The present study aimed to depict the parental perception of children's weight status and associated health risks. The present study was a cross‑sectional study collecting anthropometric measures among children and data using a parental survey in 2020‑2021 in private elementary schools. A total of 191 subjects were eligible for analysis. The body mass index of the children and parents was calculated. The perceived child weight status was compared to the actual weight status. Parental knowledge of obesity‑related health risks and sources of concerns was assessed using a scoring system. Quantitative variables were reported as average, standard deviation, first and third quartiles. Qualitative variables were reported as frequencies and percentages. Statistical tests were used to assess significance levels, set at P<0.05. More than half of the children were overweight (30%) or obese (25%). However, the parents underestimated their child's weight status (61%) and were unconcerned about them becoming overweight (52%), despite solid knowledge about the related health risks. The maternal weight status was associated with the underestimation of child weight (P=0.0068). Being overweight did not rank high on sources of parental concerns. It is thus suggested that parents need to be made aware of their child's weight status. Efforts are needed to spread awareness about childhood obesity health risks.

Background/Objectives: Emotional eating can pose a significant threat to one’s health as it can be a predictor of eating disorders. It involves eating in response to emotional distress rather than physical hunger and is widely associated with insecure attachment patterns. However, it remains unclear whether this relationship is consistent across cultures and in the general population. This review aimed to examine the relationship between different conceptualizations of attachment and emotional eating in non-clinical adolescent and adult populations. Methods: Nineteen eligible studies were identified through searches of five databases, including ProQuest, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (PQDT), which covers peer-reviewed literature published between 1990 and 2025. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included, spanning attachment styles, representations, and states. Results: The findings consistently revealed that general secure attachment styles are associated with lower levels of EE. In comparison, insecure–anxious and disorganized attachment styles are positively associated with higher EE levels. In contrast, avoidant attachment showed a weak or inconsistent association. Mediators such as difficulties with emotion regulation, perceived hunger, and body dissatisfaction were frequently identified, and stress emerged as a relevant moderator. Notably, attachment to specific figures (e.g., romantic partners versus caregivers) and cultural context were poorly addressed, which may influence the strength and consistency of the associations. The review also highlights conceptual gaps in the literature, including a limited focus on early attachment representations, context-specific attachment scripts, and the cultural validity of these concepts. Most studies were cross-sectional and conducted in Western contexts, which limited their causal interpretation and generalizability. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of attachment-based frameworks in understanding and preventing EE. They suggest the necessity to conduct further studies that are more nuanced, longitudinal, culturally diverse, and that consider sex and pubertal changes for a better understanding of the relationship between attachment and EE. This review contributes to prevention efforts and global health strategies by addressing the relational and emotional determinants of unhealthy eating behaviors in the general population.

This research investigates how trust plays a role in environmental management in North Lebanon, which has suffered repeated episodes of armed conflict in recent times. Previous studies have shown that environmental problems have increased and that the government has been unable to address these, even during periods of relative peace. We examined trust as a factor that contributes to, or hampers, environmental management. Our analysis drew on a survey in 2011 involving 499 citizens. The results demonstrated that, according to citizens, the lack of trust between citizens, and between citizens and the public sector, is a key factor obstructing effective environmental management. The results indicate the level of correlation between how trusting people are; how citizens participate; and how people perceive government legitimacy

To enhance efforts against plagiarism, a deeper understanding of its various aspects is essential. This cross-sectional questionnaire study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, and self-reported plagiarism practices among health researchers in Egypt and Lebanon. A validated questionnaire was distributed to postgraduate students and faculty members across 15 universities through personal emails and health researcher-specific social media platforms. Out of 283 respondents, the mean knowledge score was 14.8 ± 3.7 out of a possible 27.0, indicating moderate knowledge of plagiarism. Attitudes toward plagiarism were moderately permissive, with an average score of 62.2 ± 10.9, out of a maximum of 90.0. Subjective norms received a moderate score of 33.6 ± 6.7, where a favorable score should be low (10–23) suggesting that participants perceive society as disapproving of plagiarism and believe its prevalence is low. The mean self-reported Plagiarism Severity Score (PSS) was 4.1 ± 3.6, reflecting a low level of self-reported plagiarism, with a maximum possible score of 18. Multivariable analysis revealed a negative correlation between subjective norms and the PSS (β = −0.194, CI [−0.196: −0.010]). This finding is counterintuitive, as one would typically expect that a lower subjective norms score (indicating stronger disapproval of plagiarism), would correlate with fewer acts of plagiarism. One possible explanation for this result is the presence of negative perceptions of organizational justice—such as feelings of being unfairly treated—which might lead to higher rates of self-reported research misconduct. We recommend that universities in the Arab Middle East region develop research ethics training programs that include responsible conduct in research. However, it is essential for academic leaders to assess and address the research integrity climate within their institutions, as organizational injustice could undermine the effectiveness of these educational efforts.

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic has quickly evolved into an economic, cultural, and social crisis. Being an active entity in their communities, an evaluation of how much university students can contribute in raising awareness about the pandemic and in volunteering in their communities is deemed necessary. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Lebanon. An anonymous online self-reported questionnaire was conducted in March 2020 and a total of 193 university students participated. Scores were used to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Our results showed that the majority of the Lebanese University students have a good knowledge and practice score (0.82 and 0.64 respectively). However, the attitude score was relatively low and reflects a high cue to action score and a low Ministry Of Public Health (MOPH) satisfaction score. In addition, the KAP scores significantly differed between students majoring in health-related fields vs students majoring in non-health-related fields. The source of knowledge was associated with its score (p-value = .002). Finally, the statistical analysis proved that the study matches the KAP model which demonstrates that knowledge influences the attitudinal statements while attitude influences practice toward COVID-19. This assessment of the students’ understanding and awareness of the pandemic can help in the development of effective national strategies as well as envisage medium and long-term scenarios of preparedness.

The Middle East Research Ethics Training Initiative (MERETI), established in 2004 with funding from the Fogarty International Center at the NIH, aimed to enhance research ethics capacity in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Initially focused on Egypt, MERETI expanded to other Arab countries, providing advanced training in international research ethics to over 100 individuals. The program emphasized additional skills in research methodology, pedagogy, scientific writing, and leadership. MERETI's training evolved from a one-year program to a two-year model incorporating sequential hybrid/blended and asynchronous online components and, eventually, included a fully online 12-credit graduate certificate in research ethics. The program's impact is demonstrated through the professional achievements of its trainees, which included publishing in peer-reviewed journals, assuming key roles in national research ethics committees and ministries of health and contributing to the development of ethics research practices in their respective countries. MERETI also fostered a sustainable Egyptian network of research ethics committees.