May 2009 - Volume 3, Issue 3

Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute Azmi Street, Abdo Center, 2nd Floor PO BOX 618, Tripoli LEBANON Tel & Fax: 961 6 443684/5/6 Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb Web: www.amc-lb.com

In this issue of the journal we are publishing two review papers for nursing students from one nursing school to encourage the advance of nursing careers in the region.

A paper from Iran looked at the use of use of human breast milk for diaper rash in infants. The authors stressed that Diaper dermatitis is common in infants and is one of several acute inflammatory skin disorders caused either directly or indirectly by wearing of diapers. It can be treated by zinc oxide or petrolatum. Fifty babies under two years of age were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (25 in each group). There were no significant differences between the two groups (HBM and zinc oxide ointment) with respect to lesion size, inflammation and intense erythema (wound), but there were significant differences between before and after (two stages) treatment by HBM and zinc oxide. The authors stressed that though not statistically significant, results favored use of topical breast milk to aid recovery of diaper rash. Therefore, it is recommended that topical breast milk is considered for treatment of diaper rash.

A paper from Bangladesh looked at existing Knowledge on HIV/AIDS of Women. The authors studied existing knowledge on HIV/AIDS of women at the border area in Bangladesh. A woman is depressed from before birth by gender preferences, and she faces various types of depression in her life during various ages. Women and girls are commonly discriminated against in terms of access to education, employment, credit, health care, land and inheritance. A woman can acquire HIV through unprotected sex with an infected partner, through receiving contaminated blood or through non-sterile instruments or medical procedures.

A second paper from Iran looked at the students' relationship between knowledge and attitude about using Ecstasy in public female's Pre- University centers in Tehran city. The authors stressed that recent evidence suggests that the use of the synthetic compound, 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamin, also known as "Ecstasy", has become progressively more prevalent among adolescents and young adult in all over the world.

In the second paper from Bangladesh the authors looked at the Birth Patterns of High-risk and Low-risk Childbearing of Bangladeshi Women: A Multivariate Statistical Analysis.
Out of 13 variables, 11 variables influence thigh-risk childbearing and only two variables influence low-risk childbearing. The significant variables which influence thigh-risk childbearing are: child loss experience, duration of conjugal life, education of women, place of residence, age at first birth, occupation of husband, women's working status, religion, duration of breastfeeding, education of husband, and spousal age difference. On the other hand, the variables that influence low-risk childbearing are age at first marriage and contraceptive use.

Two papers from Lebanon from the school of nursing report on Molecular Biology of Aging. One paper looked at the general theories of ageing and the second paper looked at the molecular biology of aging.

Finally a paper from Kuwait, looked at a Research proposal on The Effect of Health Literacy on Health Outcomes.