Young Jordanians Research Articles

Social Media and Politics : the Potential of Social Media for Education and Civic Engagement

This paper looks at the links between educating people and getting involved in politics to show how social media can help these areas. This study looks into how online social networks make it easier for people to get involved in politics in ways other than voting. This study looks at how social media affects democratic accountability, information sharing, and public participation by using ideas from organisational studies, media studies, and political science. This study looks into how young Jordanians' use of social media affects their voting habits, their membership in political groups, and their involvement in protests. This study uses quantitative analysis of poll data to show that among Jordanian teens and young adults aged 18 to 30, there are strong links between being politically active and using social media. The results show that social media can help young people become more publicly active, informed, and involved. However, polarisation and false information can also make this harder. Because gender affects the link between political participation and social media use, it is important to use targeted strategies that aim to reduce demographic differences. According to the study, social media can have an effect on current politics. It also calls for smart use of social media to avoid any bad effects.

Knowledge, Awareness, and Practices toward Colorectal Cancer and Its Dietary and Lifestyle-Related Risk Factors among Jordanian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is rising, and it is a leading cause of mortality, with greater death rates pronounced in developing countries, including Jordan. Understanding knowledge and awareness of etiologic factors, unhealthy lifestyles, and dietary patterns is crucial for combating ailments. Hence, this study is aimed at investigating the level of knowledge and awareness of CRC-related risk factors, practices, and possible associations of studied variables among young Jordanians. Methodology. A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted using an online self-reported assessment of anthropometrics, knowledge, awareness, and dietary and lifestyle practices toward CRC and its related risk factors. A study of 795 Jordanian university students found that 93.8% were Jordanians, 73.0% were female, aged 18-24, and single. Most participants were from medical and science schools (69.4%). The vast majority (about 84%) were found to have good knowledge and awareness of CRC and its risk factors, but this was not reflected in their dietary practices. There are significant differences in physical activity, smoking, vegetable consumption, and serving sizes of red meat and processed meats between the sexes. Academic study specialties significantly impact knowledge and awareness. The study reveals that while young Jordanian university students have good knowledge and awareness about CRC and its risk factors, these levels are not reflected in their dietary behaviors and food choices for CRC prevention, highlighting the need for national programs to improve these practices, particularly in the younger population.

الموسيقا البديلة األردنية بوصفها ممارسة اجتماعية: دراسة تحليلية لألفعال اللغوية المستخدمة في موسيقا أغاني األردني يزن الصرايرة

Indie music, one type of rock music, started to flourish since the mid-80’s mainly in western countries. Not so many studies have been conducted to linguistically examine the discourse of indie music. In this paper, I am investigating Jordanian indie music from a sociolinguistic perspective shedding light on the speech acts, mainly imperatives, utilized in this genre. The study goes beyond textual analysis to view indie music as a social practice, hence drawing on Fairclough (1989,1992). Lyrical analysis of 7 songs composed by the Jordanian indie musician, Yazan Al-Sarayrah, revealed that the repetitive use of the imperative form in these lyrics goes in line with the broad concept of indie music in which musicians and listeners alike seek to be deemed different. Use of imperatives in the data analyzed is said to carry the function of advising listeners, mostly of young Jordanians, to rebel against traditions and liberate themselves from the prevailing culture. In light of this, Jordanian indie music could be seen as a social practice affected by society.

Strategies toward Greater Youth Participation in Jordan’s Urban Policymaking

Seventy percent of the population in Jordan is young and urban. A plethora of research demonstrated that collaborative urban policymaking would positively impact youth’s physiological and physical welfare as well as the quality of urban planning. Nevertheless, youth participation in Jordan’s urban planning is fragile, limited, and sporadic. Youth marginalization from urban policymaking would deter sustainable urban development. Therefore, this article examines the most convenient strategy to promote the inclusion of young Jordanians in the planning practice to be fully-fledged members of society. The fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) was employed to mathematically analyze the level of importance of each suggested strategy based on the opinions of eight experts with long experience in promoting youth participation in Jordan’s public policy. Research results reveal that adopting cutting-edge communication technology is the most suitable strategy to genuinely recognize youth input, opinions, and experience in urban policymaking.

