The scarcity of evidence-based research on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Syrian refugees has hampered efforts to address the high burden of these diseases in host countries. The objective of this study is to examine published research on NCDs among Syrian refugees in order to inform future research, practice, programs, and policy. . Using the scoping review framework proposed by Arksey et al., 17 different databases were searched to identify studies reporting on NCDs among Syrian refugees. The number of relevant documents found was 34, with the earliest going back to 2013—2 years after the beginning of the Syrian conflict. The majority of these documents were descriptive in nature and only two studies addressed the effectiveness of interventions in the management of NCDs. No studies investigated the prevention of these diseases. Furthermore, only 7 studies addressed the host community and only one research article, conducted in Lebanon, included subjects from the host community. The increasing number of documents over the past 5 years illustrates a growing interest in studying NCDs among Syrian refugees. Examination of the papers showed high prevalence of NCDs among Syrian refugees as well as unmet healthcare needs. The findings of this review highlighted the dire need for further research on the burden of NCDs among Syrian refugees. Future studies should diversify research design to include interventions, address the host community in addition to the refugees, tackle prevention as well as treatment of NCDs, and explore strategies to enhance the resilience of the host country’s health system while ensuring quality of care for NCDs. The increasing momentum for research found in this review presents an opportunity to fill current knowledge gaps, which could result in preventing, controlling and ultimately reducing the burden of NCDs among Syrian refugees and their host communities.

Patients with lung cancer are increasingly seeking complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to improve their physiological and psychological well‐being. This study aimed to assess CAM use among lung cancer patients in Lebanon. Using a cross‐sectional design, 150 lung cancer patients attending the Basile Cancer Institute at the American University of Beirut Medical Center were interviewed. Participants completed a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics, lung cancer condition, and use of CAM. The main outcome of interest was “use of any CAM therapy since diagnosis.” Prevalence of CAM use was 41%. The most commonly used CAM modality among study participants was “dietary supplements/special foods.” Results of the multiple logistic regression analyses showed that CAM use was positively associated with Lebanese nationality and paying for treatment out of pocket and was negatively associated with unemployment and having other chronic diseases. About 10% of patients used CAM on an alternative base, 58% did not disclose CAM use to their physician, and only 2% cited health professionals as influencing their choice of CAM. This study revealed a prevalent CAM use among lung cancer patients in Lebanon, with a marginal role for physicians in guiding this use. Promoting an open‐communication and a patient‐centered approach regarding CAM use is warranted.

This study aims to assess the validity and reproducibility of a culture-specific semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Lebanese adults. The 94-item FFQ captures intake of traditional Mediterranean dishes and Western food, reflective of current Lebanese nutrition transition. Among 107 participants (18–65 years), the FFQ was administered at baseline (FFQ-1) and one year thereafter (FFQ-2); 2–3 24-h recalls (24-HRs)/season were collected for a total of 8–12 over four seasons. A subset (n = 67) provided a fasting blood sample in the fall. Spearman-correlation coefficients, Bland–Altman plots, joint-classification and (ICC) were calculated. Mean intakes from FFQ-2 were higher than from the total 24-HRs. Correlations for diet from FFQ-2 and 24-HRs ranged from 0.17 for α-carotene to 0.65 for energy. Joint classification in the same/adjacent quartile ranged from 74.8% to 95%. FFQ-2-plasma carotenoid correlations ranged from 0.18 for lutein/zeaxanthin to 0.59 for β-carotene. Intra-class correlations for FFQ-1 and FFQ-2 ranged from 0.36 for β-cryptoxanthin to 0.85 for energy. 24-HRs carotenoid intake varied by season; combining season-specific 24-HRs proximal to biospecimen collection to the FFQ-2 improved diet-biochemical correlations. By applying dietary data from two tools with biomarkers taking into consideration seasonal variation, we report a valid, reproducible Lebanese FFQ for use in diet-disease research.

