Integrated Management of Childhood Illness in Oman: 16 Years of Pre-service Initiatives for Education and Training

Each year, approximately 10 million children worldwide die before reaching the age of five, yet two-thirds of these deaths could be prevented with effective, low-cost interventions. The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy was adopted in 1996 by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund to address the holistic well-being of children. The ultimate goals of IMCI are to develop a healthcare system that adheres to best practices and to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of healthcare professionals. This paper describes the IMCI in pre-service education and training and the steps involved in integrating it into the nursing course on child health at Oman College of Health Sciences. The program aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality rate of children under five years of age, as well as the severity of their diseases. The Oman College of Health Sciences was the first healthcare academic institution in Oman to implement IMCI in nursing education to strengthen the nursing students' knowledge, skills, and clinical practice.

Factors associated with health-related quality of life in children with sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND

Sickle cell disease is an inherited haematological condition with life-threatening consequences. It can affect all aspects of the lives of children with the condition, including biopsychosocial and cognitive aspects. These children tend to have a low health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

AIM

To identify factors associated with HRQoL in Omani children with sickle cell disease.

METHOD

The study was a secondary analysis of data from a randomised controlled trial conducted with 72 parent-and-child dyads who were recruited from two tertiary hospitals in Oman. The aim of the original study was to examine the effects of an educational programme on the knowledge and self-efficacy of parents of children with sickle cell disease. As part of that study, parents and children completed two questionnaires on HRQoL, one generic and one specific to sickle cell disease.

RESULTS

Parents' knowledge of sickle cell disease, parents' self-efficacy in managing their child's symptoms, parents' age, children's age and treatment with hydroxyurea were found to affect children's HRQoL.

CONCLUSION

Healthcare providers need to include biopsychosocial and cognitive aspects of HRQoL in their assessments of children with sickle cell disease. Programmes designed to enhance parents' and children's knowledge and self-efficacy, as well as measures designed to ensure that children receive treatment with hydroxyurea, are likely to improve the HRQoL of children with sickle cell disease.

Mental Health Wellbeing of School Age Children is Matter: A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a School-Based Mental Health Awareness Program in The Middle Schools in Oman

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a school-based mental health awareness program among school age children. Methods: This was a quantitative study that recruited 178 parents and 150 students from different levels (Grades 5-10) attended the awareness activity at two middle schools in Oman. A convenient sampling approach was utilized. Results: There was a significant different in mood and feelings score between the grades (p=0.001); with grade 10 being the highest disturbed mood changes (M= 23.25, SD= 5.54). The results also showed that 55% of students experienced anxiety. From the analysis, it was found that grade 10 (M=36.15, SD= 18.43, p=0.05) reported higher anxiety than others groups. The results indicated also a strong correlation between experience of bullying and mental health problems (r=0.85). The evaluation of awareness program indicated that 91% of parents reported improvement in knowledge; 89% suggested that many information they were not aware of before. 92% rated the video as informative. 93% agreed that the program activities were entertaining and informative. 92% reported that the activity increased their awareness to observe the changes in their children emotional wellbeing. 98% of parents enjoyed the activities and rated the overall program as effective and very interesting. Conclusion: There is a dire need to conduct various awareness programs in the community. Such programs are not only helpful in improving the community knowledge on the factors influencing children’s mental health, but also assist in identifying the mental health problems at early stage; which may empower them to seek early management for their children. This study suggests an establishment of a mental health program for children in Oman to identify the cases, assess the mental problems affecting children at different ages and refer them for further support and management.

Health Related Quality of Life in Children with Sickle Cell Disease: A Concept Analysis

Objective The purpose of this concept analysis is to examine the health-related quality of life in children with sickle cell disease. Methods Meleis’s (Theoretical Nursing: Development and Process. 5th Ed.; J. B. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2012) concept analysis methodology was followed for analyzing health related quality of life concept. This includes defining the concept, clarifying ambiguities, describing the critical attributes, identifying the observable and measurable empirical referent, delineating the antecedents, the consequences, and modeling to illustrate the concept in its entirety. Articles focusing on quality of life, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) were examined. Results The concept appears well developed and the internal characteristic of HRQOL is delineated. To ensure that its characteristics maintained contextual relevance, a concept called ‘fine tune’ should be done. Since HRQOL concept is a multidimensional concept, a factor analysis test may be needed to explore the dimensionality and the structure of its meaning. Also, internal consistency reliability needs to be done to assess the items independence of one another. Conclusion Successful patient outcomes is an important goal for nursing and it is critical to health care decision making for practical, ethical, and financial. The analysis of HRQOL concept provided more clarity to the concept definition and also to the underlying outcome measures. Naming the variables of the concepts clearly facilitates comparing and contrasting the healthcare interventions on various patients’ outcomes. In addition, by examining the concept in children with SCD, pediatric nurses become more cognizant of the concept’s meaning that would easily facilitate the understanding of the children’s and their parents’ perception of HRQOL.