Social and religious attitudes of Jordanian parents toward children born with orofacial clefts

BACKGROUND AND GOALS

Parental attitudes towards orofacial clefts (OFC) can be influenced by culture. Interestingly, there are no studies up to date examined parental attitudes towards these congenital anomalies in Jordan. The objectives of this study were to 1) explore the social and religious attitudes of Jordanian parents toward their children born with OFCs, and 2) determine the predictors of social and religious beliefs and behaviors.

METHODS AND SETTINGS

A descriptive study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Hundred and fifty-three parents participated in the study. All the participants completed the questionnaire were the biological either father or mother; (61) and (92) respectively. The patients with OFC were 95 males and 58 females ranged in age from 0.1 to 20 years (M = 8.2 years, SD = 6.4). The prevalence of OFC was characterized by 40 CL, 24 CP and 89 CLP. Patients' gender and age, residence, other family incidences, and receiving health education about the cleft were the independent variables used in the binary regression to predict the social and religious beliefs.

RESULTS

The majority of the parental responses denied any social negativity in regard to the ability of their children to establish friendships, being hidden from the public, facing social difficulties. However, substantial parental concerns were found in regard to teasing and bullying (102 = 76.8%; p < 0.0001). No negative religious beliefs were observed. None of the independent variables showed significant relationships with the social beliefs except for "receiving health education about the cleft" which predicted the possibility of encountering "social difficulties" (B = 2.9; CI 3.2-100.5; p < 0.001; OR = 18.1). Regression model showed that parent with no education tended to hide the child (2.0%; St. Res = 3.4). Difficulty making friends was related to cleft lip type (Chi² = 6.05; p < 0.05). Believing the deformity is because of an evil spirit" was related to cleft lip type (Chi² = 6.6; p < 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Irrespective to particular negative viewpoints observed among the parents towards OFCs, the majority of families tend to have positive social and religious beliefs. These affirmative constructs towards the cleft deformity may reflect positively on the provision of health care services. The establishment of an in depth family counseling and health education routine programs concerning the attributes of OFCs at a wider scale to maintain the integrity of parents' beliefs of the OFC deformity may be warranted.

Cultural beliefs among people with epilepsy or physical impairment in Guinea-Bissau: Differences and similarities

People living with a disability in sub-Saharan Africa have poorer health outcomes, lower educational successes, less economic participation, and higher levels of poverty than people without disability. Disability-inclusive development promotes the involvement of people with disabilities in programs that reduce these inequalities. This requires a good understanding of how individuals with disability perceive their condition. In this study, we identified cultural beliefs among 31 individuals with epilepsy or physical impairment, known to a community-based rehabilitation service in Guinea-Bissau, using face-to-face interviews. We related these beliefs to religious background and type of disability. We found poor knowledge of and attitudes towards disability among persons with epilepsy and physical impairment. Cultural beliefs were significantly shaped by religious background. Islamic respondents were more positive about their disability as compared to Christians and traditional believers. A better understanding of cultural beliefs among people with disabilities may help to launch and adapt disability-inclusive community-based rehabilitation services.

Knowledge and beliefs about epilepsy among people with and without epilepsy in urban Suriname

Reducing the burden of epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries requires understanding of the cultural aspects of epilepsy. This cross-sectional study among individuals attending a clinic in an urban setting in Paramaribo, Suriname aimed to obtain information on the knowledge of and attitudes towards epilepsy and epilepsy treatment, comparing people with epilepsy (PWE) to those without epilepsy. This study also explored the help-seeking behavior and experience of having epilepsy in PWE. While the results of interviews with 49 PWE and 33 controls compared favorably to studies conducted in similar countries, a significant minority of PWE still rely on traditional remedies. Prejudices regarding social roles, schooling, and occupational choices of PWE also remain prevalent. Currently, the major source of information for both groups is the media, but there could be opportunities for the local epilepsy association to play a larger role. These findings, despite some selection bias, could be useful in bringing conventional medical treatment strategies to more PWE in Suriname, as well as empower patient organizations in designing stigma-reducing interventions.