Population Of Oman Research Articles

COVID-19 Pandemic Social Distancing General Practices

Introduction: COVID 19 is the first pandemic events that happen in Oman which requires all residents and nationals to practice quarantine and social distancing, there could be certain issues related to culture values and community that affect the practice of these measures. Therefore, this study is going to explore the public knowledge, practices and believes about the quarantine and social distancing in pandemic event. We hypothesized that there are certain values that affect the practice of social distancing during the COVID 19 pandemic.Methods: This cross-sectional study targeted the population of Oman (including citizens and residents) and was carried out during COVID-19 pandemic from 11th August 2020 to 7th September 2020. All those who were able to read and write were included in the study. Survey included close and open-ended questions. In the first section of the questionnaire, participants were asked to specify demographical details including age, marital status, living with high-risk groups, health status, job status and income in order to correlate the practice of social distancing along with the demographical data. The second section of the questionnaire included details regarding the knowledge, believe and the impact of social distancing, and readiness to change social life and comply with the social distancing.Results: 943 respondents, majority of them reported that they are ready /ready to a great extent to practice social distancing (61.9%) compared to 34.9% reported that they are not sure/ready to some extent and only 3.2% were not ready at all to practice social distancing. Financial factors, religious and culture norms had the strongest negative impact. While level of responsibility, governmental legislations, and fear of getting or transmitting the infection had the strongest positive impact to practice social distancing among all the respondents. Male reported more financial and religious negative impact with p-value 0.002 and 0.001, respectively. And female reported more positive impact of family and friends support and legislation with p-value 0.046 and 0.008, respectively.Conclusions: This cross-sectional study conducted in the middle of COVID-19 era highlighted the readiness of population to practice the social distancing, their knowledge of social distancing, and the impact of social distancing on different life factors. Religious practices mainly negatively affected the male gender. Culture and norms derive the human behavior within communities and may affect the safety measures during outbreak or pandemic. Hence, even with availability of vaccination, campaigns on public health should be the national practice to continue emphasizing compassionate attitudes towards social distancing.Funding: None to declareDeclaration of Interests: None to declare.Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval for the study was obtained from scientific research committee at Royal Hospital, MOH, with approval number SRC#65/2020 prior start of the study.

Epidemiology of End-Stage Kidney Disease on Renal Replacement Therapy: 35 Years Analysis Study Nephrologists.

Incidence and prevalence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) population on renal replacement therapy (RRT) for some of the nations are well published. Oman's publication on this aspect is limited and therefore, this study was conducted. This study analyzed the data obtained from the RRT register in Oman. The main measurements and aim are to identify the incidence and prevalence of Oman's treated RRT population (1983-2018) with a major focus on the hemodialysis (HD) cohort. The year 1983 is the year when renal care was started in Oman. The total number of patients registered on Oman's RRT register of the central renal dialysis center from 1983 to 2010 was 3524, distributed among the following treatment cohorts; HD, 2328 patients (66%); kidney transplant, 1,144 patients (32.5%); peritoneal dialysis, 52 patients (1.5%). However, the treated patients alive on HD by end of 2018 were 2023. The dialysis sub-population increased from 35 patients in 1983 to 2023 patients in 2018. The recorded incidence registered in 1983 was 34 patients, in 1986 was 33, in 2013 was 168, in 2015 was 230, and in 2018 was 350 RRT treated patients per million population of Oman. There is a progressive rise of the incidence and prevalence of Oman's RRT population. This rise is similar to many nations, especially developing countries that are being faced with the rising trend of noncommunicable diseases (NCD). The health system and other stakeholders ought to take various stringent policies to ameliorate the progressive increase of NCD and hence, reduce the burden of chronic kidney disease and ESKD.

Awareness of the Dangers of High Salt Intake among the Urban Omani Population.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the general public in Oman regarding the dangers of high salt intake.MethodsThis cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the urban population in Oman. Individuals aged ≥18 were invited to join the study.ResultsA total of 1,214 respondents (mean age 34 ± 10 years) answered the questionnaire. The majority were male (65.8%), employed (69.4%) and some were hypertensive (14.3%). Most (90.9%) were aware that excess salt can cause diseases such as hypertension and that it is either somewhat important (51.2%) or very important (42.9%) to reduce salt in the diet. However, only 42.2% said that they actively try to reduce salt in their diet.ConclusionAlthough most people in urban areas of Oman appear to be aware of the dangers of high salt intake, only a few are actively trying to reduce it. More educational activities are required to improve awareness.

