Introduction: According to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) each country is held responsible for adapting and implementing effective tobacco control programs. Comparing the situation in different countries could not only shed light on their conditions compared to each other, but also motivate and stimulate them to implement and improve their tobacco control programs and strategies.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study using questionnaire based on WHO MPOWER guidelines was developed. A scoring system based on the Tobacco control scale methodology was used with total score of 100 in 6 major policies. Information about countries was also collected from the WHO report and the Tobacco Atlas 2009 and the World Bank report of 2008.

Results: Among 21 Eastern Mediterranean countries, only 3 countries (14.2%) mainly Iran (61%), Jordan (55%) and Egypt (51%), scored higher than 50. Mean score for countries were 29.7±3.6 points. More than 50% of the countries scored less than 26. Highest scores were achieved by Afghanistan in cigarette pricing, Oman in smoking ban in public places, Iran in budgeting, prohibition of advertisement and health warnings against smoking and Yemen in tobacco cessations programs.

Conclusion: Countries in the EMRO region lack the ideal conditions for tobacco control and the related authorities are required to make changes and amendments in their policies for achieving desirable results.

Comparison of tobacco control policies in the eastern Mediterranean countries based on tobacco control scale scores

Background Waterpipe smoking is a method of tobacco consumption that continues to spread globally. In 2002, a ban of tobacco sales was adopted in the Saudi Arabian cites of Mecca and Medina. Aims This study aimed to examine prevalence of waterpipe and cigarette smoking among students of Taibah University, the biggest in Medina, where the tobacco sales ban has been implemented. Methods A structured questionnaire was distributed between February and April 2015 to examined tobacco use among Taibah University students. Results The prevalence of current and ever waterpipe use was 24.2% and 36.04%, respectively, compared with 31.9% and 42.7% for current and ever cigarette smoking. This prevalence is similar to that reported in other Saudi cities where tobacco sales are allowed. Multivariate analysis showed that waterpipe use was higher among senior students; those with pocket money spending of > 500 Saudi Arabia riyal (SAR)/month; and if > 5 individuals were living in the household. In addition, waterpipe use was lower among students with monthly household income of 5000-9000 SAR. In contrast, current cigarette smoking was more frequent in those aged > 22 years; among male students; in those with pocket money spending of > 500 SAR/month; and those who lived away from their parents. Conclusions Waterpipe and cigarette smoking, despite the ban on tobacco sales, is still common among Taibah University students in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

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Tobacco and waterpipe use among university students in Saudi Arabia: impact of tobacco sales ban.

Background Surveillance of health care-associated infections (HCAIs) is an integral part of infection control programmes, especially in intensive care units (ICUs) Device-associated infections (DAIs) are a major threat to patient safety Aim To measure DAI rates in ICUs Methods Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and catheter- associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) were assessed in the ICUs of 4 tertiary-care teaching hospitals in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Results The incidence rate of CLABSI, VAP and CAUTI was 1020, 2108 and 742 per 1000 device-days, respectively The utilization ratio for central lines, ventilators and urinary catheters was 062, 047, and 084, respectively The most common organisms were Acinetobacter (335 %) and Klebsiella (190 %) Sixty to eighty percent of Enterobacteriaceae were extended- spectrum beta-lactamase producing About half of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were resistant to piperacillin/ tazobactam and carbapenem Acinetobacter resistance rate to ampicillin/sulbactam and carbapenem was 70-80 % The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus was 846 % and 833 %, respectively Conclusions This study showed high incidence rates of DAIs and resistant organisms, and appropriate interventions are necessary to reduce these rates

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Assessment of device-associated infection rates in teaching hospitals in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Psychological sense of community (PSOC) has long been recognized as a key element of successful collaborative initiatives, particularly university-community partnerships. A critical challenge involves the development of auxiliary theories that guide the specification of measurement models in studies of PSOC and other theoretical constructs. Auxiliary theories can be especially useful in clarifying the differences between scales and indexes, and how each is uniquely specified and validated. Scales are based on reflective measurement in which classical test theory can be applied (e.g., reliability estimation, confirmatory factor analysis) to evaluate scores that are hypothesized to be highly correlated and as representing manifestations or reflections of underlying constructs. Indexes are based on formative measurement in which scores are not necessarily correlated but rather are hypothesized as inducing or forming constructs. We reanalyzed original Sense of Community Index (SCI) data from the Block Booster Project to demonstrate the differences between reflective and formative measures and the implications of model misspecification. Results of structural equation modeling showed that although the reflective model was a poor fit to the data, the SCI modeled with formative measures provided a good fit to the data. For more than a decade, researchers have debated the conceptualization and measurement of PSOC. Not addressed in this debate, however, has been the issue of measurement misspecification and how validation practices may lead to inaccuracies in our understanding of PSOC. Key differences between measurement perspectives on PSOC are described and recommendations for future work are discussed.

