Policies & Health Management السياسات والإدارة الصحية

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    Parents' Experiences of Having a Child with Cleft Lip and Palate in the West Bank/ Palestine: A Qualitative Study
    (Al-Quds University, 2026-01-03) Aysheh Mohammad Ibrahim Abbad; عايشة عباد
    Background: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are the most common congenital anomalies affecting the mouth and related structures. Children born with congenital craniofacial defects, as (CLP), require long-term, multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches, which makes parents experience a range of emotions, including helplessness, guilt, uncertainty, pain, and even depression. Aim: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of parents who have children with cleft lip and palate in Palestine Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was utilized to investigate the experiences of parents with children who have cleft lip and palate in the West Bank/Palestine. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit these parents through the Operation Smile organization in Hebron. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with the parents, which continued until data saturation was achieved. The interview guide comprised five main questions, along with supplementary probe questions. Eleven interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results: The experiences of parents with children who have cleft lip and palate in Palestine are profoundly challenging and can be categorized into three major themes and eight subthemes. The three major themes included facing the hardship with dedication to their child care, concerns during the complex surgical journey, and social stigma and gaps in family and healthcare support. Overall, these findings provide an in-depth understanding of parent adaptation, resilience, and coping within Palestinian sociocultural and structural settings. Conclusion: Parents of children with cleft lip and palate in Palestine face significant emotional, social, and practical difficulties influenced by cultural, economic, and healthcare system limitations. These findings highlight the necessity for family-oriented, culturally attuned support services and enhanced professional guidance during the treatment process.
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    Pregnant Women's Knowledge and Attitude Towards Group B Streptococcus Screening in the Maternity Departments at Bethlehem Hospitals: Cross-Sectional Study
    (Al-Quds Univeersity, 2025-12-09) Nariman Mohammad Ahmad Dannoon; ناريمان محمد دنون
    Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia worldwide. Despite global recommendations for universal screening and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, many low- and middle-income countries, including Palestine, continue to adopt a risk-based approach, and Inconsistent screening practices. Pregnant women’s knowledge and attitudes play a crucial role in the effectiveness of such preventive strategies. Objective: This study aimed to assess pregnant women's knowledge and attitudes toward GBS screening and to investigate their association with demographic and obstetric variables in maternity departments at Bethlehem hospitals. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 pregnant women, selected via stratified random sampling from four hospitals in the Bethlehem area. Data were collected through a validated, self-administered questionnaire consisting of three sections: sociodemographic variables, 15 knowledge items, and 12 attitude items. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were applied, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The findings revealed an overall high level of knowledge among pregnant women regarding GBS screening (mean = 3.93 ± 0.46), with a ratio of 71.8%. Similarly, attitudes towards GBS screening were generally positive (mean = 3.74 ± 0.46). This indicates a strong acceptance of GBS testing and trust in healthcare providers. No significant associations were found among participants between knowledge levels and their age, education, residence, income, or parity (p > 0.05). However, attitudes were significantly influenced by education and monthly household income (p <0.05). Women with higher levels of education and income showed more positive attitudes towards screening. Conclusion: Pregnant women in Bethlehem hospitals demonstrated a high knowledge level and positive attitudes towards GBS screening. However, persistent knowledge gaps and attitude disparities remain, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged and lower educational levels. These findings emphasize the importance of ongoing antenatal education and awareness programs targeting vulnerable populations to improve understanding and overcome emotional barriers. Furthermore, the adoption of a clear national policy by the Ministry of Health, whether through universal screening or a risk-based approach, and the integration of a standardized national protocol into antenatal care guidelines are essential to ensure consistent and equitable GBS screening practices across all healthcare settings.
