Oman vision 2050 for health research: a strategic plan for the future based on the past and present experience

Health care delivery in Oman has attained great heights since the modern renaissance in 1970. Although the health service had the main impetus all these years, the importance of health research began to take place by mid 1990's and is now gaining momentum as an important responsibility and activity of the Ministry of Health [MoH]. Although there has been progressively increasing investment and commitment to research activities in the recent Five Year Plan for Health Development, it still lags behind in the quality and quantity of research output. Lack of factors like adequate infrastructure, dedicated human resources, empowerment of existing systems, and societal support for research have adversely affected research output. Centre of Studies and Research in MoH has proposed a strategic plan, the 'Health Vision 2050 for Health Research' with aim of making Oman the regional leader and a research hub of world standards in health research. The mission is to promote, facilitate, and conduct high quality health research addressing national health priorities to improve health care services and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the health system, reduce health inequity, and contribute to socioeconomic development. The strategy includes setting health research priorities, strengthening the health research capacity, defining and implementing norms and standards, developing health research [quality and quantity], translating evidence into policy, strategy and practice, monitoring and coordinating research, financing health research, and evaluating the effectiveness of the health research system. It should generate a multifold increase in the quality and quantity of health research in Oman, positively impacting the health system and health care service

Descriptive epidemiology of sitting time in Omani men and women: a known risk factor for non-communicable diseases

Objectives: Sedentary behaviors [too much sitting as distinct from too little exercise] are associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases. Identifying the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of sitting time can inform public health policy and prevention strategies

Methods: A population-based national survey was carried out among Omani adults in 2008 [n = 2 977] using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, which included a measure of total sitting time. Bivariate and regression analyses examined the associations of total sitting time with sociodemographic correlates [gender, age, education, work status, marital status, place of residence, and wealth]

Results: The proportion who sat for >/= 7 hours/day was significantly higher in older than in younger adults [men: 22.0% vs. 14.6%, p < 0.010; women: 26.9% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.001, respectively]. The odds ratio [OR] for prolonged sitting was half for men who were not working compared to those who were [p < 0.050]. For younger women, the OR for sitting >/= 7 hours/day was nearly a third for educated women compared to least educated [p = 0.035]. For older women, the OR for prolonged sitting was more than double for married women compared to unmarried [p < 0.001]

Conclusions: One in five Omani adults was identified as sitting for prolonged periods, at levels understood to have deleterious health consequences. Higher-risk groups include older adults and working men. With sitting time identified as a key behavioral risk to be targeted for the prevention of non-communicable diseases, further research is needed to understand the factors associated with domain-specific sitting time in order to guide prevention programs and broader public health approaches

Trends in the risk for cardiovascular disease among adults with diabetes in Oman

This study aimed to investigate trends in the estimated 10-year risk for developing cardiovascular disease [CVD] among adults with diagnosed diabetes in Oman. In addition, the effect of hypothetical risk reductions in this population was examined. Data from 1,077 Omani adults aged >/=40 years with diagnosed diabetes were collected and analysed from three national surveys conducted in 1991, 2000 and 2008 across all regions of Oman. The estimated 10-year CVD risk and hypothetical risk reductions were calculated using risk prediction algorithms from the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation [SCORE], Diabetes Epidemiology Collaborative Analysis of Diagnostic Criteria in Europe [DECODE] and World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension [WHO/ISH] risk tools. Between 1991 and 2008, the estimated 10-year risk of CVD increased significantly in the total sample and among both genders, regardless of the risk prediction algorithm that was used. Hypothetical risk reduction models for three scenarios [eliminating smoking, controlling systolic blood pressure and reducing total cholesterol] identified that reducing systolic blood pressure to

Epidemiology of diabetes mellitus in Oman results from two decades of research

This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of diabetes mellitus over the past two decades in Oman, particularly in terms of its prevalence and incidence. In addition, the study sought to estimate the future incidence of diabetes in Oman. Three national and three regional surveys conducted between 1991 and 2010 were analysed to obtain the age-adjusted prevalence and undiagnosed proportion of type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM] among Omani subjects aged >/=20 years. Diabetes mellitus registers and published studies were used to determine incidence rates of both type 1 diabetes mellitus [T1DM] and T2DM in Oman. Linear regression was used to determine trends and projections for diabetes in 2050. The age-adjusted prevalence of T2DM in Oman varied from 10.4% to 21.1%, while the highest prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was found in males [35.1%]. In comparison to men, higher incidence rates of T2DM were found in women [2.7 cases compared to 2.3 cases per 1,000 person-years, respectively]. No significant trends were observed for the prevalence or incidence of T2DM in both genders. Undiagnosed T2DM was more common in men [range: 33-68%] than women [range: 27-53%]. The results of this study show that by 2050, there will be an estimated 350,000 people with T2DM living in Oman [a 174% increase compared to estimates for 2015]. Health authorities need to prioritise diabetes prevention and control in order to prevent or delay long-term complications and avert a potential epidemic of diabetes in Oman

