Self-Reported Cognitive Aging and Well-Being among Older Middle Eastern/Arab American Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic posed new challenges for cognitive aging since it brought interruptions in family relations for older adults in immigrant communities. This study examines the consequences of COVID-19 for the familial and social support systems of aging Middle Eastern/Arab immigrants in Michigan, the largest concentration in the United States. We conducted six focus groups with 45 participants aged 60 and older to explore participant descriptions of changes and difficulties faced during the pandemic relating to their cognitive health, familial and social support systems, and medical care. The findings indicate challenges around social distancing for older Middle Eastern/Arab American immigrants, which generated three overarching themes: fear, mental health, and social relationships. These themes provide unique insights into the lived experiences of older Middle Eastern/Arab American adults during the pandemic and bring to light culturally embedded risks to cognitive health and well-being. A focus on the well-being of older Middle Eastern/Arab American immigrants during COVID-19 advances understanding of how environmental contexts inform immigrant health disparities and the sociocultural factors that shape minority aging.

COVID-19 and Mental Health of Minority Arab Higher-Education Students in Israel: Social, Economic, and Academic Factors.

The mental health and well-being of higher-education students is a topic of growing interest. COVID-19 impacted higher education in many ways and the challenges were especially pronounced for minority students. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Arab minority students in Israel in relation to social, academic, and financial factors. We recruited 420 Arab higher-education students enrolled in academic colleges or universities in Israel who completed a battery of online questionnaires. Mental health status was measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21). Moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were reported by 49.3%, 45.2%, and 54% of Arab students, respectively. Analyses indicate that low quality of online learning, academic difficulties, and negative economic effects of COVID-19 predicted stress, anxiety, and depression. Women reported higher levels of depression and stress; job loss predicted depression and anxiety; low income predicted depression; and COVID-19-related health concerns predicted anxiety. This study highlights the unique and multiple challenges faced by minority students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Campus programs are needed to address the emotional needs of students. Longitudinal research is needed to more fully understand the impact of COVID-19 on higher-education students.

Feelings of Polish and Palestinian Students after Receiving Vaccinations against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited human freedom in many areas. Developing a COVID-19 vaccine has been a key task to contain the spread of the virus. In many countries, there is increasing concern about anti-vaccines due to complications after receiving the vaccine. The research problem concerns the opinions of Polish and Palestinian students after receiving vaccinations against COVID-19. This study involved 657 respondents (332 from Poland and 325 from Palestine) who completed the original questionnaire online. The respondents present two different cultures, embedded in different existential conditions, also in terms of health care, and especially the availability of vaccines. The obtained data indicate that almost 50% of research participants from both countries believe that vaccines are an effective antidote to the pandemic situation. Respondents in both populations believed that it was their personal choice to undergo vaccinations. The social motivation for vaccination in both groups was the desire to participate in public life, and the possibility of free travel for Poles, and the fear of infecting other people for Palestinians. The most common side effect reported after vaccination was pain at the site of the infection. Medical assistance was more often sought by respondents from Palestine. From an existential, psychosocial and health perspective, vaccines contributed to strengthening the vital forces in a large part of the population, allowed rebuilding social interactions and gave a sense of security in the daily functioning of a person.

Barriers to Mental Health Service Use among Palestinian-Arab Women in Israel: Psychological Distress as Moderator.

BACKGROUND: Many studies indicate that ethnic minority women, including women from the disadvantaged Palestinian-Arab minority in Israel, experience higher rates of psychological distress but are less likely to use mental health services. This study examined psychological distress and its role as a moderator in the relationship between mental health service use and stigma-related, attitudinal, and instrumental barriers. METHOD: Cross-sectional study of 146 Palestinian-Arab women who completed measures of psychological distress, mental health service use, the Barriers to Care Evaluation scale, and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Participants who did not utilize mental health services reported higher levels of all barrier types compared to participants who reported previous use, but lower levels of psychological distress. Psychological distress was a significant moderator only in the relationship between attitudinal barriers and mental health service use. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the role of psychological distress in the relationship between barriers to and utilization of mental health services, helping professionals and policymakers increase mental health service use among Palestinian-Arab women in Israel and other vulnerable women elsewhere.

