Middle Eastern Arab Research Articles

Personality research in Lebanon: Personal reflections on challenges and opportunities

In this paper, we seek to answer the question: “What is it like to do personality science in Lebanon?” Sharing our personal experiences, we reflect on the challenges and opportunities related to personality research in Lebanon, a Middle Eastern Arab country with a turbulent context. First, we discuss barriers to personality research that we have faced in Lebanon (e.g., scarce opportunities and technical resources to conduct research, the limited number of academics specialized in a particular research area, lack of national efforts to coordinate personality psychology research, limited funding opportunities, and economic and financial challenges, among others). We also present our personality research in Lebanon, particularly on trait emotional intelligence (trait EI), which has recently led to the implementation of Yes to Emotions in Youth, an impactful project funded by Grand Challenges Canada, aiming at developing trait EI and fostering mental health among vulnerable Lebanese youth in public schools. Finally, we offer recommendations based on our experiences, emphasizing areas for growth and opportunity despite the constraints.

COVID-19 Stress and Cognitive Disparities in Black, MENA, and White Older Adults.

Population aging has led to an increased interest in cognitive health and, in particular, the role that stress plays in cognitive disparities. This paper extends previous work by characterizing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stress type prevalence and its association with cognitive health in metro-Detroit among Black, Middle Eastern/Arab (MENA), and White older adults. Data come from a regionally representative sample of adults aged 65+ in metro-Detroit (N = 600; MENA n = 199; Black n = 205; White n = 196). We used generalized linear models to compare groups on sociodemographic, objective stress, and social stress indicators. Multiple group structural equation models evaluated whether COVID-19 stress predicted cognitive health and whether that association varied across racial/ethnic groups. MENA and Black older adults reported higher levels of objective stress than Whites. There were no racial/ethnic group differences in social stress. More objective stress was associated with better cognitive health, and more social stress was associated with worse cognitive health. The positive effect of objective stress was especially apparent for White older adults. Though it appears that minority stress was not exacerbated in the context of pandemic stress, links between greater objective stress and better cognitive health apparent among White older adults were not evident among MENA or Black older adults. Broadening health disparities research by including underrepresented populations allows us to elevate scientific knowledge by clarifying what is universal and what is unique about the stress process.

Smoking behaviors among Middle Eastern college women in the United States

Objective: to examine factors associated with cigarette and hookah smoking among Middle Eastern (ME) Arab college women. Participants: 406 adult women of ME Arabic background, currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a US college. Methods: a cross-sectional design, using an anonymous online survey of demographic characteristics, sociocultural factors, and access to health care factors. Data analysis included regression model to identify predictors of smoking behaviors. Results: Smoking rates were 21% and 19% for cigarette and hookah smoking. Cigarette smoking was higher with having liberal attitudes toward sexuality and lower among those having a healthcare provider. Hookah smoking was higher among students who are Muslim, involved in student organizations, have higher acculturation-heritage levels, and have more liberal attitudes toward women. Hookah smoking was lower among students born in the US, attending college part-time, and having higher religiosity levels. Conclusions: The study findings have several implications for interventions to address smoking behaviors among ME Arab college women through community organizations and within college campuses.

From Silent Minority to Problem Minority: Middle Eastern Arabs and Muslims in the United States in the Twenty-First Century

From Silent Minority to Problem Minority: Middle Eastern Arabs and Muslims in the United States in the Twenty-First Century