Demographic transition in Sultanate of Oman: emerging demographic dividend and challenges

BackgroundThe sharp fall in fertility and mortality in Oman in recent time is quite stunning and more than expected, which is largely remained unexplored. This paper examined the characteristics of demographic changes and the emerging windows of opportunities and challenges for Oman. It also discussed the policy options. Data come from the national level surveys and censuses as well as the World Population Prospects 2019 Revision of the United Nations.ResultsThe population of Oman grew from less than half a million in 1950 to more than four million in 2015, and expected to reach to seven million by 2055. After 1970, the annual growth rate of population accelerated due to increased immigration of working age population which has increased from less than 1% in 1970 to 44% in 2015. The fertility rate has declined from 8.6 births per woman in 1988 to 3.3 births per woman in 2008, a decline of 5.3 births per woman or 62% decline within a short period of 20 years. Under-five mortality also declined from 359 deaths per 1000 live births in 1950 to nine deaths per 1000 live births in 2015. Demographic transitions leads to many changes in the size and age structure of the population in Oman that open up the opportunities of accruing demographic dividend for economic development of the country. The dependency ratio has decreased from 98% in 1970 to 32% in 2015. Two opening of demographic dividend period has been observed—first from 1958 to 2000 and the second one has opened in 2010 which will reach its peak during the 2020s and will remain open until 2040.ConclusionOman has been experiencing a period of youth bulge over the years and it is expected to continue for at least next 20 years. To reap the benefits of the emerged demographic dividend, necessary steps need to be taken in a timely manner to develop human resources. Understanding the demographic challenges must be a priority for the government of Oman, and formulate policies to harvest the benefits of the demographic windows.

Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on the COVID-19 epidemic: A modelling study.

Objective:This study aimed to assess the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on the COVID-19 epidemic in Oman.Methods:Data were retrieved from published national surveillance data between 24 February and 30 June 2020. To show the impact of the Government introduced public health intervention early in the epidemic, we used a simple disease-transmission model equation of the 2019-n CoV epidemic.Results:From all confirmed cases, the rates of intensive care unit admission were 4.56% (1824). We estimated an R0 of 3.11 with no intervention would result in nearly the entire population of Oman being infected within 65 days. A reduction of the R0 to 1.51 provided an estimated 89,056 confirmed cases, with 167 deaths or 0.4% mortality by June 30 with a requirement of 4052 intensive care unit beds. The current scenario (24 February to 30 June 2020) indicates an R0 of 1.41, resulting in 40,070 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 176 deaths and 69% of confirmed cases recovered.Conclusion:In early implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, an intensive lockdown has had a profound impact on the mitigation of a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak in Oman.

Incidence and Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in the Sultanate of Oman: A Hospital Based Study

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is changing globally. In this study, we aim to estimate the incidence and prevalence of MS in Oman over the period from 2006-2019. This is a retrospective observational hospital-based study. Omani patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are fWe recruited MS patients from the two major referral Neurology centres in Oman viz. Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Khoula Hospital for this observational study. All Omani adult patients who were diagnosed with MS based on the revised McDonald criteria over the period from January 2006 to May 2019 were included. The total population of Oman as of June 2019 was obtained from the national census data. We retrieved the following data from the electronic case records: age at disease onset, gender and the year of diagnosis. Based on the national census data, the total Omani population was 2,652,199 (as of June 2019). Four hundred and twenty-two (422) patients were diagnosed with MS during the study period. The estimated crude prevalence was 15.9 per 100000, with a female to male ratio of 2.2:1 and with the initial MS symptoms occurring at a mean age of 27.3 years (S.D: 7.7 years; range: 9-59 years). Eighty three percent of the patients had the disease onset between the age of 19-40 years and 9% had the initial manifestation at less than 19 years of age. The annual incidence had increased from 1.00 case per 100000 in 2015 to 1.37 cases per 100000 in 2018. MS prevalence in Omani population has increased from 4 per 100000 in 2000 (based on the previously published hospital-based study from Oman) to 15.9 per 100000 in the current study. Oman should be considered as medium risk zone for MS. It is to be noted that the MS prevalence in Oman is the lowest among the Arabian Gulf countries. The increase in MS annual incidence rate in Oman is similar to what has been observed globally. Further studies are needed to assess the specific risks for MS in our population.

