Biomedical subjects

O E el-Rufaie

Publications and source records attributed to O E el-Rufaie.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Arabic version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire.

The aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the Arabic 12-item General Health Questionnaire in a sample of university students. A sample of 157 university students was screened using this questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-90. A standardized clinical interview using SCID was conducted on a subset of screened students. Reliability, validity, and factor analysis of the questionnaire were evaluated. Using factor score discrimination between cases and noncases was also evaluated. The Arabic version of the GHQ-12 proved to be reliable as indicated by Cronbach alpha of .86. The best balance between sensitivity and specificity was found at the General Health Questionnaire cut-off point of 15/16: at this threshold, sensitivity was .88 and was paired with a specificity of .84. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation identified three factors, namely, Factor A (general dysphoria), Factor B (lack of enjoyment), and Factor C (social dysfunction). Factors A and C discriminated between clinically distressed and clinically nondistressed subjects. The General Health Questionnaire-12 as a whole is a reliable and valid screening tool in university settings.

Arabs↗

PubMed1999

The rationale, development and reliability of a new screening psychiatric instrument.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the rationale, development, reliability and validity of a new screening psychiatric instrument. METHOD: The instrument comprises 26 items that tap the cardinal features of main psychiatric categories as defined by ICD-10 and DSM-IV. These items were adapted from various structured and semi-structured diagnostic interviews that yield ICD-10 and DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses. After a training course, 12 trainees and the trainer rated blindly the 26 items on 45 subjects (22 with psychopathology and 23 without). Inter-rater reliability coefficient (Kappa) was estimated between trainees and the trainer on each item of the instrument. The total score on the new instrument was then correlated with the total score on the Arabic Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and the Arabic version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in a random sample from the general population (n = 365). Logistic regression was utilised to estimate the power of the total score on the new instrument in discriminating between cases and non-cases as classified by the SRQ-20. RESULTS: Excellent levels of agreement (Kappa > 0.80) were found for all items except for obsession (Kappa = 0.65) and for depressed mood (Kappa = 0.70). Moderate correlations were found between the total score on the new instrument and total score on SRQ-20 (r = 0.69) and the total score on the Arabic GHQ (r = 0.7). The new instrument correctly classified 89% of subjects into cases and non-cases. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the new instrument is a highly reliable and valid screening instrument. The authors are now investigating its test-retest reliability and its procedural validity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Sexual dysfunction among type II diabetic men: a controlled study.

This was a primary health care (PHC) study aiming at the investigation of the prevalence and nature of sexual dysfunction among a sample of type II diabetic men, in comparison with the control groups of hypertensive men and apparently healthy men with no chronic medical illness. Subjects were assessed by PHC physicians using a sexual dysfunction semistructured questionnaire and a questionnaire designed for medical history and sociodemographic data. Clinical assessments for peripheral vascular disease and peripheral neuropathy were carried out for the diabetic group only. The estimated high prevalence rate of sexual dysfunction among the diabetic group (89.2%) was significantly greater than the hypertensive group (43.6%), and the apparently healthy group (16.7%). The commonest clinical presentations of sexual dysfunction among the diabetic men were impaired morning and spontaneous erections, erectile weakness, and ejaculatory disturbances. Lesser common presentations were reduced sexual interest and complete erectile failure. There were no significant associations between the sexual dysfunction and clinically obvious physical complications of diabetes, or factors that might affect sexual functioning (i.e., alcohol or drug misuse or marital disharmony). However, the validity of these results is questioned due to the small numbers used for statistical analysis.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Pediatric injuries in an Arabian Gulf country.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the common types of injuries among children (0-14 years) in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive hospital based study. SETTING: Al-Ain Medical District, Al-Ain Teaching Hospital, UAE. SUBJECTS: All patients aged 0-14 years seen at Al-Ain Teaching Hospital for injuries during 1994. RESULTS: The number of children with an injury who attended the emergency room was 16,518 (69.9% boys; 30.1% girls). Injury rates were higher among non-UAE nationals. The most frequent reason for hospital admission was poisoning (41%). In the age group < 5 years, the most common causes were falls, blunt trauma, and burns or scalds, while in the 5-9 year and in 10-14 year groups the most frequent cause was road traffic accidents (RTAs). Fights and sporting injuries were also seen frequently in children aged 10-14 years. CONCLUSION: Injury rates were higher in boys and RTAs mostly occurred in children over 10 years. The majority of cases (56%) occurred among non-UAE nationals, who are usually of lower socio-economic status. RECOMMENDATION: Injuries can be prevented by developing strategies to substantially increase the profile of health education to parents and children, by educating policy makers and health professionals, and by environmental modification, legislation, and enforcement. The UAE government can play an important part by establishing and supporting injury prevention programs with these goals.

