ORCID Profile
0000-0001-6297-4781
Current Organisations
Qatar University
,
Queensland University of Technology
,
University of Queensland
,
University of Jordan
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Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 04-02-2021
Abstract: To examine changes in planning, selecting, and preparing healthy foods in relation to personal factors (time, money, stress) and social distancing policies during the COVID-19 crisis. Using cross-sectional online surveys collected in 38 countries worldwide in April-June 2020 ( N = 37,207, M age 36.7 SD 14.43, 73.6% women), we compared changes in food literacy behaviors to changes in personal factors and social distancing policies, using hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for sociodemographic variables. Increases in planning (4.7 SD 1.2, 4.9 SD 1.3), selecting (3.8 SD 1.7, 3.8 SD 1.7), and preparing (4.6 SD 1.3, 4.7 SD 1.3) healthy foods were found for women and men, and positively related to perceived time availability among women and stay-at-home policies for planning and preparing in women. Psychological distress was a barrier for women, and an enabler for men. COVID-19 induced financial stress was a barrier depending on various sociodemographic variables (all p & 0.01). Stay-at-home policies and feelings of having more time during COVID-19 seem to have improved food literacy among women. Stress and other social distancing policies relate to food literacy in more complex ways, highlighting the necessity of a health equity lens.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-04-2023
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 29-07-2015
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 24-07-2013
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-2012
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-02-2022
Abstract: Background: The unprecedented global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has imposed huge challenges on the healthcare facilities, and impacted every aspect of life. This has led to the development of several vaccines against COVID-19 within one year. This study aimed to assess the attitudes and the side effects among Arab communities after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and use of machine learning (ML) tools to predict post-vaccination side effects based on predisposing factors. Methods: An online-based multinational survey was carried out via social media platforms from 14 June to 31 August 2021, targeting in iduals who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from 22 Arab countries. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and chi-square tests were used to analyze the data. Moreover, extensive ML tools were utilized to predict 30 post vaccination adverse effects and their severity based on 15 predisposing factors. The importance of distinct predisposing factors in predicting particular side effects was determined using global feature importance employing gradient boost as AutoML. Results: A total of 10,064 participants from 19 Arab countries were included in this study. Around 56% were female and 59% were aged from 20 to 39 years old. A high rate of vaccine hesitancy (51%) was reported among participants. Almost 88% of the participants were vaccinated with one of three COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer-BioNTech (52.8%), AstraZeneca (20.7%), and Sinopharm (14.2%). About 72% of participants experienced post-vaccination side effects. This study reports statistically significant associations (p 0.01) between various predisposing factors and post-vaccinations side effects. In terms of predicting post-vaccination side effects, gradient boost, random forest, and XGBoost outperformed other ML methods. The most important predisposing factors for predicting certain side effects (i.e., tiredness, fever, headache, injection site pain and swelling, myalgia, and sleepiness and laziness) were revealed to be the number of doses, gender, type of vaccine, age, and hesitancy to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: The reported side effects following COVID-19 vaccination among Arab populations are usually non-life-threatening flu-like symptoms and injection site pain. Certain predisposing factors have greater weight and importance as input data in predicting post-vaccination side effects. Based on the most significant input data, ML can also be used to predict these side effects people with certain predicted side effects may require additional medical attention, or possibly hospitalization.