New record of the butterfly Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius) from Oman, with notes about phylogeographic patterns of E. cnejus and E. osiris (Hopffer) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

We document the occurrence of the Oriental butterfly species Euchrysops cnejus in northern Oman. It is very similar to E. osiris whose distribution extends from the Afrotropical region into Dhofar, southern Oman. Oman is thus the only country where both species co-occur. The two species differ in genitalia and in molecular data. We show that based on the COI marker, E. cnejus and E. osiris are sister species and the Oman populations of E. osiris are closely related to the population from continental Africa. Haplotype diversity is lower in E. cnejus, than in E. osiris. Genetic differences were found between the Australian, Oriental and Oman populations of E. cnejus but available data were not sufficient to clarify the origin of the Oman population.

RADseq analyses reveal concordant Indian Ocean biogeographic and phylogeographic boundaries in the reef fish Dascyllus trimaculatus.

Population genetic analysis is an important tool for estimating the degree of evolutionary connectivity in marine organisms. Here, we investigate the population structure of the three-spot damselfish Dascyllus trimaculatus in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Western Indian Ocean, using 1174 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Neutral loci revealed a signature of weak genetic differentiation between the Northwestern (Red Sea and Arabian Sea) and Western Indian Ocean biogeographic provinces. Loci potentially under selection (outlier loci) revealed a similar pattern but with a much stronger signal of genetic structure between regions. The Oman population appears to be genetically distinct from all other populations included in the analysis. While we could not clearly identify the mechanisms driving these patterns (isolation, adaptation or both), the datasets indicate that population-level divergences are largely concordant with biogeographic boundaries based on species composition. Our data can be used along with genetic connectivity of other species to identify the common genetic breaks that need to be considered for the conservation of biodiversity and evolutionary processes in the poorly studied Western Indian Ocean region.

Preliminary Trials on Hatchery and Larval Development of the Sea Cucumber, Holothuria scabra (Jaeger 1883), in the Sultanate of Oman

Although sea cucumber Holothuria scabra has always been part of the traditional exploitation of the benthos of Mahout Bay in the Arabian Sea, the foreign demand for the product and its high price have put increased pressure on the resource leading rapidly to overfishing. Aquaculture of this species has developed as a response to the overfishing problem but has not been yet studied in Oman. As a first step to evaluate its potential for aquaculture in Oman it was thus necessary to conduct hatchery trials. Four hatchery trials were conducted to evaluate the quality of the local broodstock, the response and efficiency of in-vitro maturation and fertilization and the success of larval development and rearing. Collected animals of 200-600 g were transported by road for 5 hours with zero evisceration to the Hatchery station. In-vitro maturation and fertilization success of more than 90% were achieved using the maturation inducing fractions (MIF) method leading to the development of mature eggs and normal embryos larvae. Auricularia larval stages were completed within 15 days and fed normally on microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Chaetoceros sp. and Nanochloropsis sp. Average settlement rate and size for pentactula juveniles were closely to 9% and 0.5 mm, respectively, nearly one month post-fertilization (PF). However, a high mortality of 70% was observed during early larval development caused by ciliated protozoans and copepods attack. The culture of H. scabra population in Oman is thus promising but further research is needed to ensure higher survival rates, particularly in the early larval stages where adequate water filtration and sterilization is essential.

Meteorite reconnaissance in Saudi Arabia

AbstractMeteorite searches in Saudi Arabia between 2008 and 2014 yielded 46 meteorites from the Yabrin area (23°N 49°E), 35 meteorites from the Rub' al‐Khali sand desert (19°–20°N, 48°–51°E), and 1 meteorite from Al Haddar. No meteorites were found near Hafar al Batin (29°N 45°E). The 82 new meteorites represent ~57 falls comprising 43 ordinary chondrites, 4 carbonaceous chondrites, 2 enstatite chondrites, 3 ureilites, 3 eucrites, 1 acapulcoite, and 1 lunar meteorite. The median of 31 14C terrestrial ages is 6.2 ka, significantly younger than the Oman population (19.5 ka, n = 128). A further assessment of terrestrial 14C contamination is advised by a 11–15 ka 14C terrestrial age of heavily weathered meteorite Khawr al Fazra 014, geology indicating a terrestrial age >100 ka. Find densities of 0.4–2.8 km−2 for Yabrin and the western Rub’ al‐Khali are similar to ~0.5 km−2 observed in Oman. Higher find densities of ~135 km−2 (29 km−2 for masses >10 g) exist on small Pleistocene outcrops in blowouts in the south‐central Rub’ al‐Khali: 21 unpaired meteorites (four >10 g) were found in 11 blowouts with a combined area of 0.14 km2. The Rub’ al‐Khali meteorites show a relatively high degree of weathering (median W 3.6; 2.5 for Yabrin), low median mass (4.3/138 g), and a high H/L ratio (2.3/1.1). The high density of small meteorites is explained by prolonged sand protection and recent deflation. The high meteorite density and relatively high proportion of rare meteorite types render the Rub’ al‐Khali blowouts an interesting target for future exploration.