Facebook as a Contemporary Public Sphere for Opinion Expression and Participation: Jordan as a Case Study

Social media has been changing the way Jordanians consume news and engage in politics. The ongoing debate surrounding social media's potential as a public sphere and as a tool for contributing to democracy motivates this paper's inquiry. Drawing on Dahlgren's three dimensions of the Public Sphere, this paper examines a case study in which young Jordanians used Facebook to express their opinions and participate in a news story about the new drafts of the election and political parties' laws in Jordan. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews to investigate students at Zarqa University. The study found that the participants used Facebook to express their voices, stay informed, and engage in news stories. Facebook was found to be a platform that provides news information and enables communication, which leads to participation (the structural dimension). Additionally, the study revealed that Facebook, as a social media platform, provides an unrestricted space for the public to share information and express their voices (the representational dimension). Finally, the study found that the participants primarily engaged with news stories through posting, commenting, or sharing videos but were lacking in offline participation in real-life settings such as seminars, conferences, and public discussions (the interactional dimension).

English

More than 33% of the Earth’s land surface is considered arid or semi-arid regions, whereas drylands occupy up to 41.3% of the land surface. Increasing urbanization and technological advances cause a disconnection between the built environment and native nature. Also, although species of arid regions are characterized by a high degree of adaptation, they are rapidly moving toward extinction. Since one’s perception of nature determines the way people interact with their surroundings, the perceptions of young Jordanians aged 18-39 was explored, and this age group is the largest in Jordan. This study was conducted using a survey. The target group was recruited in Jordanian universities via social media pages to allow the maximum participation of the targeted age group. What forms of nature the young individuals preferred and what forms were accepted, tolerated, and rejected in urban areas were examined. It was found that the participants are drawn to humid and non-arid nature, that is to nature that is generally non-existent in their urban surroundings.   Key words: Urban nature, nature perception, arid nature, young urban dwellers.

The Perception of Premarital Genetic Screening within Young Jordanian Individuals

Background: During the past two decades, the attention of public health has been drawn to premarital genetic screening (PGS) programs to reduce birth defects and avoid genetic disorders. In Jordan, the high rate of genetic hemoglobinopathies compelled the government to implement an obligatory PGS program before marriage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, opinion, and practice of young Jordanians concerning PGS. Methods: Using a pretested questionnaire, this cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample from Jordan. The measures included respondents’ demographics, and beliefs/opinions regarding PGS. Results: A total of 432 participants completed the survey. The majority (87.8%) had a positive attitude toward PGS program. Reasons behind this positive attitude were preventing transmission of genetic diseases, reducing family breakdown/psychosocial problems, and financial burdens of having a child with genetic disease. In fact, 49.8% of participants were willing to change their marriage decision in case of receiving incompatible results. Moreover, most of the participants (75.1%) demanded the implementation of a law that prohibits incompatible marriages. A positive attitude toward PGS was found to be associated with female gender and having a university education. Conclusions: Young Jordanians have a positive attitude toward the implementation of PGS. Yet, educational programs should be drawn up to the target population before getting married emphasizing the important role of PGS in the wellness of the community.

Frequency of Mismatch Repair Protein (MMRP) Deficiency among Young Jordanians Diagnosed with Colorectal Carcinoma (CRC).

Purpose Microsatellite instability (MSI) caused by mismatch repair protein (MMRP) deficiency is detected in 15% of sporadic colorectal cancers (CRCs). Our aim is to investigate the frequency of MMRP deficiency in young CRC patients, using immunohistochemical analysis. Methods This study targeted cases of CRC at King Hussein Cancer Center from 2004 until 2012 in patients 45 years of age or younger at the time of diagnosis. Clinicopathological data was obtained from 155 patients' records. Immunohistochemistry for MLH1, MSH2, PMS2, and MSH6 proteins was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue containing carcinoma. Results The median age of patient at diagnosis was 38 years. A total of 29 (19%) cases showed deficient MMRP(dMMRP)expression. Loss of expression of PMS2 was seen in 17 cases, 12 cases of which showed loss of MLH1 expression. Loss of expression of MSH6 was seen in 10 cases, 9 of which showed loss of MSH2 expression. One case (3.4%) showed loss of all four MMR proteins, and another case (3.4%) showed loss of PMS2/MLH1 and MSH6. There was a significant association between abnormal MMR protein expression and tumor location proximal to splenic flexure (p value 0.000), pathologic features suggestive of microsatellite instability (p value 0.000), P53 negativity (p value 0.000), and stage (p value 0.02). Patients with dMMRP CRC appeared to have a significantly better overall survival compared to patients with proficient MMRP(pMMRP)(p value 0.02). Loss of MSH2/MSH6 was significantly associated with positive family history of cancer (p value = 0.020). Conclusions The prevalence of dMMRP tumors in this age group appears to be similar to international literature. dMMRP tumors tends to be associated with earlier stages and better outcomes compared to pMMRP cases. dMMRP can serve as a biomarker for better prognosis. These results are of value in directing the clinical management of young patients with CRC.