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Importance of Auxiliary Theories in Research on University-Community Partnerships: The Example of Psychological Sense of Community

We conducted a systematic scoping review to map the available evidence on smoke-free or tobacco-free (SF/TF) university policies globally. We specifically looked at (i) how policies were developed and communicated and (ii) what indicators were used to evaluate their impact. We searched for peer-reviewed literature, published up to January 2020, across 10 multi-disciplinary databases. We followed a duplicate, independent data selection, and charting process. We inductively categorized the studies according to the research design and objective of 'process' and 'impact evaluation'. We identified 75 unique studies across 23 countries conducted between 1993 and 2019. Most studies were conducted in the United States (46/75, 61.3%), were based on quantitative research design and focused on impact evaluations; a third (n = 28) reported both process and impact evaluations (37.3%). Community engagement and multi-channel communication strategies were mostly used to disseminate SF/TF policies. The impact was determined by a wide range of indicators for knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to policies. There is a mature, relevant body of literature describing the development and evaluation of SF/TF policies in universities. Future reviews could quantify the impact of the bans and may consider process indicators as moderating factors to explain the potential heterogeneity of results.

Development and evaluation of smoke-free or tobacco-free policies in university settings: a systematic scoping review.

To assess smoking behavior, knowledge of smoking harm, and attitudes toward campus smoking policy at an Egyptian university, an online survey of students, staff, and faculty was conducted (N = 992). The smoking prevalence of 38% among men was in line with Egypt's national average, but the smoking prevalence among women of 20% was much higher than the national average. Smoking status influenced beliefs about smoking harm and attitudes toward smoking policy, with nonsmokers having stronger beliefs about the harm of smoking and showing stronger support for smoking regulations than smokers. Smokers were more knowledgeable about smoking policy than were nonsmokers and differed slightly in their preferences for smoking policy enforcement strategies. These findings contribute to our understanding of how to tailor college smoking policy and programs to an Egyptian context.

Smoking and attitudes toward smoking policy at a University in Egypt.

There is a demand for the integration of global learning/diversity across the curriculum. A series of cross-cultural assignments was created to facilitate global learning in two social psychology classes, one in Egypt, and one in the USA. In these assignments, students collected data and applied course concepts to real-life problems, then discussed their work on a Facebook page. A survey at the end of the semester found that students reported a greater appreciation for diversity, a decline in prejudice, and a new recognition of cultural similarities. Students also felt that their cross-cultural collaboration had helped them better understand and think more deeply about course concepts. Considerations for using online platforms as a global learning tool are discussed.

Integrating Global Learning into a Psychology Course Using an Online Platform

In recent years funders have increasingly demanded that community programs demonstrate the effectiveness of their interventions through evaluation. Many community-based organizations have difficulty meeting this demand because they lack the necessary training and resources. This difficulty provides universities with an excellent opportunity to partner with community-based organizations by assisting them in building evaluation capacity. This paper describes evaluation capacity-building initiatives that were developed through partnerships between a university and a community collaborative board in a rural area of the United States and between a university and urban non-governmental organizations in Cairo, Egypt. Cultural factors in each setting that impacted the implementation of these initiatives are examined. These factors included communication and interpersonal norms, collaboration, accountability, social integration, role flexibility and openness to new approaches, political and economic factors, and commitment to evaluation capacity building

Carie L. Forden

Papers

Smoking and attitudes toward smoking policy at a University in Egypt.

Integrating Global Learning into a Psychology Course Using an Online Platform

A cross-cultural comparison of campus-community partnerships to build evaluation capacity in rural Pennsylvania and urban Cairo