Social relations, cognitive health disparities and COVID‐19 stress

AbstractBackgroundThe prevalence and incidence of COVID‐19 was higher among racial/ethnic minority groups in the U.S. (APM Research Lab, 2020), but stressor types, resilience, and impacts on cognitive health are unknown. Economic and socioemotional stress each affect health and contribute to racial/ethnic health disparities (Sternthal, et al., 2011). Further, changes in stress and social relations influence cognitive decline (Dickinson et al., 2011; VonDras et al., 2005). However, it is unclear if associations are similar across racial/ethnic groups.MethodParticipants in the recently completed U.S. based Detroit Area Wellness Network COVID‐19 Supplement (DAWN‐CS) project (N = 606) were recruited from a longitudinal cohort study (i.e., Social Relations Study; Antonucci & Akiyama, 1994), supplemented by address‐based and respondent‐driven sampling to obtain a racially/ethnically balanced sample of Middle Eastern/Arab (MENA), Black, and White older adults (aged 65+). Eligible persons (aged 65+) within screened households were selected with probability to allow appropriate inference to the target population. Inclusion criteria for DAWN‐CS were: age 65+, fluency in English or Arabic, and identifying as MENA, Black, or White. Participants were administered psychosocial questionnaires and cognitive measures via telephone. Global cognition was a latent variable indicated by episodic memory, language, attention, and working memory tests.ResultOlder adults who saw their network members more frequently during the COVID‐19 pandemic reported more economic stress and demonstrated worse cognitive health. Within‐group analyses showed unique patterns: only among Black older adults was there an association between more contact frequency and higher economic stress. Further, the association between economic stress and worse cognitive health was evident among MENA and White older adults, but not Black older adults. Pandemic‐related socioemotional stress (e.g., conflict with family and friends) did not vary by race/ethnicity and was not associated with contact frequency during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Further analyses examine whether social relations buffered the effects of pandemic‐related economic stress on cognitive health.ConclusionIncluding underrepresented populations in the study of social relations, stress and cognitive health advances science and addresses societal health in its entirety. Strengths of this study include its racially/ethnically balanced sample, which improved the power and validity of racial/ethnic group comparisons.

Association between Polymorphism rs61876744 in PNPLA2 Gene and Keratoconus in a Saudi Cohort.

The genetic etiology of Keratoconus (KC) in Middle Eastern Arabs of Saudi origin is still unclear. A recent genome-wide study identified two significant loci in the region of PNPLA2 (rs61876744) and CSNK1E (rs138380) for KC that may be associated with KC in the Saudi population. In addition, polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, namely, rs429358 and rs7412, responsible for APOE allelic variants ε2, ε3, and ε4, may influence KC via oxidative stress mechanism(s). Thus, we investigated the possible association of polymorphisms rs61876744, rs138380, rs429358, rs7412, and APOE genotypes in KC patients of the Saudi population. This study included 98 KC cases and 167 controls. Polymorphisms rs6187644 and rs138380 were genotyped using TaqMan assays, and rs429358 and rs7412 were genotyped via Sanger sequencing. Although the allele frequency of rs61876744(T) in PNPLA2 was a protective effect against KC (odds ratio (OR) = 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.44-0.93), the p-value (p = 0.020) was not significant for multiple testing correction (p = 0.05/4 = 0.015). However, rs6187644 genotype showed a modestly significant protective effect in the dominant model (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.88, p = 0.013). Polymorphisms rs138380, rs429358, and rs7412 showed no significant allelic or genotype association with KC. However, the ε2-carriers (ε2/ε2 and ε2/ε3 genotypes) exhibited a greater than 5-fold increased risk of KC, albeit non-significantly (p = 0.055). Regression analysis showed no significant effect of age, gender, and the four polymorphisms on KC. Our results suggest that polymorphism rs6187644 in PNPLA2 might be associated with KC in the Middle Eastern Arabs of Saudi origin but warrant a large-scale association analysis at this locus.

Exploring the Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown and School Closure on ‎Children's Dietary Patterns: A Multinational Study Across Middle Eastern Arab Nations

This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Middle Eastern Arab ‎children’s eating habits, body weight, lifestyle, physical activity, sleeping hours, use of smart ‎electronic devices, and mental health. This exploratory study was conducted using a self-‎administered questionnaire and distributed to parents of children aged 4–12 years. Multinomial ‎logistic regression was performed to model the relationship between the predictors ‎and children’s ‎body weight changes during the pandemic. ‎A total of 891 responses were included from Bahrain, ‎Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Oman. The mean of the ‎children’s weight gained during the pandemic was 4.19 ± 3.08 Kg. A sedentary lifestyle has ‎significantly increased from 4% of children (pre-pandemic) to 17.9% during the pandemic (p < ‎‎0.001). Children’s sleeping hours have also significantly increased (> 9 hours/day) from 26.2% to ‎‎38.2%, respectively (p < 0.01). Emotional eating has increased from 72% to 91.5%, respectively. ‎Around 84% of parents reported increased use of smart electronic devices by children (‎5.48 ± ‎‎2.87 hours). A significant proportion of the children became more nagging (251, 44.2%), stressed ‎‎(192, 33.8%), lonely (153, 26.9%), and anxious (125, 22.5%). Increased body weight was more ‎associated with girls, children residing in Jordan and Bahrain, children with working mothers, ‎children of high-income or overweight parents, and children who were already overweight. The ‎findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in reduced physical activity, ‎increased food consumption, heightened use of smart electronic devices, and subsequently, ‎increased body weight among children. It is imperative for health authorities to implement ‎interventions, such as proper children's health education, to address these issues in the event of ‎future lockdowns.‎

What is the best referral strategy for axial spondyloarthritis? A prospective multicenter study in patients with suspicious chronic low back pain.

