed diverse populations, highlighting the need for educational messages and targeted screening programs to be inclusive of socio-economically disadvantaged communities with low education and health literacy.

Responding to Precarity: Beddawi Camp in the Era of Covid-19

How are refugees responding to protect themselves and others in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic? How do these responses relate to diverse local, national, and international structures of inequality and marginalization? Drawing on the case of Beddawi camp in North Lebanon, I argue that local responses—such as sharing information via print and social media, raising funds for and preparing iftar baskets during Ramadan, and distributing food and sanitation products to help people practice social distancing—demonstrate how camp residents have worked individually and collectively to find ways to care for Palestinian, Syrian, Iraqi, Kurdish, and Lebanese residents alike, thereby transcending a focus on nationality-based identity markers. However, state, municipal, international, and media reports pointing to Syrian refugees as having imported the virus into Beddawi camp place such local modes of solidarity and mutuality at risk. This article thus highlights the importance of considering how refugee-refugee assistance initiatives relate simultaneously to: the politics of the self and the other, politically produced precarity, and multi-scalar systems that undermine the potential for solidarity in times of overlapping precarities.

Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge and Attitudes to Colorectal Cancer Screening in Lebanon

The continuous awareness campaigns about Colorectal Cancer (CRC) directed towards the Lebanese population in order to foster preventive medicine are on the rise. The impact has been positive and reported in previous research, although the number of victims is still high. This paper aims to perform a recent cross-sectional study of Lebanese residents’ CRC awareness by comparing the findings of two studies carried out in the years 2016 and 2018. The samples of the current study include 1140 (2016) and 993 (2018) participants who completed a simple structured questionnaire directed to assess their knowledge of colon cancer and the behavioral intentions of obtaining CRC screening. Upon comparing results, the percentage of those who know about CRC has increased significantly from 40.4% in 2016 to 78.7% in 2018, the proportion of respondents who believed that family history is the major risk factor for CRC did increase significantly from 47.7% in 2016 to 90.8% in 2018. Likewise, the proportions of respondents who believed that overweight, age, and stress are among the major risk factors for CRC increased from 26.9%, 26.7% and 11.3% in 2016 to 86.2%, 52.1% and 21.51% in 2018, respectively. On the other hand, the proportions for the risk factors related to alcohol and smoking have dropped from 37.7% and 37.3% to 27.4% and 24.2%, respectively. Moreover, the most important source of information for CRC was friends (18.4% in 2016 versus 73.8% in 2018), followed by family (18.7% in 2016 versus 56.7% in 2018), and then physicians (18.9% in 2016 and 40.2% in 2018). In fact, the efforts of the non-governmental organization (NGO) SAID (118 different major activities in the span of 3 years) did make a significant difference in what relates to CRC awareness among the Lebanese population. These findings are used to encourage and support other NGOs to adopt targeted new awareness campaigns which have proven successful, and to present evidence based on facts to government officials in the Ministry of Health to support and possibly sponsor national awareness campaigns and preventive efforts to mitigate CRC levels.

An Arabic Version of the Mini-Mental State Examination for the Lebanese Population: Reliability, Validity, and Normative Data.

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) has not been validated in the Lebanese population and no normative data exist at the national level. To evaluate the reliability and validity of an Arabic version of MMSE developed by the "Groupe de Travail sur les Démences de l'Université Saint Joseph" (A-MMSE(GTD-USJ)) and to provide normative data by gender, age, and education in adults over 55. Study design: national cross-sectional survey. 1,010 literate community-dwelling Lebanese residents aged 55 and above. reproducibility, internal consistency, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under the curve of the A-MMSE(GTD-USJ) for the detection of cognitive impairment using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) as the gold standard. Normative data were established from 720 healthy adults. A-MMSE(GTD-USJ) scores corresponding to the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 50th percentiles were identified according to gender, age, and education. Intra-rater and inter-rater test-retest score correlations were 0.89 and 0.72, respectively. Cronbach alpha coefficient for internal consistency of the A-MMSE(GTD-USJ) was 0.71. A threshold value of 23 provided a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 89.4%. The area under the curve was 0.92. A-MMSE(GTD-USJ) scores increased with education and decreased with age. Women had significantly lower scores than men. Normative data for A-MMSE(GTD-USJ) stratified by gender, age, and education were generated. In reference to the CDR, the A-MMSE(GTD-USJ) is a valid tool to assess cognitive status among Lebanese subjects aged 55 and above. Normative data will help clinicians in detecting cognitive impairment in this population.