Metabolic syndrome and its components secondary analysis of the world health survey, Oman

The study aimed to describe the prevalence of metabolic syndrome [MS] and its components among Omani adults. Methods: The 2008 Oman World Health Survey dataset was used to determine the national prevalence of MS. Logistic regression using all key sociodemographic, clinical and behavioural variables was used to identify the associations of independent variables with MS. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of MS was 23.6%. MS was significantly associated with age, marital and work status and wealth level. MS was more common for people aged 50 years and older compared to the youngest cohort [OR 3.6, CI: 2.4-5.3; P <0.001] and in people who were married or employed [OR 1.6, CI: 1.3-2.1; P <0.001 and OR 1.3, CI: 1.1-1.8; P = 0.043, respectively] compared to their unmarried and unemployed counterparts. MS was also more common in people in the second lowest wealth quintile [OR 1.6, CI: 1.2-2.2; P = 0.05] compared to the lowest quintile and in those who sat for more than six hours per day [OR 1.3, CI: 1.1-1.7; P - 0.035]. Conclusion: One in four adults had MS in Oman. This may fuel the epidemic of non-communicable diseases [NCDs] in Oman, particularly given the increasingly elderly population. Urgent action is required to ensure quality patient care at all levels of the healthcare system. Further research on behavioural risk factors is needed. Developing and implementing a multisectoral strategy to prevent NCDs should be at the top of the current health agenda for Oman

Oman world health survey: part 1 - methodology, sociodemographic profile and epidemiology of non-communicable diseases in Oman

The Oman World Health Survey [OWHS] is community-based household survey conducted in first half of 2008 for Omani and non-Omani population aged 18 years and above. It is a part of the World Health Survey [WHS] series which was developed by the World Health Organization [WHO] as a means to compile comprehensive information on the health of populations in different countries. A multi-stage stratified cluster sampling was designed to select about 5000 eligible subjects 18 years and above. The main objectives of the survey were to determine the national prevalence of Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, Lipoproteins, Anemia, Visual ability and Cognitive functions. Among Omanis, the prevalence of Hypertension [40.3%], Diabetes Mellitus [12.3%], Obesity using BMI [24.1%], Total cholesterol [33.6%], Anemia in males 20% and in non-pregnant females was 32.2%. In Oman, the increase in lifestyle-related non communicable diseases has emerged as new health challenges to the country which need to be addressed

national study of gynecological morbidities in Oman. effect of women's autonomy

To determine the level of gynecological morbidities and other related morbidities; and to examine the effect of women empowerment on the reproductive tract infections among currently married Omani women. This study is a part of the National Health Survey in the Sultanate of Oman, conducted between January and March 2000. The total number of households selected was 1968 with a total of 2037 ever-married women aged 15-49 years, of them 1662 were eligible to complete the gynecological morbidity symptoms questionnaire and to be clinically examined for gynecological morbidities. Despite the free facilities provided, one in every 4 women had reproductive tract infection and nearly half of the women suffer from at least one kind of gynecological disease. The prevalence of any sexually transmitted diseases was 4%, approximately 10% had combined genital prolapsed and 27% had cervical ectopy. Older women, education, work status, urban residence, heads of households, high economic status, and took their own decision about going to hospital, are significantly more empowered. Gynecological morbidity is highly prevalent among ever-married women. The contribution of the sexually transmitted diseases to the high prevalence of reproductive tract infection appears to be modest. Genital prolapse was one of the risk factors for reproductive tract infection, education as a proxy for women empowerment was a poor predictor for the occurrence of the diseases

study of fertility patterns of ever married women in Oman

To examine the relation between age, education, residence and fertility rate and change in fertility rate between 1994/95 and 1999/2000. The data for the study was extracted from the Oman National Health Survey, 2000. The birth histories data was used to extract data on woman years and births in the periods 1990 to 1994 and 1995 to 2000. The marital fertility rate in 1999/2000 was 7.12 births. The rates for rural and urban dwellers were 8.07 and 6.75 respectively in 1999/2000. Corresponding rates in 1994/95 [8.65, 8.30 and 9.69 respectively] were significantly higher than those in 1999/2000 for all categories, indicating a reduction in rates. In both periods the higher the education level of the mother the lower her fertility. Education was a strong determinant of fertility. This study confirms that the higher the education of the woman the lower her fertility and that fertility is on the decline in Oman