To assess the value of referral strategies for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in patients with suspicious chronic inflammatory low back pain (LBP), to estimate the value of inflammatory back pain (IBP) for referral, and to identify the predictive factors of the final diagnosis of axSpA in Middle Eastern Arab countries. The study was multicentric, prospective, and conducted in LBP first-line clinics (rheumatology, internal, family medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and neurology). Consecutive adult patients aged under 45years were included in case of LBP suspicious of inflammatory nature according to the first-line physician. The rheumatologist's final diagnosis was the gold standard. The diagnostic properties of ten referral strategies (Brandt I, II, III, Hermann, RADAR, RADAR 2/3, MASTER, Braun, CAFASPA, and ASAS) and of IBP were calculated. A multivariable logistic regression identified the clinical predictive factors of axSpA. In 515 referred patients, axSpA was confirmed in 48%, refuted in 43%, and diagnosis remained inconclusive in 9%. The optimal referral strategy was the MASTER (PLR 3.3), which comprises IBP, good response to NSAIDs, positive HLA-B27, and SpA family history. Considering strategies without HLA-B27, the RADAR 2/3 had a PLR of 2.9 (IBP, good response to NSAIDs, any extra-musculoskeletal manifestation). The predictive factors for axSpA were MRI sacroiliitis, positive HLA-B27, high CRP, psoriasis, IBP, and longer symptom duration. Of all patients, 35% were self-referred, 16% were referred by primary care physicians, and 15% by neuro/orthopedic surgeons. Optimizing physicians' awareness of these clinical features may enhance referral in axSpA.

Seroprevalence and Genotypic Distribution Patterns of Hepatitis C Virus among Infected Patients from Sulaimaniyah Province: Iraq

Background: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a prevalent cause of liver illness. The virus displays a high degree of genetic variability, with documented geographical differences in genotype predominance.
 
 Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HCV genotypes among people who lived in Sulaimaniyah province, Kurdistan region of Iraq.
 
 Patients and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 229 individuals identified as having a confirmed positive HCV antibody and who had been referred to the Public Health Laboratory in Sulaimaniyah city by medical professionals for genotyping from July 2021 to December 2022. Following the extraction of the viral RNA, a PCR-based genotyping kit was used to identify the HCV genotype.
 
 Results: The most prevalent genotype was GT1a (31.6%), followed by GT1 and GT4 (23.6%) and then GT1b (7.9%). Mixed genotypes were observed in 10.4% of samples. Males were affected mainly by HCV (58.5%) than females (41.5%). The frequency of GT1a was higher in males (32.1%) compared to females (30.5%). On the other hand, males exhibited a more excellent distribution of GT4 and GT1 than females, while GT1b and GT5 were observed more in females than males. Among mixed genotypes, GT5 or 6 was the most prevalent infection type (no.=8, 3.5%), while GT1a, 3 reported the lowest rate (no.=1, 0.4%).
 
 Conclusion: This study assesses the HCV genotype distribution among infected HCV patients in Sulaimaniyah, which is distinct from the prevalent distribution in Iraq and Middle Eastern Arab nations, but it is equivalent to the distribution worldwide.

Evaluating knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward breast cancer and breast cancer screening among females in Arab countries of the Middle East: A systematic literature review.

