A. Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) A. Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute Azmi Street, Abdo Center, 2nd Floor PO BOX 618, Tripoli LEBANON Tel & Fax: 961 6 443684/5/6 Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb Web: www.amc-lb.com

This is the last issue this year that has papers from Turkey, Nepal, Libya, Australia and Lebanon

Paudel S et al, conducted a cross-sectional study was conducted in School of Nursing and Midwifery at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal. A total of 331nursing students participated in the study. HPL behavior was evaluated using Walker’s Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP). Data were analyzed using independent t-test and analysis of variance test by SPSS Version 16 package with significance level of p<0.05.The mean age of the p articipants was 22.86±5.80 years (range 16 - 54). The BMI of respondents revealed that 69.8% had normal weight, 15.4% underweight and 14.8% overweight. The mean of the total health promoting behaviors were 2.74±0.41 out of a score of four. The HPLP score of Bachelor of Nursing (BN) was highest (2.83±0.49), whereas it was lowest (2.70±0.37) for the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) Nursing. Out of six sub categories of HPLP, Spiritual Growth (3.05±0.49) and Interpersonal Relationship (3.04±0.56) showed high scorers, while Physical Activities (2.32±0.60) and Nutrition (2.58±0.49) had low scorers throughout the all the level of students. The authors concluded that the physical activity and nutrition level of students was inadequate in general among all. It was expected that nurse would show more health-promoting behaviors than the general public. The hectic schedule of academic work as well as their societal orientation about life and living might have contributed toward such divergence. Low exercise score indicated the need for intervention programs for the nurses.

Mehmet R. H et al tried to understand whether or not smoking-induced endothelial injury triggers plasma triglycerides. Patients with plasma triglycerides lower than 60 mg/dL were put into the first, lower than 100 mg/dL into the second, lower than 150 mg/dL into the third, lower than 200 mg/dL into the fourth, and 200 mg/dL or greater into the fifth groups, respectively. The study included 875 cases (370 males). Although the mean age increased just up to plasma triglycerides value of 200 mg/dL, male ratio and smoking increased parallel to increased plasma triglycerides values, continuously. Interestingly, the most significant increase of smoking was seen just after plasma triglycerides value of 200 mg/dL, and there was no significant effect of aging or excess weight on this step. The authors concluded that plasma triglycerides may behave as acute phase reactants indicating disseminated endothelial injury and atherosclerosis. There may be significant associations between male gender, smoking, aging, excess weight, and plasma triglycerides values. FPG, LDL, WCH, HT, DM, COPD, CHD, and CRD were all deteriorated parallel to the increased male ratio, smoking, mean age, BMI, and plasma triglycerides values.

A paper from Libya looked at the skin humiliation/ degrading/ trauma/ disturbance of tattooing.
Skin- is our protective layer against the eternal world, and our reflective mirror. It is basically the biggest organ of our body, and yet still being humiliated, manipulated, and degraded by different styles and tools application. There are certain practices which are harmful to the skin and pose risks as a whole and generally speaking. Some would think it is merely a decoration to the skin; however, some people went too far and pierced it, painted it, tattooed it, just to stand out as an ornament. Sometimes, you would only perceive a tiny island of a normal skin within different coloured paints of different massive forms. The authors suggested however; an alternative way, henna tattoo, cheap, easy to apply and it fades out in few days. It can be designed in different forms to the different taste as well as the likings in different places. Additionally, we tend to like changes across the time.

To conclude, it is wise to think carefully before having such colourful patterns on the skin, in different parts of the body. It would make sense, considering a job in the future, whereby many official jobs won’t accept such a thing until a tattoo has been removed or made invisible.

A paper from Australia looks at the issues of Nursing and Climate Change.
Climate Change brings many challenges for Nursing Staff and Carers generally as it will exacerbate problems of human health particularly in the elderly and those with chronic disease.

Nurses globally have also rallied politically to stress the need for a healthy environment to avoid the health consequences of climate change and its dorect effect on health along with increased numbers of natural disasters such as floods, fires, famines and hurricanes. A position statement was announced by Annette Kennedy, ICN President at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Regional Conference in Abu Dhabi. As the global voice of nursing, ICN’s position is that nurses have a shared responsibility to sustain and protect the natural environment from depletion, pollution, degradation and destruction.”