Perceived academic challenges of Jewish and Arab undergraduates during the first wave of COVID-19.

This study examined differences between Arab and Jewish undergraduate students in their perceived academic challenges, COVID-19-related concerns, perceived social support and trust in the university and the government. It also examined factors associated with perceived academic challenges and the moderating role of trust in the university in the associations between COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges. The sample consisted of 2751 students: 2291 (83%) Jewish, 398 (15%) Arab and 61 (2%) 'other'. Arab students reported higher COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges, and lower levels of perceived social support and trust in university and government than did Jewish students. Both Jewish and Arab students identified COVID-19-related concerns as a stress-vulnerability factor for perceived academic challenges, whereas perceived social support and trust in the university were identified as resources for perceived academic challenges. No support was found for the role of trust in government in the face of perceived academic challenges nor for the moderating role of trust in the university in the associations between COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges. In conclusion, the need of Arab students for emotional and academic support needs to be acknowledged as part of the efforts to promote academic success during the pandemic.

COVID-19 Vaccinations and Anxiety in Middle-Aged and Older Jews and Arabs in Israel: The Moderating Roles of Ethnicity and Subjective Age.

Subjective age (i.e., feeling younger/older than one's chronological age) plays a significant role in older minority group members' psychological well-being. In light of the importance of vaccinations for fighting COVID-19, it is unclear whether ethnicity and subjective age moderate the connection between receiving COVID-19 vaccinations and anxiety in Israel. Jewish (n = 198) and Arab older adults (n = 84) provided information regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, subjective age, and anxiety symptoms, as well as additional socio-demographic and COVID-19-related health factors (age range= 40-100, M = 62.5, SD = 12.34). Results demonstrated that feeling older was associated with increased anxiety (p < .001) and that vaccinations were linked to increased anxiety among Jews (p < .05). Moreover, the association between COVID-19 vaccinations and anxiety was significant only among Jewish participants with an older subjective age (p < .05). We stress the importance of examining cultural diversities regarding the contribution of subjective age in the context of COVID-19 and psychological well-being.

Jordanian views regarding sharing of medical data for research: A cross-sectional study during COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: In the current study, the views of Jordanian regarding sharing medical reports for research purposes were investigated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, motivators and barriers regarding sharing of medical records were examined. METHODS: This observational survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted using an electronic questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic (second half of 2020). The questionnaire link was disseminated through two social media platforms (WhatsApp and Facebook), targeting Jordanian adults (age >18 years). RESULTS: In this study, 1,194 participants agreed to complete the study survey. Results showed that 58.3% of them (n = 696) reported to be willing to share their medical data. while 17.6% of the participants (n = 210) showed hesitancy to share their medical information. The most important motivators as perceived by the study participants were helping other patients who have similar health conditions (n = 995, 83.3%). Moreover, fearing from stigma (n = 753, 63.1%), and the lack of confidence in data security and privacy (n = 728, 61.0%) were among the main barriers preventing participants from sharing their information. Finally, results showed that participants with higher educational level (bachelor or higher) (OR = 0.299, P<0.001), or those living in center of Jordan (OR = 0.270, P<0.001) showed a lower tendency to share their medical data. While participants those who have shared data before showed a higher tendency to share their medical data (OR = 2.524, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, many of the participants had a positive attitude towards sharing biomedical data for scientific research during the COVID-19 pandemic, many had doubts in the control over their data. Thus, policymakers and data users should address the concerns and values of patients and understand their preferences in favor of an ethically scrupulous use of data in research.