e18761 Background: Among all types of cancer, breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in females globally. Developing countries possess approximately 60% to 70% of all worldwide breast cancer deaths. Despite the increasing efforts to expand awareness and encourage screening, breast cancer is still the most frequently diagnosed form of the disease in Arab countries. In this study, we aim to systematically review the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of middle-eastern Arab women toward the recognition of early breast cancer symptoms, risk factors, and screening. Methods: A literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus to identify relevant literature. Search terms included “Knowledge” OR “attitude” OR “practice” AND “breast cancer” AND “Arab region” OR “middle east region”, and other relevant and equivalent terms. All English language studies which achieved the inclusion criteria were included. Each article was independently screened by two researchers in two levels (title/abstract and full-text screening). Data extracted included, but was not limited to, country, study design, study population, sample size, level of knowledge, attitudes, practices, conclusions, and limitations for each study. Results: Out of the 1182 publications identified, 14 cross-sectional studies were included with respondents aged 15 and above. Study populations varied from females attending healthcare centers, to country residents and students. Five studies reported the level of overall BC knowledge, where respondents with low levels of knowledge ranged from 19.7% to 67%. The most chosen risk factors for BC were personal or family history (n = 5), and prior radiation (n = 2). A breast lump or mass was the most chosen warning sign (n = 5), followed by an armpit lump (n = 2). Regarding screening, women who had ever performed breast self-examination (BSE) ranged from 30.3% in Yemen to 57.5% in Oman, while those who consistently performed BSE ranged from 17.4% to 27.9%. Women who had ever undergone mammography ranged from 1.6% to 40%. Barriers to screening included system-related barriers (n = 2), feeling healthy (n = 2), fear of the results (n = 2), and others. Better screening practices were mostly associated with a higher level of education (n = 5), and personal or family history (n = 4). Conclusions: The majority of Arab women in the middle east had heard about breast cancer, but had a low level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward breast cancer and its screening methods, which was also variable among different counties. Multiple barriers to screening were found. Such findings can raise the need for programs that elevate knowledge, and provide accessible screening programs that solve for the barriers to screening in the Arab region.

The Approach of Cultural History to the Art of the Middle East: The Concept of Otherness in the Works of Iranian and Middle Eastern Arab Artists

The Approach of Cultural History to the Art of the Middle East: The Concept of Otherness in the Works of Iranian and Middle Eastern Arab Artists

Future Insights into the Post-COVID pandemic Built Environment

The chapter discusses future perceptions of the state of human society in the post-Corona pandemic era, particularly, focusing on the areas of the urban environment and its architectural and urban components. The discussion includes the problems of urban isolation, just cities and the value of public spaces after the pandemic and highlights the situation of Middle Eastern Arab cities. The chapter argues that the pandemic provides an opportunity to reconsider urban planning priorities and how to deal with architectural and urban spaces considering lessons learned from the repercussions of the pandemic. The nature of theoretical thesis, or architectural, urban, and planning practices, is responsible for looking forward, formulating visions and offering alternatives. The Corona pandemic provided an opportunity for reflections and perceptions of how humans deal with the earth to achieve their needs, from different housing and community services. Accordingly, the approach adopted in the study was based on monitoring and monitoring the repercussions of the pandemic, understanding the local, regional, and global context, and then formulating a vision framework for the future with a focus on Middle Eastern cities. The study formulates several research questions, is there a model for a city that is resistant to the pandemic? How is the epidemic linked to issues of scale, urban size, and urban social justice? What is the impact of the epidemic on urbanization and urban planning design? How will existing and new cities plan to be flexible, resistant, and fair? How will innovation meet the challenge and produce new neighborhoods? How will architecture provide a new understanding of public and private spaces? .

A Multidimensional Comparative Analysis of MENA and International English Research Article Abstracts in Applied Linguistics

By implementing Biber’s multidimensional analysis (MDA), the present study explored the linguistic co-occurrence patterns of English research article abstracts written by native speakers of Arabic authors residing in the Arab World and international authors from different contexts. The study analyzed three specialized corpora of 300 English abstracts in the field of applied linguistics. Each corpus comprised 100 abstracts named as Middle Eastern Arabs, North African Arabs (MENA), and international authors. Several linguistic features were extracted and tagged using Nini’s Multidimensional Analysis Tagger (MAT). Then, six dimensions representing several communicative functions were identified after conducting factor analysis. Overall, the study showed that the MENA Arabs abstracts tended to be more evaluative and currently information-focused, while the international abstracts showed more informational density features and narrative style. Finally, the study suggests pedagogical implications for raising the international community’s awareness of writing abstracts with linguistic features.

