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There is limited information on the disease burden due to foodborne pathogens in the eastern Mediterranean region. This study estimates the burden of disease in Jordan for Salmonella, Shigella, and Brucella during 1 year.Nationwide population and laboratory surveys were conducted during September 2003 and May 2004, and burden of disease estimates were calculated. A validation study was conducted prospectively from August to September 2003 to provide an estimate of the internal validity of burden estimates.Each year in Jordan there are about 4.4 million episodes of diarrhea among persons1 year of age and about 1.3 million persons seek medical care for diarrhea. For each person with laboratory-confirmed Shigella or Salmonella infection there are about 273 infected persons in the community. There are approximately 1.1 million episodes of fever and 0.7 million persons1 year of age seeking medical care for fever each year. For each person with serological confirmed Brucella infection there are about 31 infected persons in the community. There are at least 16,260 Shigella, 6612 Salmonella, and 6912 Brucella cases yearly.This study provides baseline information of the burden of selected foodborne pathogens for 1 year in Jordan and indicates significant underreporting and under-diagnosis of Shigella and Salmonella infections.

Introduction Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of illness and death in Jordan. Since 2002, the Jordan Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, established the Jordan Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey to collect information on many of the behaviors and conditions related to NCDs. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of selected NCD risk factors and the relationship between body mass index and selected health conditions among a nationally representative sample of Jordanian adults aged 18 years or older. Methods We used a multistage sampling design to select 3,688 households, from which we randomly selected and interviewed 1 adult aged 18 years or older. A total of 3,654 adults completed the survey. We randomly selected a subsample of 889 interviewed adults and invited them to visit local health clinics for a medical evaluation; we obtained measurements, including fasting blood glucose and blood lipids, from 765 adults. Data were collected between June 1, 2007, and August 23, 2007. Results Nearly one-third of participants smoked cigarettes, 18% reported having been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and 10% reported frequent mental distress. Compared with survey participants who did not participate in the medical evaluation, those who participated were more likely to self-report high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes and report lower levels of health-related quality of life. Among participants of the medical evaluation, an estimated 11% reported they had been diagnosed with diabetes by a health professional, and 19% were diagnosed with diabetes according to laboratory testing. Approximately one-third of participants of the medical evaluation were either overweight (30%) or obese (36%). In the fully adjusted model, obese participants of the medical evaluation were nearly 3 times as likely to have high blood pressure and more than 2 times as likely to have high blood cholesterol as normal-weight participants. Conclusion Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity are a public health concern in Jordan. Adequate and continuous monitoring of NCD risk factors in Jordan is needed, and the surveillance findings should be used in health promotion and disease prevention activities.

To measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Jordan A multi-stage sampling design was used to select households where an adult 18 years of age or older, selected at random, was interviewed. Four HRQOL questions, initially developed by the U.S. CDC, related to mental and physical health were included in the questionnaire and overall unhealthy days were calculated. HRQOL measures were compared to selected chronic conditions and risk factors. Older adults (aged 65 and over), females, persons who were illiterate or with only primary education, and persons with monthly income less than $ 140 reported the highest percentage of fair or poor health and ≥14 overall unhealthy days compared to persons without these characteristics. A high percentage of persons with asthma (33 %), hypertension (37 %), high blood cholesterol (37 %), and diabetes (47 %) also reported fair and poor health. Demographic characteristics, the presence of a chronic condition or a chronic disease risk factor are important determinants of mental and physical well-being in Jordan and should be taken into account when planning public health interventions or prevention and promotion programs.

Introduction Chronic diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Jordan. The Jordanian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, established a behavioral risk factor surveillance system to monitor the behavioral risk factors associated with chronic diseases. Methods We used a multistage sampling design to select households from which we then randomly selected and interviewed one adult aged 18 years or older. A random subsample of the adults interviewed were then invited to visit the local health clinic, where we obtained medical measurements, including blood lipids (low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides) and fasting blood glucose. Results Approximately 9% of the participants in the subsample who underwent medical testing reported having been diagnosed with diabetes previously, compared with 16.9% diagnosed in our laboratory testing. About 12.3% of the participants were glucose intolerant, and about 35% were obese. Obesity was significantly associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and asthma. Compared with adults of normal weight, obese adults had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.27 (95% CI, 1.58–6.76) for diabetes, 3.69 (95% CI, 2.13–6.39) for high blood pressure, 3.45 (95% CI, 1.68–7.10) for high cholesterol, and 5.12 (95% CI, 1.53–17.19) for asthma. Discussion Obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity create a major chronic disease burden in Jordan that is likely to increase substantially in the next few years. Our findings argue for establishment of a more preventive orientation in health care and public health systems in Jordan.

The burden of smoking-related diseases in Jordan is increasingly evident. During 2006, chronic, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for more than 50% of all deaths in Jordan. With this evidence in hand, we highlight the prevalence of smoking in Jordan among youth and adults and briefly review legislation that governs tobacco control in Jordan. The prevalence of smoking in Jordan remains unacceptably high with smoking and use of tobacco prevalences ranging from 15% to 30% among students aged 13-15 years and a current smoking prevalence near 50% among men. Opportunities exist to further reduce smoking among both youth and adults; however, combating tobacco use in Jordan will require partnerships and long-term commitments between both private and public institutions as well as within local communities.