<p>Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes Concerning Genetic Testing Among Young Jordanians</p>

BackgroundMedical genetic testing is an evolving side of clinical care that helps people to make informed medical and lifestyle decisions. The source of knowledge, personal beliefs, and attitude towards genetic testing are the main determinative factors of getting optimal utilization of such technology in reducing/prevention of diseases.MethodsA structured survey was used to assess the knowledge, beliefs, and attitude regarding genetic testing among 463 young adults aged 18 years or older living in the North of Jordan.ResultsMore than three-quarters (77.1%) of the respondents were familiar with the term genetic testing. The most common sources of knowledge were: education they received (44.8%), the internet (37.5%), and social media (17.2%). Most (93.9%) of the respondents believed that genetic testing is a useful tool to diagnose and prevent genetic diseases. Almost three-quarters (72.7%) of the respondents believed that the health care system provides advice or genetic counseling to those with a genetic disease. A total of 9.6% of the respondents thought that genetic testing might cause a physical risk to their lives. In addition, 11.3% of the respondents believed that genetic testing is forbidden and not permissible and about 6.3% did not agree in performing genetic testing in the future. Finally, about half (53.4%) of the respondents consider genetic testing affordable and the remainder consider it costly.ConclusionOur findings emphasize the importance of acquiring knowledge about genetic testing among young individuals, Issues related to knowledge were identified and should be further improved, such as cost prediction, safety, and the legitimacy of genetic testing to get better outcomes in the Jordanian community.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Young People toward Mental Illness: A Cross Sectional Study

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to investigate young Jordanians’ knowledge and attitudes toward people who have a mental illness. A cross sectional design was utilized. A convenient sample of 858 participants aged between 15–24 years old completed a survey. Participants under 19 years were accessed through their schools and those 19 years and above were accessed through universities. Results showed that although the majority of university and school students’ responses were generally consistent, they disagreed on 11 items on the survey; for example, 186 (39.3%) of university students agreed that mental illness has a biological origin compared with only 119 (30%) of school students. The majority of young people 737 (85.9%) were willing to learn and 792 (92.3%) felt that they have to help people with mental illness, which make them willing to learn. In conclusion, the findings provide insights for decision makers and researchers in Jordan about young peoples’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental illness. Increasing young adults’ literacy through introducing educational programs such as mental health first aid courses will enrich their knowledge; help change attitudes and reduce stigma toward people living with mental illness.

Narghile Smoking is Associated With the Development of Oral Cancer at Early Age

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Oral cancer in young Jordanians: potential association with frequency of narghile smoking. Al-Amad, SH, Awad MA, Nimri O. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2014;118(5):560-5 . Reviewer Nazir Ahmad Dar, PhD Purpose/Question Authors have investigated the association of narghile smoking with age at which oral cancer was diagnosed in Jordanian cancer survivors registered with the Jordanian Cancer Registry. Source of Funding University of Sharjah; Seed Grant (No. 091004) Type of Study/Design Retrospective cohort study Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable

Oral cancer in young Jordanians: potential association with frequency of narghile smoking.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between narghile (water-pipe) smoking and the age of patients when diagnosed with oral cancer. Patients with oral cancer registered in the Jordanian National Cancer Registry were asked about frequency of cigarette, narghile, and alcohol use. Relationship between age at diagnosis and risk factors was assessed using multiple regression analysis. In this sample, 66% of patients were cigarette smokers, and 36% and 17% were narghile smokers and alcohol drinkers, respectively. The multivariate regression analysis adjusted for sex, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking found that narghile smokers were significantly younger when diagnosed with oral cancer compared with nonsmokers. Narghile smoking is an independent risk factor associated with the development of oral cancer at a younger age. Prospective studies of its effect on the earlier development of oral cancer are needed to establish a cause-effect relationship.