Community pharmacy services in Middle Eastern Arab countries

Over the past few decades, the role of pharmacists has been shifted from medicines to patients’ care. This article is a literature review of the several published works concerning consumers’ perceptions toward community pharmacy services (CPS) from different Middle Eastern Arab countries (MEACs). To identify consumers’ perspectives toward CPS in the MEACs. Standard search strategies were adopted using PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar for the published literatures (n=22) related to CPS in MEACs in the period between 2000 and 2022. All articles assessing customers’ perception towards CPS in the MEAC. Three themes were identified from the review articles: consumers’ perception toward community pharmacy practice, consumers’ perception toward the role of community pharmacists (CPs) and indicators to develop community pharmacy practice. Consumers showed varied perception toward different aspects of community pharmacy practice. The public showed good understanding toward the traditional role of CPs. Moreover, public is interested to extend the role of CPs. Several barriers were identified that limit the public from seeking medical advice from CPs.

Quality improvement tools to manage emergency callbacks from patients with diabetes in a prehospital setting

Diabetes is rising at an alarming rate, as 1 in 10 adults worldwide now lives with the disease. In Qatar, a middle eastern Arab country, diabetes prevalence is equally concerning...

Challenges and Construction Applications of Solid Waste Management in Middle East Arab Countries

Over the past few decades, solid waste production, specifically construction waste, in Middle Eastern Arab countries has dramatically increased. This is characterized by several factors, including rapid urbanization, common food wasting habits, diverse culture, lack of proper planning of solid waste processes, insufficient equipment, as well as lack of proper funding. The exponential growth in solid waste generation rates has led to hazards to health and the environment, causing issues related to air and water pollution under the already increasing pressure of climate change. In this review, we analyze the current solid waste challenges in 13 Arab countries, common diseases, and actual projects applied. The selection of Arab countries was mainly based on the countries with the highest population as well as the availability of data in the field of study. This review also highlights the efforts of the Arab governments that implemented several pilot projects that are not sustainable or effective in the long term. We discuss the main issues facing each Arab country and the main challenges they have in common, as well as the potential to use the great amounts of construction waste in these countries. It is recommended that proper disposal and collection plans should be prioritized in the municipalities’ agendas since air and water pollution represent the main challenge in all Arab countries. Adequate treatment, recycling, and compost production facilities should be initiated and monitored regularly to take advantage of the relatively high percentage of organic matter in most Arab countries. Proper cooperation between the informal sector, private companies, and governments should be ensured in order to achieve long-term goals in the solid waste management (SWM) sector in MENA (Middle East and Northern Africa) Arab countries. This review provides a comprehensive study of the construction waste in MENA Arab countries that will help reach the goal of achieving sustainable countries.

Assessing the genetic burden of familial hypercholesterolemia in a large middle eastern biobank

BackgroundThe genetic architecture underlying Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) in Middle Eastern Arabs is yet to be fully described, and approaches to assess this from population-wide biobanks are important for public health planning and personalized medicine.MethodsWe evaluate the pilot phase cohort (n = 6,140 adults) of the Qatar Biobank (QBB) for FH using the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) criteria, followed by an in-depth characterization of all genetic alleles in known dominant (LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9) and recessive (LDLRAP1, ABCG5, ABCG8, and LIPA) FH-causing genes derived from whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We also investigate the utility of a globally established 12-SNP polygenic risk score to predict FH individuals in this cohort with Arab ancestry.ResultsUsing DLCN criteria, we identify eight (0.1%) ‘definite’, 41 (0.7%) ‘probable’ and 334 (5.4%) ‘possible’ FH individuals, estimating a prevalence of ‘definite or probable’ FH in the Qatari cohort of ~ 1:125. We identify ten previously known pathogenic single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 14 putatively novel SNVs, as well as one novel copy number variant in PCSK9. Further, despite the modest sample size, we identify one homozygote for a known pathogenic variant (ABCG8, p. Gly574Arg, global MAF = 4.49E-05) associated with Sitosterolemia 2. Finally, calculation of polygenic risk scores found that individuals with ‘definite or probable’ FH have a significantly higher LDL-C SNP score than ‘unlikely’ individuals (p = 0.0003), demonstrating its utility in Arab populations.ConclusionWe design and implement a standardized approach to phenotyping a population biobank for FH risk followed by systematically identifying known variants and assessing putative novel variants contributing to FH burden in Qatar. Our results motivate similar studies in population-level biobanks – especially those with globally under-represented ancestries – and highlight the importance of genetic screening programs for early detection and management of individuals with high FH risk in health systems.

