Determinants of birth spacing among Saudi women

High fertility levels are of major concern to planners and policy makers in most countries in the developing world. In Saudi Arabia, the rale of population growth is the third highest of the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study aimed at identifying determinants of birth spacing and attitudes toward family planning among Saudi women, A cross sectional survey of all women who lutve been married before, aged 15 -49 years attending A I Hada armed forces hospital [primary health care and antenatal care clinics], was conducted between 1[st] February 2005 and 31[st] January 2006. Data was collected on sociodemographic biological characteristics, beliefs, attitudes, and utilization of family planning services, pregnancy intervals and medical history. For the 786 women included in the study, the mean duration of interbirth interval was 2.38 +/- 1.24 years. The multivariate Cox regression revealed thai a woman's education, work status, husband's work status, a woman's history of chronic diseases, and husband's encouragement of inierbirth spacing were the only significant predictors of longer interbirth intervals. Shorter interbirth intervals were independently predicted by lower family income, and presence of female offspring only or equal number of male and female offspring as opposed to presence of more males. The great majority of participating women [98%] had a positive opinion of the effect of birth spacing on the family. This study showed that certain factors were significant predictors of interbirth spacing for the Saudi women. This should lead to the encouragement of longer intervals between births. However futher studies are needed to ascertain a cause-effect association

new aspect for the cancellous structure of the human talus

In the present work, 42 adult dry talus of unknown sex were used to study the cancellous bone architecture. Parasagittal, coronal and horizontal sections were cut in the bones and by using dissection microscope and radiographs of the slices the trabecular architecture was studied. It was found that the cancellous architecture of the talus consisted of two sets of lamellae. [A]: vertical lamellae extend from the trochlear to the posterior calcanean facets. They transmit body weight to the calcaneus during standing. [B]: axial lamellae formed of medial and lateral pillar lamellae in the body, axial lamellae in the neck and fan shaped [semiarched] lamellae in the head. These axial lamellae transmit body weight during walking. The axial lamellae at the neck pass with the axis of the inversion and eversion of the foot and load the center of body wight. This structure must be taken in consideration in management of talar fractures and in making perfect talar prosthesis

role of recreational activities in the management of psychiatric disorders in the Arab-Islamic history

Some of the most utilized recreational activities: First: Travel and vacations. As Razes Stated: "If the illness becomes chronic, transfer the patient to a different country where the prevalent mood is to the opposite of that of the patient since many depressives got cured by travel". Some of the recreational activities which were innovated is to arrange visits by individuals who can entertain the patients and give them pleasure. Second: utilization of physiotherapy and nutrition, like walking, bathing and good nutrition. Third: using music by playing different tunes in different periods of the day and night