Publisher: Deakin University
Date: 22-03-2023
DOI: 10.21153/TESOL2022VOL31NO1ART1667
Abstract: An EAL/D Handbook: Teaching and learning across the curriculum when English is an additional language or dialect. Harper, H. & Feez, S. PETAA, 2020.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-12-2016
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-08-2022
Abstract: Insufficient physical activity is considered a strong risk factor associated with non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on physical (in)activity behavior in 10 Arab countries before and during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study using a validated online survey was launched originally in 38 different countries. The Eastern Mediterranean regional data related to the 10 Arabic countries that participated in the survey were selected for analysis in this study. A total of 12,433 participants were included in this analysis. The mean age of the participants was 30.3 (SD, 11.7) years. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between physical activity levels and the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, watching TV, screen time, and computer usage. Physical activity levels decreased significantly during the lockdown. Participants’ country of origin, gender, and education were associated with physical activity before and during the lockdown (p 0.050). Older age, watching TV, and using computers had a negative effect on physical activity before and during the lockdown (p 0.050). Strategies to improve physical activity and minimize sedentary behavior should be implemented, as well as to reduce unhealthy levels of inactive time, especially during times of crisis. Further research on the influence of a lack of physical activity on overall health status, as well as on the COVID-19 disease effect is recommended.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 30-04-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-03-2016
Publisher: F1000 Research Ltd
Date: 04-04-2022
DOI: 10.12688/F1000RESEARCH.110090.1
Abstract: Background : Maternal depression and anxiety are significant public health concerns that play an important role in the health and well-being of mothers and children. The COVID-19 pandemic, the consequential lockdowns and related safety restrictions worldwide negatively affected the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women. Methods: This regional study aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model for the prediction of maternal depression and anxiety. The study used a dataset collected from five Arab countries during the COVID-19 pandemic between July to December 2020. The population s le included 3569 women (1939 pregnant and 1630 postpartum) from five countries (Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain). The performance of seven machine learning algorithms was assessed for the prediction of depression and anxiety symptoms. Results : The Gradient Boosting (GB) and Random Forest (RF) models outperformed other studied ML algorithms with accuracy values of 83.3% and 83.2% for depression, respectively, and values of 82.9% and 81.3% for anxiety, respectively. The Mathew’s Correlation Coefficient was evaluated for the ML models the Naïve Bayes (NB) and GB models presented the highest performance measures (0.63 and 0.59) for depression and (0.74 and 0.73) for anxiety, respectively. The features’ importance ranking was evaluated, the results showed that stress during pregnancy, family support, financial issues, income, and social support were the most significant values in predicting anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Overall, the study evidenced the power of ML models in predicting maternal depression and anxiety and proved to be an efficient tool for identifying and predicting the associated risk factors that influence maternal mental health. The deployment of machine learning models for screening and early detection of depression and anxiety among pregnant and postpartum women might facilitate the development of health prevention and intervention programs that will enhance maternal and child health in low- and middle-income countries.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 10-06-2021
DOI: 10.3390/NU13062002
Abstract: This study aimed at developing a valid culture-sensitive quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Qatari adults. A convenient s le of healthy Qataris (n = 107) were recruited from family members of Qatar University students. The Diet History Questionnaire II of the US National Cancer Institute was translated to Arabic language, back-translated to English, pilot tested, and then modified accordingly to be used in Qatari setting. Participants were asked to complete the translated version of the FFQ. This FFQ was then validated against three 24 h diet recall (24 hDR) including a weekend day. Participants were asked to complete the FFQ again after one-month period to measure its repeatability. Dietary data were analyzed using the dietary analysis software ESHA. The validity and reliability of FFQ were assessed by comparing the median intake of nutrients and foods and by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficients. The median nutrient intakes assessed by the second FFQ were higher than that reported in the baseline FFQ1 except for fat. The percentage of increase varies between 1.5% and 96%. Results of the second FFQ indicated an overestimation of intake for most nutrients (macro and micro). Macronutrient intakes assessed by the two FFQ and 24 hDR were strongly correlated. The correlation coefficients for micronutrient intakes between FFQ2 and 24hDR were lower than that of the two FFQs except for calcium (r = 0.55) and sodium (r = 0.643). They ranged from (−0.17) for fluorine to (0.643) for sodium. The agreement rates for classifying macronutrient intakes into same or adjacent quartile were between 79.4% and 100% for the two FFQs and between 71% and 100% for the second FFQ and 24hDR. The reported consumption of food groups estimated by FFQ2 was significantly higher than that reported by FFQ1. In conclusion, the developed FFQ was sufficiently valid to assess energy and macronutrients but not micronutrients. The reliability was adequate for most nutrients.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 29-08-2023
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 17-03-2022
Abstract: During pregnancy, woman’s diet is one of the most preeminent factors affecting mother and child’s health. Prior to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, inadequate maternal diet and low adherence to dietary guidelines was reported among pregnant women in the Arab countries. Nowadays, COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is widely discussed among literature. However, there is limited data on the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-infected pregnant women. This substantially larger group also suffered significant lifestyle changes during the lockdown period. The aim of the study is to characterize dietary patterns, intake and adherence to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pregnancy guidelines before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arab pregnant women. Using a specially designed questionnaire and using the snowball s ling method, the survey was carried out among a convenient s le of 1,939 pregnant women from five Arab countries. Our study found an increment in the consumption of cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, and nuts that occurred during the pandemic compared to the preceding period. Despite this noticeable increase during the pandemic, the Arab pregnant women in this study had significantly lower adherence to the USDA pregnancy guidelines. The daily consumption of almost all food groups was lower than the USDA’s daily recommendations, except for fruits intake, which was higher than the daily standard. Demonstrated poor adherence to prenatal USDA dietary guidelines by Arab pregnant women can lead to numerous deficiencies and health risks among their offspring. In conclusion, our study showed that before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, poor adherence to dietary recommendations occurred in a considerable number of Arab pregnant women. The findings emphasize the need for nutritional education and intervention during prenatal visits.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-09-2023
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 28-10-2013
Abstract: – The study was conducted to investigate the impact of competitive entrance exams on some lifestyle factors that may lead to body weight gain. The paper aims to discuss these issues. – A cross-sectional study was conducted on high school students ( n =660), aged 16-20 years, to assess changes in body weight and fat percentage, dietary habits and physical activity practicing before and after the examination. – During the examination period, both males and females experienced weight gain, but the mean change of body weight for males was higher compared to the mean change of body weight observed in females (3.6 vs 0.6 kg). Body fat percentage increased in males and females in approximately 2 and 0.3 percent, respectively. In addition, males were found to skip breakfast ( p =0.003) during the examination period as compared to females ( p =1.00). Both males and females reported an increased consumption of milk ( p =0.007 and 0.001), junk food ( p =0.0001 and 0.001), caffeinated beverages ( p .001) and carbonated drinks ( p =0.001). A significant proportion from each gender reported that they quit recreational physical activity during the examination period ( p =0.0001). – Several studies were conducted to investigate the impact of academic exams on stress among this vulnerable group however, the relationship of body weight and obesity is still lacking in this population. Therefore, this study aims to investigate impact of competitive entrance exams on some lifestyle behaviours that may lead to body weight gain.