Factors associated with the unwillingness of Jordanians, Palestinians and Syrians to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to continue to inflect immense burdens of morbidity and mortality, not to mention the sever disruption of societies and economies worldwide. One of the major challenges to managing COVID-19 pandemic is the negative attitudes towards vaccines and the uncertainty or unwillingness to receive vaccinations. We evaluated the predictors and factors behind the negative attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines in 3 countries in the Middle East. METHODS: A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted between the 1st and the 25th of December, 2020. Representative sample of 8619 adults residing in Jordan, West Bank, and Syria, completed the survey via the Web or via telephone interview. The survey intended to assess intent to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to identify predictors of and reasons among participants unwilling/hesitant to get vaccinated. RESULTS: The total of the 8619 participants included in this study were the ones who answered the question on the intent to be vaccinated. Overall, 32.2% of participants (n = 2772) intended to be vaccinated, 41.6% (n = 3589) didn't intend to get vaccinated, and 26.2% (n = 2258) were not sure. The main factors associated with the willingness to take the vaccine (yes responses) included females, 18-35 years old, Syrians and Jordanians, a large family size, and having received a flu vaccine last year. Reasons for vaccine hesitancy included the lack of rigorous evaluation of the vaccine by the FDA and the possible long-term health risks associated with the vaccines (the wait-and-see approach). CONCLUSION: This survey, conducted in December when the number of cases and deaths per day due to COVID-19 were at or near peak levels of the initial surge in the three regions under investigation. The survey revealed that most of survey's participants (67.8%) were unwilling/hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 with the lack of trust in the approval process of the vaccine being the main concern; the two main characteristics of those participants were more than 35 years old and participants holding a Bachelor's degree or higher. Targeted and multi-pronged efforts will be needed to increase acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in Jordan, West Bank and Syria.

The impact of e-learning during COVID-19 pandemic on students' body aches in Palestine.

Musculoskeletal pain is a major concern in our life due to its negative effects on our ability to perform daily functions. During COVID-19 pandemic, several countries switched their teaching programs into e-learning, where students spend long hour using electronic devices. The use of these devices was associated with several musculoskeletal complains among the students. The aim of this study is to evaluate the different body aches associated with e-learning on university students. The subjects of this study were students from An-Najah University in Palestine. 385 questionnaires were filled using Google forms questionnaire and all the subjects were using e-learning due to COVID-19 pandemic. Our study showed that a large percentage of participants used electronic devices for e-learning during the pandemic. The Duration of these devices use was correlated with duration and degree of pain, and associated with the difficulty in ability to perform several daily activities. Furthermore, most of the students used the sitting position with supine bent forward during the device usage. Thus, the university students that participated in this study had an increase in body aches during the e-learning process, and the aches duration and severity increases if the duration of electronic devices usage increase.

A high rate of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a large-scale survey on Arabs.

Background: Vaccine hesitancy can limit the benefits of available vaccines in halting the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Previously published studies paid little attention to Arab countries, which has a population of over 440 million. In this study, we present the results of the first large-scale multinational study that measures vaccine hesitancy among Arab-speaking subjects. Methods: An online survey in Arabic was conducted from 14 January 2021 to 29 January 2021. It consisted of 17 questions capturing demographic data, acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine, attitudes toward the need for COVID-19 vaccination and associated health policies, and reasons for vaccination hesitancy. R software v.4.0.2 was used for data analysis and visualization. Results: The survey recruited 36,220 eligible participants (61.1% males, 38.9% females, mean age 32.6 ± 10.8 years) from all the 23 Arab countries and territories (83.4%) and 122 other countries (16.6%). Our analysis shows a significant rate of vaccine hesitancy among Arabs in and outside the Arab region (83% and 81%, respectively). The most cited reasons for hesitancy are concerns about side effects and distrust in health care policies, vaccine expedited production, published studies and vaccine producing companies. We also found that female participants, those who are 30-59 years old, those with no chronic diseases, those with lower level of academic education, and those who do not know the type of vaccine authorized in their countries are more hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccination. On the other hand, participants who regularly receive the influenza vaccine, health care workers, and those from countries with higher rates of COVID-19 infections showed more vaccination willingness. Interactive representation of our results is posted on our project website at https://mainapp.shinyapps.io/CVHAA. Conclusions: Our results show higher vaccine hesitancy and refusal among Arab subjects, related mainly to distrust and concerns about side effects. Health authorities and Arab scientific community have to transparently address these concerns to improve vaccine acceptance. Funding: This study received no funding.

Determining the Cutoff Points of the 5C Scale for Assessment of COVID-19 Vaccines Psychological Antecedents among the Arab Population: A Multinational Study.

