Browsing by Author "Khalaf, Atika"

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Association of contraception use and pregnancy intention with perinatal depression risk among Omani mothers-a longitudinal cohort study.
(2025) Khalaf, Atika
Unplanned pregnancy is significantly associated with an increased risk of perinatal depression (antenatal and postnatal depression), emphasizing its prevalence and its potentially detrimental effects on both maternal and child health. This study aimed to investigate the association of contraception use and pregnancy intention with the risk of perinatal depression among Omani mothers.
Exploring symptom clusters across the menopausal stages - systematic review and meta-analysis.
(2025-08-12) Khalaf, Atika
This study aimed to identify and compare symptom clusters and their severity among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women using a systematic literature review on publications from 1996 to 2023 across PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, and APA PsycINFO. The meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guideline, initially screening 425 articles, with 14 articles meeting the criteria of relevance, scientific rigor, and a focus on symptom clustering in climacteric women. Data from the 14 selected studies (n = 14,760) were extracted, including study characteristics, participant demographics, methods for identifying symptom clusters, specific symptoms within each cluster, and associations with lifestyle factors, genetics, or psychosocial elements. The findings were synthesized to quantify relationships between different symptom clusters, identifying four distinct groups: somatic, vasomotor, psychological, and sexual symptoms. The overall standardized mean difference (SMD) of -0.89 [95 % CI = -1.70, -0.07] was found for somatic symptom clusters, indicating significant differences. However, no conclusive distinctions were observed in vasomotor, sexual, and psychological symptoms, highlighting variability in symptom presentation. Despite this heterogeneity, the overall effect for somatic symptoms remained statistically significant (Z = 2.14, P = 0.03). The findings emphasize the complexity of symptomatology in climacteric women and underscore the need for tailored person-centered interventions and longitudinal studies.
Professional Competence and Spiritual Care Provision Among Zambian Maternal Healthcare Providers: Through the Lens of Watson's Theory of Human Caring.
(2025-02-27) Khalaf, Atika
Purpose: Spiritual care is a multifaceted and integral part of holistic health within the medical standard of care, and it is a crucial component of healthcare providers' (HCPs) job descriptions. This study aimed to investigate Zambian HCPs' professional competence and practice of spiritual care in maternal healthcare settings, with a comparative focus on nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional design was applied among 311 maternal HCPs using an online survey with two validated instruments: Professional Competence in Spiritual Care (PCSC) and the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale (NSCTS). Results: Most participants were females (63.0%) and nurses or midwives (25.1% each). The mean PCSC score was 135.4 (SD = 26.5), indicating excellent competence in spiritual care. The mean NSCTS score was 24.5 (SD = 14.2), indicating that HCPs seldom provide spiritual care. No significant differences were found in PCSC scores across different HCPs ( = 0.065). However, midwives and medical practitioners scored significantly higher on NSCTS compared to nurses ( < 0.001). Conclusions: Zambian HCPs demonstrate excellent competence in spiritual care but seldom provide it. Nurses appear to provide inadequate spiritual care compared to other HCPs. These findings highlight the need for further investigation to identify barriers preventing nurses from delivering comprehensive spiritual care.