Background: Customers’ expectations and satisfaction are critical to ensure a more effective role of the community pharmacists in promoting the safe use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions and practices of customers buying their CAM products from pharmacies and explore their satisfaction with CAM-related services offered by the community pharmacists in Lebanon. Methods: A national cross-sectional study was conducted among users of CAM (age > =18 years) who obtained their CAM from community pharmacies in Lebanon (n = 832). Within the proximity of the pharmacy, subjects were invited to complete a multi-component questionnaire. The latter consisted of four sections related to CAM: general beliefs, perception of pharmacists’ role, practices, satisfaction with services offered by the pharmacists. In addition, the questionnaire included questions about sociodemographic characteristics of participants. Results: The majority of participants agreed to an active role of the pharmacists’ in guiding CAM use, however over half of the participants (61.3%) did not agree that the pharmacist is more knowledgeable in this field than other healthcare providers. As for practices, one in two surveyed customers (47%) did not always give feedback to their pharmacists about the outcomes after using CAM, 20% did not often ask the pharmacists about the safe and effective mode of use of the products and 28.1% did not discuss their medical history. For services offered by the pharmacist, the majority of participants reported receiving good education about the CAM product (87.1%), its side effects (87.1%) and mode of use (93.4%), while significant proportions of participants reported that pharmacists were not asking questions about their medical history before dispensing CAM products (22%) nor were they providing information on CAM-drug interactions (30%). Conclusions: The results of this study highlighted important gaps between the perceptions of customers and the services they received from the pharmacists about CAM use. These findings could be used by concerned stakeholders, including public health authorities and educational bodies, to develop evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting the role of pharmacists in ensuring a safe and effective CAM use Lebanon.

Effective public health nutrition interventions are needed to curb the escalating prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in many Arab countries. In order to generate the scientific evidence needed for the success of these interventions, an informed research agenda should be developed. The purpose of this review is to identify gaps and opportunities for research on nutrition and NCDs among Arab countries, which is an important step towards the formulation of this research agenda. Published papers that addressed nutrition and NCDs in Arab countries between the years 2006 and 2015 were reviewed (n=824). The main gaps identified were related to the predominance of laboratory-based studies with few cohort and intervention studies, and the small percentage of articles examining dietary patterns. While food frequency questionnaires were the main dietary assessment method used, only 35% were validated. Very few studies included children and the majority considered nutrition in isolation, excluding other environmental factors. Opportunities identified included the promising momentum in studying nutrition and NCDs among Arab countries, evidenced by an increasing number of articles published over the years, that may be guided in future nutrition research to fill the identified gaps. In addition, the higher number of articles in high-income countries coupled with the impact of papers in middle-income countries suggests an opportunity of synergistic collaboration among these countries. The identified gaps and opportunities in this review may serve as basis for Arab countries to start developing a research agenda in the area of nutrition and NCDs.

According to the WHO, Arab countries have the highest relative increase in Breast Cancer (BC) rates worldwide. Current shifts in dietary patterns in these countries are postulated as important modifiable risk factors of the disease. The objectives of this review were to examine the gaps and opportunities in the extent, range and nature of nutrition-related BC research in Arab countries. Studies (n = 286) were identified through searching 14 electronic databases. Among the gaps identified were limited international collaborations, preponderance of laboratory-based research at the expense of population-based research, focus on single supplement/nutrient/food research, limited use of dietary assessment tools, and studying nutrition in isolation of other environmental factors. Despite these gaps, several opportunities appeared. The distribution of papers among Arab countries suggested that collaboration between high and middle income countries could create a positive synergy between research expertise and wealth. In addition, the steady increase in the number of articles published during the last two decades reflected a promising momentum in nutrition and BC research in the Arab world. These gaps and opportunities constituted context-specific evidence to orient nutrition and BC research in Arab countries which could ultimately lead to development of effective interventions for prevention of BC in these countries.