BACKGROUND: One of the newly faced challenges during the COVID-19 is vaccine hesitancy (VH). The validated 5C scale, that assesses 5 psychological antecedents of vaccination, could be effective in exploring COVID-19 VH. This study aimed to determine a statistically valid cutoff points for the 5C sub-scales among the Arab population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 446 subjects from 3 Arab countries (Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan). Information regarding sociodemographics, clinical history, COVID-19 infection and vaccination history, and 5C scale were collected online. The 5C scores were analyzed to define the cutoff points using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and to verify the capability of the questionnaire to differentiate whether responders are hesitant or non-hesitant to accept vaccination. ROC curve analysis was conducted for previous vaccine administration as a response, with the predictors being the main 5 domains of the 5C questionnaire. The mean score of each sub-scale was compared with COVID-19 vaccine intake. RESULTS: The mean age of the studied population was 37 ± 11, 42.9% were males, 44.8% from Egypt, 21.1% from Jordan, and 33.6% from the UAE. Statistically significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated participants, respectively, were detected in the median score of confidence [6.0(1.3) versus 4.7(2.0)], complacency [(2.7(2.0) versus 3.0(2.0)], constraints [1.7(1.7) versus 3.7(2.3)], and collective responsibility [6.7(1.7) versus 5.7(1.7)]. The area under the curve of the 5 scales was 0.72, 0.60, 0.76, 0.66, 0.66 for confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, and collective responsibility at cutoff values of 5.7, 4.7, 6.0, 6.3, and 6.2, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Arabic validated version of the 5C scale has a good discriminatory power to predict COVID-19 vaccines antecedent.

A study of ethnic, gender and educational differences in attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines in Israel - implications for vaccination implementation policies.

BACKGROUND: Vaccines for COVID-19 are currently available for the public in Israel. The compliance with vaccination has differed between sectors in Israel and the uptake has been substantially lower in the Arab compared with the Jewish population. AIM: To assess ethnic and socio-demographic factors in Israel associated with attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines prior to their introduction. METHODS: A national cross-sectional survey was carried out In Israel during October 2020 using an internet panel of around 100,000 people, supplemented by snowball sampling. A sample of 957 adults aged 30 and over were recruited of whom 606 were Jews (49% males) and 351 were Arabs (38% males). RESULTS: The sample of Arabs was younger than for the Jewish respondents. Among the men, 27.3% of the Jewish and 23.1% of the Arab respondents wanted to be vaccinated immediately, compared with only 13.6% of Jewish women and 12.0% of Arab women. An affirmative answer to the question as to whether they would refuse the vaccine at any stage was given by 7.7% of Jewish men and 29.9% of Arab men, and 17.2% of Jewish women and 41.0% of Arab women. Higher education was associated with less vaccine hesitancy. In multiple logistic regression analysis, the ethnic and gender differences persisted after controlling for age and education. Other factors associated with vaccine hesitancy were the belief that the government restrictions were too lenient and the frequency of socializing prior to the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a relatively high percentage reported would be reluctant to get vaccinated, prior to the introduction of the vaccine. This was more marked so for Arabs then Jews, and more so for women within the ethnic groups. While this was not a true random sample, the findings are consistent with the large ethnic differences in compliance with the vaccine, currently encountered and reinforce the policy implications for developing effective communication to increase vaccine adherence. Government policies directed at controlling the pandemic should include sector-specific information campaigns, which are tailored to ensure community engagement, using targeted messages to the suspected vaccine hesitant groups. Government ministries, health service providers and local authorities should join hands with civil society organizations to promote vaccine promotion campaigns.

Knowledge, Perceptions, and Prevention Practices among Palestinian University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire-Based Survey.

The purpose of this study is to offer a timely understanding of university students' knowledge, perception, and preventative practices related to COVID-19 in Palestine and to determine affecting factors (gender, region, and type of locality). A cross-sectional design was used and data was collected over 2 weeks in April 2020 through an online survey. A total of 484 surveys were collected from students from different Palestinian universities. Participants showed high levels of knowledge across multiple topics (symptoms and characteristics of COVID-19, prevention practices, and at-risk groups), although respondents were less likely to indicate mask wearing as an effective prevention practice compared to other practices, and almost one-third reported incorrectly that taking antibiotics is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. Respondents reported the most trust in the Ministry of Health as a source of information, and the least trust in social media. A generally high level of acceptance of government regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic was found. Given the current global situation and the second wave of infections in Palestine, plans should be in place to disseminate correct information and combat newly-emerging rumors and misinformation through channels that are trusted by the university student population.