Theileria lestoquardi in Sudan is highly diverse and genetically distinct from that in Oman

Malignant ovine theileriosis is a severe tick-borne protozoan disease of sheep and other small ruminants which is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. The disease is of considerable economic importance in Sudan as the export of livestock provides a major contribution to the gross domestic product of this country. Molecular surveys have demonstrated a high prevalence of sub-clinical infections of Theileria lestoquardi, the causative agent, among small ruminants. No information is currently available on the extent of genetic diversity and genetic exchange among parasites in different areas of the country. The present study used a panel of T. lestoquardi specific micro- and mini-satellite genetic markers to assess diversity of parasites in Sudan (Africa) and compared it to that of the parasite population in Oman (Asia). A moderate level of genetic diversity was observed among parasites in Sudan, similar to that previously documented among parasites in Oman. However, a higher level of mixed-genotype infection was identified in Sudanese animals compared to Omani animals, consistent with a higher rate of tick transmission. In addition, the T. lestoquardi genotypes detected in these two countries form genetically distinct groups. The results of this work highlight the need for analysis of T. lestoquardi populations in other endemic areas in the region to inform on novel approaches for controlling malignant theileriosis.

Screening for dysglycaemia using anthropometric indices in an adult population in Oman.

A previous community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in a semi-urban community revealed that 44% of people aged 18+ years manifest dysglycaemia, which appears to echo the national trend. There is lack of studies examining the role of anthropometric indices in people with dysglycaemia. We explored the screening ability of anthropometric indices, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) to detect dysglycaemia in the adult Omani population based on a community-based survey conducted in 2005. The potential of anthropometric indices to detect the presence of glycaemic disorder could aid in detection, prevention and health education. A total of 480 male and 795 female subjects aged 18+ years were included in this study. The prevalence of dysglycaemia was analysed using the American Diabetic Association criteria. Logistic regression approach and Receiver- Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. The analysis revealed that mean values of age, BMI, WC, WHR and WHtR increased significantly from normoglycemic to pre-diabetic and further to diabetic in both sexes (P<0.0001). Dysglycemia showed an increasing prevalence with age. WHtR showed the highest sensitivity for detecting dysglycemia in all age groups compared to other anthropometric indices with sensitivity rate of 94.4% in ≥45 years, 88.6% in (25- 44) years and 45.6% in age group <25 years. Among the anthropometric indices we investigated, WHtR was the best predictor of dysglycaemia among Omani adults aged > 25 years.

Prevalence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis among elderly subjects referred for radiological investigation in tertiary hospital at Oman.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is characterized by calcification of different entheseal sites including the anterior longitudinal ligament of the spine. There is no documented information about DISH in Oman. This study determined the prevalence of DISH and associated factors among elderly subjects in a national tertiary care referral hospital in Oman. This retrospective study reviewed chest X-rays of all patients aged more than 50 years, referred to the radiology department of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in the year 2016, based on the Resnick's criteria. The prevalence was expressed as proportions across age groups and sex. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis was done to determine the association of the age and sex with DISH. A total of 1305 chest X-rays of patients were reviewed. The overall prevalence of DISH was 10%, with male to female ratio of 1.56:1. The odds ratio for males and increasing age were 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–2.3; P<0.05) and 1.34 (95% CI, 1.14–1.58; P<0.001) respectively. The prevalence increased with age to maximum of 13% in the age group of ≤80. The pre-stage DISH prevalence was 9.3% and more frequently observed among males. Prevalence of DISH in the national tertiary care referral center in Oman is lower than in Jewish population, almost similar to Japanese, but higher than in Koreans. DISH prevalence is positively associated with age and sex. It is necessary to take appropriate precautionary measures to target the ageing population in Oman, especially elderly males.

