Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted The impact of a cancer diagnosis and its subsequent treatment on the HRQOL of children in Saudi Arabia in light of international practices for newly diagnosed cases A quantitative systematic review(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-13) Alhussain, Fayzah; Langmack, GillThe global impact of cancer on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is significant, especially for children undergoing oncological treatment. While research on HRQOL among child cancer survivors is abundant, there is a lack of representation among those actively undergoing treatment. Furthermore, Saudi Arabian data remains less explored. Objective This systematic review aims to bridge this research gap by quantitatively evaluating the HRQOL of children in Saudi Arabia during their active cancer treatment phase. The study also juxtaposes these findings with global practices, emphasising demographic, medical and parental predictors of HRQOL. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across prominent databases including MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. The search explored studies conducted in Saudi Arabia investigating HRQOL during oncological treatment for children and adolescents, alongside studies from other countries exploring newly diagnosed cases. The JBI-Critical Appraisal Checklists were used to assess the quality of each study. The outcomes were synthesised using narrative methods. Results A systematic review of nine studies was conducted, encompassing 859 paediatric cancer patients. It was observed that all children undergoing cancer treatment experienced a decline in HRQOL. In Saudi Arabia, the psychosocial domain was particularly impacted, more so than the physical domain. The newly diagnosed phase was identified as having the most compromised HRQOL compared to the other stages of the illness. Longitudinal studies showed improvement over time. Several predictors influenced HRQOL including clinical, demographic and parental factors. Conclusion Paediatric cancer patients face profound physical, emotional and psychosocial challenges. Tailored interventions and paediatric palliative care integration are urgently needed to enhance HRQOL. This study underscores the need for more in- depth clinical research in Saudi Arabia, focusing on diverse aspects of HRQOL to optimise treatment outcomes for children with cancer.42 0Item Restricted What are the barriers to the early integration of paediatric palliative care? A systematised review(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-03) Aljardahi, Rakan; Mcfeely, ClareBackground: Children with serious illnesses, such as cancers or congenital anomalies, require special care that alleviates the disease burden. Paediatric palliative care (PPC) is comprehensive, interdisciplinary care for patients and their families that begins once a life-threatening disease has been diagnosed. PPC’s early integration with curative treatments has been proven to relieve suffering and enhance both patients’ and families’ quality of life. Nonetheless, few paediatric patients access and receive these services. Aim: To identify and synthesise the barriers to PPC’s early integration. Methods: This systematised review is based on PRISMA guidelines. The Medline, Embase, PsychInfo and CINAHL databases were searched using controlled and non-controlled keywords and a variety of research strategies. This search was limited to peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2018 and 2023. Based on the inclusion criteria, Covidence software was used to screen, extract and assess the retrieved studies, which were evaluated using the CASP and MMAT checklists. Findings were synthesised using narrative synthesis with inductive thematic analysis. Results: Eight studies of medium to high quality met the inclusion criteria. Three main themes were identified: limited resources, the lack of a standardised referral process and fears associated with palliative care. Conclusion: Reflecting the insufficient attention the speciality receives, several modifiable barriers impede paediatric patients from accessing the early benefits of palliative care services. PPC requires financial support, community awareness and a clear referral process. Policymakers play an important role in supporting PPC, and researchers must work to explore policymakers’ perspectives on these barriers and find facilitators.36 0Item Restricted Nurses’ perspectives on the barriers to and facilitators of effective paediatric pain assessment and management: A systematic review(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-21) Gadi, Amirah Dawood M; Wilson, IseultBackground: Children’s pain is a universal problem that has far-reaching negative consequences. Despite the recognition that effective pain management is a fundamental human right, some children are still suffering from unrelieved pain. Nurses have a pivotal role in paediatric pain management; however, they are confronted by many barriers. It is therefore of value to explore the barriers and facilitators that nurses experience when caring for children in pain. Aim: This study aims to explore nurses’ perspectives regarding the barriers and facilitators related to the effective assessment and management of pain in children, infants, and neonates. Methodology: A search strategy was formulated, and five databases were searched for relevant articles including ProQuest, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO and PubMed. Each paper identified by the search underwent a quality assessment using a predetermined tool. Relevant information to the research question was extracted, and the major themes were then identified by thematic analysis. Findings: Eighteen studies were included in this review. Recognised barriers and facilitators were categorised into three main themes related to: (i) healthcare professionals; (ii) the child and their parents; and (iii) the organisation. Prominent barriers included nurses' inadequate knowledge of the uses and side effects of medication, limited pain assessment experience, low prioritisation of pain, time constraints, communication and language difficulties with children, as well as uncooperative children, insufficient parental involvement, lack of guidelines and resources shortages, and nurses’ distrust in pain assessment tools. Key facilitators comprised robust knowledge, adequate experience, higher education, in-service training, parental involvement, effective communication with children and parents, clear guidelines, adequate resources, and nurses’ trust in and utilisation of pain assessment tools. Conclusions: This review provides valuable insights into the barriers and facilitators faced by nurses with respect to the assessment and management of pain in the paediatric population. There is a need for targeted educational interventions and policy changes to support nurses’ ability to deliver high-quality pain care. Further research is needed in order to investigate these factors and to examine any other potentially associated determinants amongst paediatric nurses.23 0Item Restricted Effect of Contact Type on Caries Experience in Primary Dentition(2023-06-22) Jaafar, Ameena; Dhar, VineetTitle of Thesis: Effect of Contact Type in Primary Molars on Caries Experience. Purpose: The aim is to evaluate effect of contact type and other caries risk factors (diet, plaque, and fluoride) on caries experience in primary dentation. Secondly, to assess prevalence of OXIS contacts among 3-10 years old children enrolled in the study. Methods: Clinical examination was completed on healthy children 3 to 10 years of age. Contact type of primary molars was recorded based on OXIS classification. Information on other caries risk factors were collected (plaque, fluoride, and diet habits). The outcomes assessed included clinical caries (presence/absence), decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth (dmft), decayed teeth (dt), and decayed surfaces (ds). Results: A total of 277 contacts were examined in 107 children ( 51 females and 56 males). Moderate plaque was found to be associated with dmft and dt for contacts S, I, and X. High diet frequency was associated with high dmft and dt scores for contacts S, I, and X. Contact type I showed significant association with dmft compared to other contacts in multivariable analysis. Conclusion: Both high diet frequency and moderate plaque index were linked to higher caries experience in children with contact types S,I, and X. Contact type I found to be associated with higher dmft scores compared to other contacts (X and S).18 0