ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: There are at least 22 Arab league states and sections in Northern Africa, southwestern Asia, and Europe that incorporate the vast Middle Eastern culture. The purpose of this study was to identify the cultural variations in newborn care practices, self-management of common illnesses, and their potential impact on infant welfare. METHOD: A qualitative design using a focus group approach with 37 Arab mothers in Jordan was used. RESULTS: Findings revealed strong similarities in terms of beliefs, care practices, and the experience of intergenerational conflict in establishing and maintaining traditional practices among mothers. Potentially harmful practices included restrictive swaddling, rubbing a newborn's body with salt, and encouraging the ingestion of herbs in newborns. DISCUSSION: It is important for nurses and midwives to be aware of traditional practices, cultural beliefs, and the implications for infant welfare if they are to effectively engage with families to promote the well-being of the newborn.
Subject(s)
Infant Care/methods , Infant Welfare/psychology , Mothers/psychology , Adult , Arabs/psychology , Arabs/statistics & numerical data , Female , Focus Groups/methods , Humans , Infant Care/standards , Infant Welfare/ethnology , Infant Welfare/statistics & numerical data , Infant, Newborn , Jordan/ethnology , Middle Aged , Mothers/statistics & numerical data , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study was conducted to test the Arabic version of the Family Inventory of Needs-Pediatrics II (FIN-PED II). METHODS: The Arabic FIN-PED II was developed using the translation/back-translation method. Then, an expert panel of 5 parents of children with cancer rated the tool for clarity and content validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability was evaluated in a convenience sample of 113 parents of children with cancer. RESULTS: The FIN-PED II was found to be acceptable and clear to almost all parents. The FIN-PED II demonstrated good psychometric properties. The internal consistency was high with alpha values > 0.70 and high test-retest correlations. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Arabic FIN-PED II needs further psychometric testing, it is an acceptable, reliable, and valid measure of perceived parents need during child's treatment.
