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Introduction Low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the Arab world is concerning and suboptimal breastfeeding is a leading child health risk factor in several Arab States. Breastfeeding education has the capacity to improve breastfeeding knowledge and practice, thus positively impacting infant and maternal health. The purpose of this review is to identify and examine the impact of breastfeeding promotion interventions across the Arab world. Method A scoping review of the literature was conducted across seventeen databases for relevant publications published through October 2021 to find studies in Arab countries, that involved breastfeeding as an intervention component. Twenty-one articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Results Individual and community based educational interventions offer the opportunity to positively impact the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of breastfeeding in new mothers in Arab countries. Increased breastfeeding has the potential to lead to improved neonate and maternal health. In addition to significant benefits found across individual and community-based interventions in a variety of Arab countries, there is also evidence that interventions that improve the knowledge of health care professionals and/or the practices of a health care system can contribute to subsequent increases in breastfeeding rates. Discussion Breastfeeding education is a low-cost and high-impact public health tool that can impact infant and maternal health and potentially increase breastfeeding adherence in the Arab world., Author(s): Basil H. Aboul-Enein [sup.1] [sup.2] , Elizabeth Dodge [sup.3] , Nada Benajiba [sup.4] , Ruth M. Mabry [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.441348.e, 0000 0001 0230 4620, College of Health [...]

Breastfeeding is vital to a child's lifelong health and has significant positive benefits to mother's health. World Health Organization recommends beginning exclusively breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and continuing during the first 6 months of infant's life. The purpose of this review is to identify and examine breastfeeding interventions conducted across the Spanish-speaking countries. A scoping review of the literature was conducted across 14 databases for relevant publications published through April 2023 to find studies in Spanish-speaking countries that involved breastfeeding as an intervention component. A total of 46 peer-reviewed articles were included in this review, across 12 Spanish-speaking countries. Participants ranged from pregnant women, mothers, mother-infant pair, and health care professionals. Intervention at the individual level in combination with support from trained health care professionals or peer counselors seemed to have higher improvements in breastfeeding rates. The greatest improvement in exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months was seen in interventions that included prenatal and postnatal intensive lactation education, for a period of 12 months. The most effective interventions that improved rates of any breastfeeding included promotional activities, educations workshop, and training of health care staff along with changes in hospital care. Breastfeeding promotion is an economical and effective intervention to increase breastfeeding behavior and thereby improving breastfeeding adherence across Spanish-speaking countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the 1960s, Fred Rogers created Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (MRN), a television shows for children. Although Rogers may not have been aware that his series carried the potential for a public health model, such an observation becomes apparent in contemporary terms. This transdisciplinary narrative explores MRN through the lens of holistic "health & wellness." Several themes come in perspective as they relate to health as defined by the World Health Organization for present and future communities. Targeting a young population, Rogers focuses on emotional nurturing and health with safety for all and within a happy and healthy community--themes that are the core of public health. Through the "health & wellness" lens, the footprints for a child's behavioral and social model are evident; a model particularly relevant to present and future generations with emotional growth, health, and community spirit as essential. In MRN, children are learning through the visual and audio arts, self-esteem, caring, and positive behaviors for personal and social health. Through this lens, besides the footprints to an educational model, another evidence manifests itself, which is the timeless impact of the content of Rogers' life lessons that are constantly adjusting to the next audience of this age group by updating its format in parallel with an advancing technology, which supports the validity of MRN' potential for a holistic public health model toward complete physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being, and as previously proposed by the World Health Organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Beginning in 2019, the Saudi Government required restaurants to post caloric information on menus to facilitate informed meal choices by Saudi consumers. Purpose: To assess the impact on consumer food choices, leveraging TPB, related to caloric information on menus among restaurants in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study among adult Saudi consumers was conducted. Theoretically based on TPB, data were gathered on the use of caloric information on menus in restaurants across Riyadh. Results: Only 24.4% of participants utilized caloric information on menus to make a meal decision. "Attitude" (r = 0.65), and "perceived behavioral control" (r = 0.62) significantly correlated with "intention." Multiple regression analysis showed that "attitude" (R[superscript 2] = 0.47, P = 0.05), and "perceived behavioral control" (R[superscript 2] = 0.11, P = 0.03) were significant predictors of using caloric information on menus for meal selection. Discussion: Among Saudi participants, the use of caloric information on menus was low in their meal decision. Interestingly, "attitude" was found to be a significant predictor of utilizing caloric information in making a meal decision. Translation to Health Education Practice: Consumer education should consider constructs of the TPB in intervention development and evaluation strategies to influence attitudes toward healthy eating behaviors and enhance the use of caloric information on restaurant menus in making informed meal decisions.