Accident Prevention↗

PubMed1995

Retesting the validity of the Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale in primary health care.

The Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale was retested and cut-off points determined in a sample of 217 patients attending a primary health care centre in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Subjects were screened using the HAD scale and all patients were then interviewed by a single consultant psychiatrist. The scale scores were assessed against the psychiatrist's clinical evaluations. The study furnished evidence that the Arabic version of the HAD scale is a valid instrument for detecting anxiety and depressive disorders in primary health care settings. Spearman rank correlations of all items of the scale were significantly above zero. The butterflies item of the anxiety subscale had the lowest correlation coefficients. The overall Cronbach alpha measures of internal consistency were 0.7836 and 0.8760 for anxiety and depression, respectively. The cut-off points that produced a balanced combination of sensitivity and specificity appropriate for referral to a psychiatric facility by the general practitioner were 6/7 for anxiety and 3/4 for depression. Almost all other similar studies have determined a single cut-off point for both subscales of the HAD. This study also indicated that the HAD depression subscale is more consistent and more predictive than the HAD anxiety subscale. Moreover some of the problems arising from applying psychiatric research instruments across cultures are highlighted by this study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Minor psychiatric morbidity in primary health care: prevalence, nature and severity.

The Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) (Goldberg et al. 1970) was applied in a study investigating the prevalence rate, nature and severity of minor psychiatric disorders among U.A.E. nationals attending a primary health care centre in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The total prevalence rate of minor psychiatric morbidity, among the group of attenders who were interviewed, was 27.6%. The morbidity was higher among females (31.9%), than males (20.3%). The highest morbidity rate among the entire sample occurred among the 35-54 year age group. The commonest diagnoses encountered were neurotic depression (55%), anxiety-depressive states (13.3%) and anxiety states (11.7%). The distribution of diagnostic entities was similar among males and females except for anxiety-depressive states which were more common in females. The prevalence of neurotic depression and anxiety-depression states were highest in the middle age group, while anxiety states were highest among the young age group. The overall severity rate (OSR) among the identified cases was found to be ranging between mild and moderate severity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Identifying anxiety and depressive disorders among primary care patients: a pilot study.

One stage case-identification method, using the Arabic Version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) was applied in a pilot study for estimating the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders among a group of Saudi primary care attenders. The validity of the Arabic Version of the HAD scale was previously tested and found valid with high sensitivity and specificity. The total prevalence rate of depression was 17% and that of anxiety was 16%. Seven percent of the sample suffered both depression and anxiety i.e. the total percentage of patients with depression, anxiety or both was 26%. Higher morbidity of depression was recorded among females and a higher morbidity of anxiety among male patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Validity study of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale among a group of Saudi patients.

The Arabic version of the HAD scale was validated in a sample of 50 Saudi patients. The scale scores were assessed against the principal author's clinical evaluations. Spearman correlations of all items of the scale, except for one, were statistically significant. The non-significance of one item was probably related to the way it was translated into Arabic. The study furnished evidence that the Arabic version was a reliable instrument for detecting states of anxiety and depression in Saudi patients in a primary health care setting.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Acute schizophrenic episode: is it a culture-related syndrome?

The patients in this study, from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, presented with an acute psychotic syndrome preceded by stressful life events. The patients represented only three nationalities, although many people from other nationalities labour under similar stressful conditions. It is suggested that cultural factors play a role in the aetiology of this particular syndrome.

Acute Disease↗