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    Emergency Nurses' Role Perception and Preparedness for Disaster Management at Southern, West bank hospitals
    (Al-Quds Univeersity, 2025-12-22) Ibrahim Khaled Salahat; إبراهيم خالد احمد صلاحات
    Background: Disasters pose significant challenges to healthcare systems, particularly in politically unstable and resource-constrained settings such as Palestine. Emergency nurses play a pivotal role in disaster response, making their preparedness and perception of professional roles essential components of effective emergency and institutional disaster management. Despite this importance, empirical evidence examining these dimensions within hospitals in the southern West Bank remains limited. Aim: This study aimed to assess emergency nurses’ role perception and preparedness for disaster management in southern West bank hospitals. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was employed. The study was conducted over a two-month period (April–May 2025) and targeted all emergency nurses working in ten governmental and non-governmental hospitals in the southern West Bank. A total of 171 valid self-administered questionnaires were included in the analysis. The instrument assessed five domains: knowledge, role perception, skills, preparedness, and hospital readiness. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, applying descriptive statistics, inferential tests, correlation analysis, and simple linear regression, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Emergency nurses reported relatively high mean scores for knowledge (M = 3.66), role perception (M = 3.92), skills (M = 3.75), and preparedness (M = 3.60). Hospital readiness, however, was rated at a moderate level (M = 3.36). Nurses demonstrated strong perceived competence in key disaster-related roles, including triage, infection control, patient prioritization, and psychological support. Lower scores were observed in areas related to participation in regular disaster drills, frequency of training, and awareness of hospital disaster plans. Nurses who had received prior disaster-related training or participated in simulation exercises reported significantly higher levels of preparedness and role perception (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found across demographic variables. A strong positive association was identified between preparedness and role perception (r = 0.63, p < 0.001), with preparedness emerging as a significant statistical predictor of role perception. Conclusions: Emergency nurses in Bethlehem and Hebron demonstrate high levels of perceived preparedness and clarity regarding their professional roles in disaster situations. Nevertheless, moderate institutional readiness and inconsistencies in training and simulation-based activities highlight important organizational gaps. Enhancing structured disaster education, routine drills, and hospital preparedness planning may strengthen nurses’ role clarity and contribute to improved emergency response capacity within the healthcare system.
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    Men's Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Prostate Cancer Screening Among Those above 45 years at Beit Jala Hospital
    (Al-Quds University, 2025-05-10) Ahmad Hassan Saleh Salahat; احمد حسن صالح صلاحات
    Prostate cancer screening is a test to detect cancer before it causes symptoms, enabling early intervention and better outcomes. However, men's participation in prostate cancer screening appears to be minimal, and the disease remains a global public health concern. This causes most men to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, in which cancer cells migrate to other parts of the body, making prostate cancer the second leading cause of death among men with cancer. Aim: To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prostate cancer screening tests among men aged 45 years and above at Beit-Jala Hospital, Palestine. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was employed using a structured self-administered closed-end questionnaire. A total of 300 males aged 45 and above were selected, with the sample selected using the non-probability convenience sampling technique. Analysis: Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, and the findings were expressed as percentages and frequencies to describe categorical variables. One-way ANOVA, Chi-square, t-test, and Pearson correlation were used to test the association and effect size at a 0.05 p-value. Findings: Analysis showed that most participants (73%) had a moderate level of knowledge, 20% had a high level, and 7% had a low level. Also, most of the respondents (74%) showed a moderate level of attitudes, and 26% had a high level of positive attitudes toward prostate cancer screening. However, 86% of the respondents had never undergone screening, while only 14% had. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association between knowledge and attitude (r=0.196, p=0.001). Conversely, knowledge was negatively correlated with practice (r=-0.14, p=0.01), and attitude and practice (r= -0.04, p=0.046). Recommendation: This study highlights the need for public health campaigns to raise awareness about prostate cancer risk factors and the importance of screening utilization. It is recommended that the Palestinian Ministry of Health implement policies to promote prostate cancer screenings across health organizations.
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    The Association between Dietary Consumption and weight status Among University Female Students at Al-Quds University- Palestine
    (Al-Quds University, 2024-09-01) Raghda Adel Omar Amro; رغده عادل عمر عمرو
    Introduction: This cross-sectional study examines the link between dietary consumption and weight status among female students at Al-Quds University, aiming to address a gap in understanding how these factors influence obesity and weight management. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 2,364 female students from Al-Quds University was conducted to analyze how food and beverage consumption patterns, combined with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, influence body mass index (BMI). Data were collected through questionnaires on dietary intake, physical activity, and lifestyle habits, and then statistically analyzed using version 23.0 of the Statistical package for Social Sciences software (SPSS) to determine correlations with BMI. Results The analysis shows a significant positive correlation between high-calorie, fast-food consumption and increased BMI among the participants, with a p-value of <0.05. Diets rich in vegetables and lower in processed foods were associated with healthier weight statuses (p < 0.05). Furthermore, lifestyle factors such as physical activity (p = 0.033) and sleep duration (p < 0.001) also significantly influenced weight status. Socioeconomic factors, including family affluence and family size, showed a strong correlation with BMI, with lower affluence being linked to higher obesity rates (p < 0.001). Additionally, smoking status, breakfast frequency, and the amount of water consumed were also significant predictors of BMI (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of dietary interventions and weight management strategies for female university students, which should be incorporated into public health policies and educational programs to combat obesity and promote healthier lifestyles