Parental Child Rearing Practices in Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The objectives of this study were to explore parenting practices from the perspectives of Palestinian parents and their children, and concordance between parents and children in their reports of parenting practices, in a culture that is underrepresented in the literature. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) was administered to 120 parents and 120 children drawn from 4 districts in Palestine. Children had higher scores on parental involvement, positive parenting, poor monitoring, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment. Three significant parent-child relationships were obtained1: parental involvement (r = .276, P = .003), positive parenting (r = .0301, P = .001), and poor parental monitoring (r = -.241, P = .008). The findings of this study might be used by Palestinian authorities and policy-makers to formulate guidelines and training to aid parental decision-making about child rearing.

The lived experience of family members who care for children with cancer: An interpretative phenomenological approach.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of family carers in the care of children with cancer. METHOD: A phenomenological hermeneutic approach was conducted, informed by the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. Fourteen interviews were conducted with family members: mothers (n = 9), grandmothers and fathers (n = 5). Fourteen family carers were voluntarily enrolled from a public children's oncology department in Bethlehem in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Three major themes emerged from the data analysis. The first theme was the caring experience, which included three subthemes: changing priorities over time, information given about children's illness, and parents suffering due to treating irritable children. The second theme was the challenges to effective care, which illustrates the most significant challenges faced during caring, including the effects of family relations and emotional support. The final theme was around the support system; family carers found several resources to support them in their children's care, including other parents' experiences with similar diseases, the hospital environment, and their religious beliefs. CONCLUSIONS: This study informs parents and healthcare providers about the daily lived experiences of family carers. Healthcare providers can fulfil a significant role in giving emotional support and relief to family carers. However, they will need continuous practise to equip them with the communication skills they require to deal with the family carers in these difficult situations.

Peritoneal Dialysis in Extremely Obese Patient From Palestine, A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of ESRD is increasing dramatically and the majority of patients are commenced to hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) due to the long waiting time for renal transplantation. PD has comparable outcomes with HD but many barriers limit its utilization. Obesity is considered among the barriers and this was attributed to its related complications. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old male patient with ESRD presented to our hospital for PD. He was extremely obese (BMI = 44.2 kg/m2). The case was discussed between the nephrology, surgical and nursing team, and the decision was made to proceed towards PD. CONCLUSION: Obesity should not impede the beneficial effects of PD. The obstacles of obesity, which we faced; could be overcome with the collaboration between a highly qualified multidisciplinary team.