Migraine and Psychiatric Comorbidity among Arabs Living in Different Societal Environments

Background: The prevalence of migraine and psychiatric comorbidities has been found to differ on a global scale according to country development. We aimed to determine this prevalence in three samples of Arabs living in different countries at different levels of development and political stability. Methods: The study included Saudi and Syrian participants ≥16 years of age. The cohort was subdivided into three groups: Saudi Arabian residents (SARs), Syrian residents (SRs), and Syrian expatriates (SEs). Information regarding age, sex, education, and marital status was also collected. Migraine was determined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 criteria; depression and bipolar disorder were determined by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, respectively. Odds ratios were estimated for associations. Results: Of 620 participants, 102 (16.5%) met migraine criteria, and 81 (79.4%) were female. Migraine was found in 66 (20.6%) SARs, 25 (19%) SEs, and 11 (6.5%) SRs. Being married was significantly associated with migraine (P = 0.01). Depression had a significant association with migraine within the entire cohort (odds ratio [OR] =2, confidence interval [CI] =1.2–3.1, P = 0.004) and the subgroups of SEs (OR =3, CI =1.14–7.8, P = 0.02) and SARs (OR =2.1, CI =1.14–7.8, P = 0.02); depression was significantly associated in the SE and SAR migraine groups (both P = 0.02). Conclusion: Migraine and comorbid depression occur at a rate similar to international reports in Middle Eastern Arabs and more prominently in SEs and SARs. The migraine frequency was lower in SRs in comparison to SEs and SARs residing in more developed countries. Future research that explores these conditions under different environmental and sociopolitical circumstances will improve the understanding of causal relationships.

Pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy research in the Middle East: a scoping review of studies from Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

BackgroundPharmacy practice research publications has increased significantly in the last decade. This is also true for Middle Eastern countries.AimsThe aim of this study was to document and review pharmacy practice literature in the Middle Eastern Arab countries.Materials and methodsA scoping review was conducted using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Medline/PubMed and Scopus were used to screen the articles. All published original research articles concerning any facet of pharmacy practice in 12 Arabic Middle Eastern countries during 2009–2019 were included. A thematic analysis was performed to classify the articles.ResultsNine hundred and eighty-one articles were included in this study. Eight themes emerged from the selected articles. Medication use was the predominant theme 30.78% (302), followed by pharmacy practice and pharmacist services 22.94% (225), and then pharmacy education and professional development 16.31% (160). The KSA, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE were the leading countries to publish pharmacy practice research.ConclusionsPharmacy practice research is growing and significantly adding to enhance pharmaceutical health services in the Middle East Region. There is a need to develop a research agenda. This will help in enriching the practice, as well as to avoid repetitive ideas.

Diverging levels of COVID-19 governmental response satisfaction across middle eastern Arab countries: a multinational study.

BackgroundPublic acceptance of governmental measures are key to controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on healthcare systems for high-income countries as well as low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The ability of LMICs to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited and may have affected the impact of governmental strategies to control the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate and compare public opinion on the governmental COVID-19 response of high and LMICs in the Middle East and benchmark it to international countries.MethodsAn online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among different Middle Eastern Arab countries. Participants’ demographics and level of satisfaction with governmental responses to COVID-19 were analyzed and reported. Scores were benchmarked against 19 international values.ResultsA total of 7395 responses were included. Bahrain scored highest for satisfaction with the governmental response with 38.29 ± 2.93 on a scale of 40, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (37.13 ± 3.27), United Arab Emirates (36.56 ± 3.44), Kuwait (35.74 ± 4.85), Jordan (23.08 ± 6.41), and Lebanon (15.39 ± 5.28). Participants’ country of residence was a significant predictor of the satisfaction score (P < 0.001), and participants who suffered income reduction due to the pandemic, had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and held higher educational degrees had significantly lower satisfaction scores (P < 0.001). When benchmarked with other international publics, countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council had the highest satisfaction level, Jordan had an average score, and Lebanon had one of the lowest satisfaction scores.ConclusionThe political crisis in Lebanon merged with the existing corruption were associated with the lowest public satisfaction score whereas the economical instability of Jordan placed the country just before the lowest position. On the other hand, the solid economy plus good planning and public trust in the government placed the other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on top of the scale. Further investigation is necessary to find out how the governments of other low-income countries may have handled the situation wisely and gained the trust of their publics. This may help convey a clearer picture to Arab governments that have suffered during the pandemic.