Remote data collection during COVID-19 restrictions: an example from a refugee and asylum-seeker participant group in the UK.

This article describes how one trial site of the Refugee Emergency: Defining and Implementing Novel Evidence-based psychosocial interventions (RE-DEFINE) study, designed to evaluate a Self Help+ intervention with Arabic-speaking refugees and asylum seekers currently living in the UK and experiencing stress, was adapted to accommodate social distancing rules and working from home during the COVID-19 restrictions. Digital divide, risk and safety management, acceptability of remote data collection and practical considerations are described. The adaptions to methods have practical implications for researchers looking for more flexible approaches in response to continuing restrictions resulting from COVID-19, and the authors believe that others could adopt such an approach. The need for a further acceptability study focusing on human and economic costs and benefits of telephone and video as an alternative to face-to-face data collection is indicated. TRIALS REGISTRATION: Refugee Emergency - Defining and Implementing Novel Evidence-based psychosocial interventions RE-DEFINE. (Trials registration numbers NCT03571347 , NCT03587896 ) https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030259 (2019).

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among Palestinians during the COVID-19 outbreak: A cross-sectional survey.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious illness that spreads rapidly through human-to-human transmission. On March 5, the government of Palestine declared a state of emergency in order to curb the spread of the virus, a declaration that it extended for a fifth time on July 5th. The degree to which a population complies with corresponding safety measures is surely affected by the people's knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards the disease. To explore this hypothesis, we gathered data from 1,731 Palestinians between April 19thand May 1st, 2020 through a KAP questionnaire. The participant pool represented a stratified sample of Palestinians living across a number of governorates in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with 36.5% from Gaza and (63.5%) from the West Bank. Gender was almost equally distributed within the sample with (51%) men respondents and (49%) women respondent. The questionnaire included 17 questions about participants' knowledge and awareness of COVID-19, 17 questions regarding the safety measures they had taken in the wake of the outbreak and 3 questions asking them to assess the efficacy of the government's response to the pandemic. Our data shows that 79% of the respondents have good awareness about transmission of the virus, 55.6% were knowledgeable of the symptoms exhibited by an infected individual, 81% were aware of the preventative measures and 82% demonstrated awareness of the risk groups. Most participants complied with preventative measures (77%) and 62% the study participants agreed that stricter measures have to be enforced by the government to limit the spread of the virus. Our study revealed that younger participants and people with higher educational level demonstrated more awareness of the virus. Also, Women were reported to be more aware of preventative measures and to have complied more with good practices. We report that residents of the West Bank have complied more with the right practices when compared to residents of Gaza. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that health education programs aimed at improving the public's understanding of COVID-19 are important in helping the population maintain appropriate practices and should be target people with lower educational level, and that findings such as those discussed in this report may provide valuable feedback to lawmakers working to stop the spread of the virus.

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic - the role of leadership in the Arab ethnic minority in Israel.

BACKGROUND: The Arab ethnic minority makes up 21% of Israel's population, yet comprised just 8.8% of confirmed cases and 3.6% of deaths from COVID-19, despite their higher risk profile and greater burden of underlying illness. This paper presents differences in patterns of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 in the Arab, ultra-Orthodox and overall populations in Israel, and suggests possible reasons for the low rates of infection in the Arab population. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Israeli Ministry of Health's (MOH) open COVID-19 database, which includes information on 1270 localities and is updated daily. The database contains the number of COVID-19 diagnostic tests performed, the number of confirmed cases and deaths in Israel. RESULTS: In the first 4 months of Israel's COVID-19 outbreak, just 2060 cases were confirmed in the Arab population, comprising 8.8% of the 23,345 confirmed cases, or 2.38 times less than would be expected relative to the population size. In contrast, the ultra-Orthodox made up 30.1% of confirmed cases yet just 10.1% of the population. Confirmed case rate per 100,000 was twice as high in the general Jewish population compared to the Arab population. The Arab mortality rate was 0.57 per 100,000, compared to 3.37 in the overall population, and to 7.26 in the ultra-Orthodox community. We discuss possible reasons for this low morbidity and mortality including less use of nursing homes, and effective leadership which led to early closure of mosques and high adherence to social distancing measures, even during the month of Ramadan. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a disproportionate burden of underlying illness, the Arab population did not fulfil initial predictions during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak and maintained low numbers of infections and deaths. This contrasts with reports of increased mortality in ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged populations in other countries, and with high rates of infection in the ultra-Orthodox sector in Israel. Effective leadership and cooperation between individuals and institutions, particularly engagement of community and religious leaders, can reduce a group's vulnerability and build resilience in an emergency situation such as the current pandemic.