Do We Care about What We Buy or Eat? A Practical Study of the Healthy Foods Eaten by Jordanian Youth

Scholars and practitioners have taken a deep interest in the food choice of young Jordanians and found that it has been influenced by a variety of determinants that affect consumers of what they buy and eat. Such determinants have not tested practically from scholars within the Jordanian market context. By reviewing large numbers of food choice studies, four factors are found essential and chosen to be investigated practically which are: food products’ availability, cost, benefit and sensory appeal. Quantitative analysis approach has been used in this study to collect the suitable data. Convenience sampling and regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. Additional explanations can be found of how the hypotheses have been developed and tested. Results indicated that the main healthy food products choice and purchase determinants are food availability, food cost, benefits and sensory appeal. Additional explanation of data collection methods, analysis and findings can be found in more details.

Lack of Association between Polymorphisms of Hepatic Lipase with Lipid Profile in Young Jordanian Adults.

The human hepatic lipase (LIPC) gene encodes hepatic lipase, an enzyme involved in lipoprotein metabolism and regulation. Therefore, variants in LIPC gene may influence plasma lipoprotein levels. In this study, the association of LIPC C-514T and G-250A polymorphisms with plasma lipid profiles in 348 young Jordanians was investigated. Genotyping of C-514T and G-250A was performed by polymerase chain reaction and subsequent digestion with DraI and NiaIII restriction enzymes, respectively, while Roche analyzer was used to determine plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-and high-density lipoprotein. The G-250 and C-514 alleles were most abundant in Jordanians with 79 and 80% frequencies, respectively. Additionally, no difference was found in the lipid–lipoprotein profile between the different genotype groups of C-514T or G-250A polymorphisms, even when males and females were examined separately (P > 0.05). In young Jordanian adults, the examined LIPC polymorphisms seem to play a limited role in determining the lipid profile.

The Prevalence of Symptoms and Signs of Temporomandibular Disorders among a Group of Young Adult Jordanian Population

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint in 18 years old Jordanian population and to establish a baseline data for comparison with other studies. Methods: A group of young adult Jordanians presented to Officer Election Committee for Mu’tah Military University in 2004 were included in this study. A questionnaire was designed to assess the anamnestic and clinical dysfunction indices according to Helkimo. The anamnestic examination was based on the reported symptoms. While the clinical examination was based on maximum mandibular opening, protrusive and lateral movements, auscultation of temporomandibular joint and palpation of joint and muscles of mastication. Data were collected, tabulated, and analysed using Chi-square test and Correlation coefficients tests. Results: A total of 5,312 Jordanians (3,871 males, 1,441 females) were examined. There were no significant differences between males and females either in reported symptoms or clinical signs. Whilst about 63% reported no symptoms (Ai 0), 21.5% reported mild, and severe symptoms (Ai I) and (Ai II). Similarly, 31.2% showed no signs of dysfunction (Di 0); 47.9% had mild signs (Di I); 17.1% showed moderate signs (Di II); and 3.8% showed severe signs of dysfunction (Di III). There were low but significant correlations between Anamnestic index score (Ai) and the recorded signs (Di) as well as the clinical dysfunction score. Conclusion: The data obtained from the physical examination and questionnaire identified a high prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in 18-year-old Jordanians. Further studies are required to evaluate the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in older age groups among Jordanian population.

Understanding Smoking Behaviour among Secondary School Students in Amman, Jordan: A Qualitative Study

Background: Tobacco smoking is the most preventable cause of death in many countries. Globally, it accounts for 4.9 million deaths per annum, 70% of which occur in developing countries. With the growing economic development of countries in the ‘East’ and ‘South’, the international tobacco industry has been shifting its marketing towards these areas. Evidence shows that the majority of the smokers start smoking as early as high school level and the number of young smokers is increasing rapidly, which is a concern. In Jordan, smoking has reached alarming proportions, but as yet limited data is available about young Jordanians’ smoking behaviour. This research is an attempt to bridge the gap. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted on secondary school students of Amman, the capital of Jordan in 2010. The participants of the study were 16-18 year-old students of public and private schools in eastern and western suburbs of Amman, who were recruited using stratified random sampling. Five focus group discussions (FGDs), two for males and three for females with six participants per group were conducted. The FGDs used open-ended questions to focus discussion on four broad areas: smoking behaviour, reasons and place of smoking, accessibility of tobacco products, and quitting smoking. Results: The results show that 40% of students were current smokers, and that 66.7% of these were males. The age at which they started the habit was as early as 11 among males and 16 among females. Family environment was found to be positively associated with participants’ smoking behaviour. Hookah smoking was considered socially acceptable in some families, with the perception that it was less harmful than cigarettes. Females tended to smoke alone within contained/secret places, whereas males were more likely to smoke in a group environment on the street or near where they lived. ‘Stress’ was the main reason for participants to start and/or continue smoking, followed by ‘peer pressure’, ‘belonging’ and ‘being cool’. Other factors such as easy accessibility, availability and money issues also played an important part in their smoking. The health risks and consequences of smoking were underestimated by the students, and they expressed no interest in quitting or taking familial advice against smoking seriously. Fear that their fathers might learn of their habit and the possible consequences thereof, i.e., ‘harsh punishment’, was a prime factor for students not to smoke. Despite legislation, students were able to obtain tobacco products easily. The school environment was an important predictor of students’ smoking as teachers smoked within the school vicinity, even in the lass, and the school curriculum did not tackle the issue of tobacco appropriately. Conclusion: Certain measures taken to control youth smoking have not been effective due to lack of understanding of how young people perceive smoking and hence act. This paper sheds some light on 16-18 years old students’ smoking behaviour, factors that encourage their smoking and areas where attention is needed to prevent youth smoking.