A multi-method assessment of bone maintenance and loss in an Imperial Roman population: Implications for future studies of age-related bone loss in the past.

One of the hallmarks of contemporary osteoporosis and bone loss is dramatically higher prevalence of loss and fragility in females post-menopause. In contrast, bioarchaeological studies of bone loss have found a greater diversity of age- and sex-related patterns of bone loss in past populations. We argue that the differing findings may relate to the fact that most studies use only a single methodology to quantify bone loss and do not account for the heterogeneity and complexity of bone maintenance across the skeleton and over the life course. We test the hypothesis that bone mass and maintenance in trabecular bone sites versus cortical bone sites will show differing patterns of age-related bone loss, with cortical bone sites showing sex difference in bone loss that are similar to contemporary Western populations, and trabecular bone loss at earlier ages. We investigated this hypothesis in the Imperial Roman population of Velia using three methods: radiogrammetry of the second metacarpal (N = 71), bone histology of ribs (N = 70), and computerized tomography of trabecular bone architecture (N = 47). All three methods were used to explore sex and age differences in patterns of bone loss. The suite of methods utilized reveal differences in the timing of bone loss with age, but all methods found no statistically significant differences in age-related bone loss. We argue that a multi-method approach reduces the influence of confounding factors by building a reconstruction of bone turnover over the life cycle that a limited single-method project cannot provide. The implications of using multiple methods beyond studies of bone loss are also discussed.

Caregiver depression screening in a child and adolescent clinic seeking consultation for their children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity in Oman

IntroductionStudies have shown that caregivers of children with (ADHD) are at a higher risk of mood disorders such as depression. The presence of mood disorders among the caregivers of children with ADHD has negative repercussion in terms of prognostic indicator, utilization of the health care service and the resultant quality of life.ObjectivesTo solicit the performance of indices of depression among caregivers of children with ADHD and to explore the relationship between severity of mood score, subtypes of ADHD and socio-demographic factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary hospital in Oman dispensing child and adolescent mental health services. Arabic-version of PHQ-9 was used screen for the presence of depression among the caregivers of children diagnosed with ADHD based on DSM 5. The severity and subtypes of ADHD were quantified using Vanderbilt ADHD Parent/Teacher Rating Scale. Socio-demographic background and clinical data were gathered from medical records or attending caregivers.ResultsThe study included 100 caregivers of children with ADHD. Most of the primary caregivers were mothers (92%). Using the cutoff score of 12 on the PHQ-9, rates of depression for the mother was 14%. Some socio-demographic factors were strongly associated with severity of depressive symptom.ConclusionThis study suggests that depressive symptoms as elicited by PHQ-9 are common among caregivers of children with ADHD. The rate of depressive symptoms is higher compared to the general population in Oman. This study lays groundwork for contemplating mechanisms to mitigate depressive symptoms among caregivers of children with ADHD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The Incidence of Splenic Injury Following Blunt Abdominal Trauma (BAT), Sultan Qaboos University Hospital Experience

The aim of the study was to review traumatic splenic injury following blunt abdominal trauma (BAT), during the period from January 2009 to January 2015 at SQUH. The data for this study was retrospectively collected. It included 768 patients admitted to SQUH general surgery department following BAT. 43 patients with splenic injury were identified (34 males, 9 females). The mean age of patients with splenic injury was 36.0 years (34.4 years for males, 42.1 years for females). The most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (90.7%). Grade I, II are the most common grades of splenic injury. Non-Omani patients accounted for (51.2%) and most of them were pedestrians at the time of trauma. Ribs fracture is the most common injury associated with splenic injury. 36 (83.7%) patients were managed conservatively and 7 (16.3%) patients were splenectomized. Angioembolization was done for 11 (30.6%) patients. Despite the small population of Oman, high incidence of motor vehicle collision (MVC) increases the incidence of splenic injury among young age group.