Jewish and Arab pregnant women's psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: the contribution of personal resources.

OBJECTIVE: The study sought to examine the psychological distress of Israeli pregnant women during the worldwide spread of COVID-19. As Israel has a diverse cultural-religious population, the sample included both Jewish and Arab women, allowing us to explore the differences between them. Furthermore, we examined the contribution of personal resources, both internal (self-mastery and resilience) and external (perceived social support), as well as the level of infection-related anxiety to the women's psychological distress. METHOD: A convenience sample of 403 Israeli women (233 Jewish and 170 Arab) was recruited through social media. RESULTS: Arab women reported significantly higher infection-related anxiety and psychological distress than Jewish women. In addition, Jewish women reported significantly higher self-mastery than Arab pregnant women. Finally, poorer health, being an Arab woman, and lower levels of self-mastery, resilience, and perceived social support, as well as a higher level of infection-related anxiety, contributed significantly to greater psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that pregnant women in general may be at risk of psychological distress in times of crisis, and that minority populations in particular may be at greater risk than others. Moreover, the results highlight the contribution of women's personal and environmental resources in the face of crisis, an understanding that may be used in targeted interventions to reduce distress in vulnerable populations.

How Do Arab Tweeters Perceive the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Language reflects several cognitive variables that are grounded in cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. This paper examines how Arab populations reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic on Twitter over twelve weeks since the outbreak. We conducted a lexicon-based thematic analysis using corpus tools, and LIWC and applied R language's stylo. The dominant themes that were closely related to coronavirus tweets included the outbreak of the pandemic, metaphysics responses, signs and symptoms in confirmed cases, and conspiracism. The psycholinguistic analysis also showed that tweeters maintained high levels of affective talk, which was loaded with negative emotions and sadness. Also, LIWC's psychological categories of religion and health dominated the Arabic tweets discussing the pandemic situation. In addition, the contaminated counties that captured most of the attention of Arabic tweeters were China, the USA, Italy, Germany, India, and Japan. At the same time, China and the USA were instrumental in evoking conspiracist ideation about spreading COVID-19 to the world.

Distress and anxiety associated with COVID-19 among Jewish and Arab pregnant women in Israel.

INTRODUCTION: The fact that little is yet known about the possible implications of COVID-19 for pregnancy, puts pregnant women at greater risk of heightened anxiety and psychological distress. In this study, we sought to explore the psychological distress and COVID-19-related anxiety of pregnant women during the crisis. METHODS: Israeli Jewish and Arab pregnant women (n = 336) aged 20-47 completed a set of questionnaires during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. RESULTS: The levels of all COVID-19-related anxieties were quite high (much or very much), with the highest regarding public places and transportation (87.5%, 70%, respectively), followed by concerns over the possible infection of other family members and the health of the foetus (71.7%, 70%, respectively), going for pregnancy check-ups (68.7%,), being infected themselves, and the delivery (59.2%, 55.4%, respectively). Although COVID-19-related anxieties were shared by pregnant women characterised by diverse sociodemographic variables, with very small nuances, Arab women were more anxious about each of the issues than Jewish women. DISCUSSION: Our findings highlight the importance of assessing anxiety and distress in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the need to be attentive to the double stress of pregnant women in times of crisis and to the potential vulnerability of subgroups, such as cultural minorities.