Social networks impact: the case of Jordan youth

Social networking has drawn a great interest. It is a web-based service that allows users to interact individually or per groups. Therefore, it facilitates social relations and learning between users and institutions that share common interest. On the other hand, we witness a widespread access to information and communications technology (ICT) by young people which facilitates their engagement in social networking. Therefore, social networking should be viewed within a context related to the effects on the life of young people today. Young Jordanians in the 18 to 24 age groups enjoy widespread access to ICT, and their accessibility has been steadily increasing over the past years. Therefore, this paper examines the engagement of Jordanian youth in higher education with social networks. It considers how properties unique to such mediated environments affect the ways in which youth interact and learn. This paper aims to identify ways in which social networks can be used creatively in the community. In order to reach this goal, we present detailed results for a survey conducted using Facebook community.

News use and political socialization among young Jordanians

This study examined the relationship between young Jordanians' ( N = 321) news use and their feelings toward the Jordanian and US governments. Consumption of traditional news delivery formats (such as print newspapers, radio broadcasts and interpersonal sources) was measured, as was reliance on new media formats such as blogs, text messaging and podcasting. Political socialization measures were indices of political trust and appraisals of the US government. Results suggest that young Jordanians in the sample rely mostly on TV news, newspapers and interpersonal contacts for current events information, and that TV news use and reliance on interpersonal sources were associated with negative views of the US government.

Cross-cultural cyber-marriages: a global socio-economic strategy for young Jordanians

The Internet is fast becoming a factor in international migration. Industrialized countries use the Internet to control immigration by checking immigrants’ statements and weeding out false information. But would-be immigrants also use Internet technology. Chat-room visitors from the Third World contract marriages with citizens of the highly industrialized countries, obtain visas, and migrate to the First World to join their cyber spouses. To build cross-cultural marriages, Internet users create new, culturally hybrid identities. The new medium requires new strategies for solving an old problem: how to establish a relationship of trust between members of very different societies. In this case study from Jordan, we explore the connections between cross-cultural marriage, migration, and the Internet.

Ameloblastoma in young Jordanians: A review of the clinicopathologic features and treatment of 10 cases

Purpose: We sought to descriptively review the clinicopathologic features and surgical treatment of ameloblastoma in children and young adults of Jordan. Patients and Methods: Data were collected from the records of patients treated at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of Jordan University of Science and Technology between 1989 and 2002. Results: Ten patients (4 males and 6 females) were included in the review. All of the cases involved the mandibular molar-ramus region. The most common presenting sign was that of a painless swelling. In 5 of the patients, a multilocular radiolucent radiographic appearance was seen; the remaining 5 cases had a large unilocular radiolucent appearance. While 2 tumors were devoid of microcystic regions, 2 exhibited only a few scattered cystic foci, and 6 were entirely cystic (unicystic). Cases with a unilocular radiographic appearance were treated by surgical enucleation plus rotary instrument peripheral ostectomy. Cases with a multilocular radiographic appearance were treated by surgical resection without a continuity defect. During the follow-up period (average of 7.6 years), no recurrence or metastasis was detected. All patients had desirable postoperative function and appearance. Conclusion: The clinicopathologic patterns of ameloblastoma in these young Jordanians were found to be similar to those of other whites. In this case series, minimal surgical treatment of mandibular ameloblastoma resulted in no recurrence and excellent postoperative function and appearance. © 2003 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61:13-18, 2003