The Effect of Obesity on Pregnancy and its Outcome in the Population of Oman, Seeb Province

The World Health Organization estimated that in 2011 worldwide 1.6 billion adults were overweight, and 400 million were obese. The obesity epidemic is a documented phenomenon and Oman is no exception. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of obesity on pregnancy and its prenatal and neonatal outcomes. A prospective cohort study was carried out among pregnant Omani women attending antenatal clinics in their first trimester in the Seeb province of Muscat, Oman. A total of 700 pregnant women were enrolled in the study and were categorized according to their body mass index: 245 (35%) were normal weight, 217 (31%) were overweight, and 238 (34%) were obese. The relative risk (RR) of cesarean section among obese women compared to women of normal weight was 2.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-3.2) and of overweight women was 1.4 (95% CI 0.9-2.3). The risk of elective cesarean section increased to 7.5 (95% CI 1.7-32.8) in obese women and was statistically significant in the obese group. In this study, 100 women (15.7%) developed gestational diabetes (11.8% of normal weight women, 17.8% of overweight women, and 17.9% of obese women). Miscarriages were more common among obese women 11.9% (n = 27) compared to the normal weight and overweight groups (6.7% and 9.4%, respectively). There was a weak yet statistically significant correlation between birth weight and body mass index. The risk of macrosomia was significantly higher in obese women compared to normal weight women. To evaluate the sensitivity of the oral glucose challenge test (OGCT), the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was measured in 203 participants (29%) who had a normal OGCT result. It was found that 14.5% of overweight women and 13.5% of normal weight women had an abnormal OGTT result even when their OGCT result was normal. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of cesarean section (especially elective cesarean), gestational hypertension, macrosomia, and miscarriage. It also increases the risk of gestational diabetes.

Elucidating the neuropsychological profile of apathetic syndrome and disinhibition syndrome in a brain-injured population in Oman

The purpose of this study was to compare the neuropsychological performance of two frontal dysexecutive phenotypes - disinhibited&' syndrome (DS) and &'apathetic&' syndrome (AS) following a traumatic brain injury in a non-western population, Oman. Methods: The study compared the performance of DS and AS in neuropsychological measures including those tapping into verbal reasoning ability/working memory/attention planning/goal-directed behavior and affective ranges. Results: The present analysis showed that DS and AS participants did not differ on indices measuring working memory/attention and affective ranges. However, the two cohorts differed significantly in measures of planning/goal-directed behaviour. Conclusion: This study lays the groundwork for further scrutiny in delineating the different characteristics of what has been previously labelled as frontal dysexecutive phenotype. This study indicates that DS and AS are marked with specific neuropsychological deficits.

Proportion of night eating syndrome in Arab population of Oman

ObjectiveGlobally obesity has reached epidemic proportions with alarming rates in the Arabian Gulf countries. The impact of behavioral eating habits and in particular night eating syndrome (NES) have not been emphasized in the region. This study assessed the proportion of NES in an Omani Arab adult population sample.MethodA night eating syndrome questionnaire (NEQ) was distributed to Omani adults above the age of 20.ResultsOut of the 454 respondents, 26.4 % endorsed evening hyperphagia while nocturnal ingestion was present in 4.7 % of the respondents. In addition, 1.5 % of the respondents met the NES criteria.Conclusions and implicationsThe proportion of NES in Omani adult population is similar to the reported rates in general world populations. In conclusion, night eating syndrome is present in the Omani Arab adults and should be taken into account in national management for increased obesity trends in the region.

Application of time-domain electromagnetic method in mapping saltwater intrusion of a coastal alluvial aquifer, North Oman

One-third of the population of Oman depends on the groundwater extracted from the alluvium deposits located along the coast of the Gulf of Oman. However, groundwater depletion and seawater intrusion constitute major challenges along the coastal water accumulations in Oman. The objective of this study is to locate the extent of seawater intrusion and to map the shallow alluvial aquifer in the region, where water accumulates from the rain or the flooding at AlKhod dam. In order to assess the effect of groundwater infiltration, which recharges the aquifer and fights the seawater invasion, a quantitative approach for the groundwater quality and distribution is required to provide reasonable knowledge on the spatial distribution of the aquifers, their thickness and the type of sediments. When groundwater wells and their subsurface geologic and electrical logs are not available or not deep enough, surface geophysical surveys can be considered due to their low cost and short acquisition time. The application of time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) method in Al-Khod area, Oman has proven to be a successful tool in mapping the fresh/saline water interface and for locating the depth of fresh water aquifer. The depths and inland extents of the saline zone were mapped along three N–S TDEM profiles. The depths to the freshwater table and saline interface calculated from TDEM closely match the available well data.