Background: Religious institutions play a crucial role in health promotion and hold significant influence in the public health field. Aim: The aim of this review is to examine outcomes of health-promoting interventions involving the use of mosques as the intervention venue, its role in promoting health behavior change, and the role of theory in each intervention. Methods: A scoping review was conducted across 17 databases for relevant publications published up to and including August 2023 that involved the use of mosques as the intervention venue. Fourteen articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Results: The studies featured a wide range of interventions. However, only eight of these studies integrated theoretical frameworks into their approaches, indicating a need for more structured guidance in this field. These theoretical frameworks included Participatory Action Research (PAR), the theory of planned behavior, behavior-change constructs, the patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) framework, and prolonged exposure techniques within Islamic principles. The review identified three main health-focused intervention categories: mental health, prevention, and communication, each providing valuable insights into initiatives within Muslim communities. Conclusions: This review underscores the significance of inclusive and culturally sensitive health interventions, emphasizing the effectiveness of faith-based approaches in improving health outcomes, promoting positive health behaviors, and addressing communication and cultural barriers. The reviews findings stress the need for further research that incorporates theoretical frameworks and tailored interventions to meet the specific cultural needs of these communities, ultimately contributing to enhanced well-being within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The long history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has resulted in a public and mental health crisis. Despite the significant mental health burdens facing the Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and refugee camps, this issue remains comprehensively unexplored. Aims: This scoping review identified mental health interventions and assessed their effectiveness among populations in the OPT and Palestinian refugee camps, while addressing delivery challenges. Method: A scoping review was conducted using 14 databases to include relevant studies published through March 2024 using PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews. Results: Analyzing 31 intervention studies meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria, revealed varied outcomes in interventions targeting post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and overall mental well-being. Conclusions: While some interventions showed potential, others had limited effectiveness, underscoring the complexity of mental health needs in conflict zones. Gender- and risk-specific effectiveness was observed, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches. Challenges like low attendance rates and systemic barriers hindered intervention success. The profound impact of war on children stresses the urgency for targeted interventions. Empowerment and community connectedness are vital for resilience, along with the importance of family and community involvement and research that balances the need for strong evaluation designs with the need for ongoing mental health services. Advocacy for systemic changes is crucial to implement the complex sustainable interventions necessary to assure mental health in any population. This review highlights the importance of holistic, contextually relevant approaches for mental health intervention in OPT and refugee camps, emphasizing rigorous evaluations and community-driven approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UN's Sustainable Development Goal #5 (Gender Equity) includes violence against women and girls (VAWG), considering it as a violation of the rights of women and girls. The variety of risk factors for VAWG in Arab countries suggests the need to identify effective interventions to guide practitioners and policy makers. A systematic review of preventive interventions across the Arab League examined the outcomes of VAWG. Authors registered the study on the prospective register of systematic reviews database. Authors conducted the search for evidence up to 2023. Database searching identified 1,502 studies and after application of the eligibility criteria, 17 studies remained for inclusion. Quality appraisal used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Evidence emerged from eight Arab countries. Interventions occurred at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention. However, only two studies employed interventions using more than one level of prevention, which considered systems strengthening and the development of community solidarity networks. The evidence revealed a lack of clear evaluation and evidence for the effectiveness of interventions and prevention alongside reactive approaches, with no evidence as to how systems may reduce or prevent VAWG. One main issue is patriarchal dominance in Arab countries creating the lack of a collective female voice in any of the evidence. However, Arab countries can change with support. Achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goal #5 by 2030 means interventions and programs need to include more than one prevention level, consider systems and include the collective female voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This scoping review aimed to identify and appraise the effectiveness and impact of breastfeeding promotion interventions conducted across Portuguese- speaking sovereign countries. Methods: Using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched 14 electronic databases for publications published through 31 July 2023. The search terms were designed to find studies promoting breastfeeding or exclusive breastfeeding in pre- defined Portuguese- speaking countries. Results: Of the 5263 papers initially retrieved, 30 interventional studies on breastfeeding met the inclusion criteria across three countries: Brazil (N = 26), Portugal (N = 2) and Guinea Bissau (N = 2). Participants ranged from pregnant women, mothers, mother-infant pairs, healthcare professionals, and school children. Overall, the interventions increased exclusive breastfeeding and better breastfeeding practices, such as a higher duration of breastfeeding. The interventions positively affected maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy, knowledge and perception. Only four studies used a theoretical framework. Conclusion: While the results were often statistically significant, no study had an outcome close to the recommended UNICEF and WHO goal of 70% breastfeeding at six months. The need to determine what works for the recommended six months postpartum period is critical for maximising children's health in Portuguese- speaking countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arab countries are doubly burdened with undernutrition as well as overweight and obesity. To provide guidance to those looking to address concerns of obesity and overweight among children in this region, the current review bridges an existing knowledge gap and systematically characterizes and evaluates the available scientific evidence pertaining to school-based nutrition interventions completed to date across the Arab world. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and relevant keywords, terms and phrases, a search of the literature across 14 databases for school-based nutrition interventions implemented in this region was conducted. Out of 1568 articles from 14 databases, 38 full-text articles meeting the inclusion criteria were retrieved. Further assessment for eligibility excluded 23 articles and included one article from hand-searching references, leaving 16 articles in the final analysis. Most articles (n = 7) with the implementation of 5 months or longer found strong positive and significant impacts on limiting sweets consumption, increased dietary knowledge, self-efficacy, breakfast and fruit and vegetable consumption, among others. We also found evidence (n = 5) that teachers trained by experts such as dietitians and pediatricians can effectively implement nutrition interventions that achieve the intended outcomes. Training teachers to implement theory-based nutrition and health promotion curricula serves as a potential solution to improving nutrition knowledge, health behaviors and dietary practices among children living in Arab countries. Appropriately designed and implemented nutrition interventions can positively impact nutrition knowledge, health and diet-related behaviors in children and adolescents in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]