Publisher: E.U. European Publishing
Date: 11-11-2022
DOI: 10.18332/TID/155007
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 15-02-2022
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the Eastern Mediterranean Region's food system's fragility posing severe challenges to maintaining healthy sustainable lifestyle. The aim of this cross-sectional study ( N = 13,527 household's family members, mean age: 30.3 ±11.6, 80% women) is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption patterns and household's dietary ersity in 10 Eastern Mediterranean countries. A food frequency questionnaire was used to investigate the consumption patterns along with the calculation of the Food Consumption Score (FCS), a proxy indicator of dietary ersity. Data collected on cooking attitudes, shopping and food stock explore the community mitigation measures. In the overall population, before and during the pandemic, most food groups were consumed less or equal to 4 times per week. As evident from our findings and considering that the pandemic may be better, but it's not over, small to moderate changes in food consumption patterns in relatively short time periods can become permanent and lead to substantial poor dietary ersity over time. While it is a priority to mitigate the immediate impact, one area of great concern is the long-term effects of this pandemic on dietary patterns and dietary ersity in Eastern Mediterranean households. To conclude, the COVID-19 crisis revealed the region's unpreparedness to deal with a pandemic. While the aggressive containment strategy was essential for most countries to help prevent the spread, it came at a high nutritional cost, driving poor dietary ersity.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-08-2021
DOI: 10.3390/JPM11090873
Abstract: The burden of abdominal adiposity has increased globally, which is recognized as a key condition for the development of obesity-related disorders among youth, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. High blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular diseases increase the rates of premature mortality and morbidity substantially. Aims: to investigate the relation between abdominal adiposity and elevated BP among adolescent males in Jordan. Methods: Nationally representative s le of male adolescents was selected using multi-cluster s ling technique. Study s le included 1035 adolescent males aged 12 to 17 years. Multiple indicators were used to assess adiposity including waist circumference (WC) and total body fat (TF), truncal fat (TrF), and visceral fat (VF). Systolic blood pressure was measured to assess hypertension. Results: After adjusting for age, smoking status, and physical activity, the odds of having stage two hypertension increased 6, 7, and 8 times for adolescents who were on 90th percentile or above for Trf, VF, and WC, respectively. Conclusion: Elevated BP was significantly associated with total and abdominal adiposity among adolescent males in Jordan. Use of multiple clinical assessment tools is essential to assess abdominal obesity among adolescents.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.2147/DMSO.S316953
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-03-2023
DOI: 10.1177/17454999231158901
Abstract: This article draws on a qualitative comparative research study of global citizenship education (GCE) in two primary schools, an international school in Singapore and an independent school in Australia. This paper focuses on the implementation of GCE within the two specific school contexts, Singapore and Australia, examining the tensions which existed between neo-liberal market rationales and the critical democratic ideologies at each site. The paper explored in-depth how the neo-liberal market agenda influenced and shaped the societal imaginaries specifically in relation to their GCE commitments. Despite each schools’ commitments to critical democratic GCE ideals, they were very mindful about being distinctive and remaining competitive within their respective educational markets. To that extent, the schools were neo-liberal market actors. Empirical data shows the complexity of a more hybridised or a continuum existence between these two ideologies, thus providing a more nuanced insight of the binary within the school sites.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-04-2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-02-2023
No related grants have been discovered for Susan Creagh.