Collaborations

This section highlights research collaborations that have come about as a result of utilising the EPHect tools. 

The MAR’A Project: Middle Eastern Women Research Association

The MAR’A Project is an epidemiological study focused on gynaecological health in the Middle Eastern region, aiming to understand women’s reproductive health patterns and outcomes. The project collaborates closely with stakeholders and policymakers in the United Arab Emirates to provide evidence-based strategies and improve women’s reproductive health across the region.

The project is led by assistant professor Mira Mousa, Khalifa University (UAE), and includes collaborators from Egypt, Jordan, and Saudia Arabia.

Achievements

• Established strategic collaborations with key stakeholders, including healthcare providers, hospitals, and policymakers.
• Adapted the EPHect tools to ensure cultural relevance and applicability to the Middle Eastern context and developed an Arab version of the EPQ.
• Collected and analysed population-level data on women’s reproductive health patterns and outcomes.
• Engaged policymakers to translate findings into actionable recommendations that contribute to national strategies for improving women’s health.
• Organised dissemination activities, including workshops, reports, and publications, to raise awareness and promote evidence-based practice across the region.

Findings

• High prevalence of co-existing pain symptoms, including dysmenorrhea, dysuria, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain, were observed, often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to limited clinical awareness and sociocultural barriers surrounding women’s reproductive health.
• Delayed diagnosis of endometriosis, with an average delay ranging between 14 to 16 years, highlighting a critical gap in early detection and clinical management.
• High prevalence of mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, found to be strongly associated with reproductive health conditions.

Resulting publications

• Mira Mousa, Moamar Al-Jefout, Habiba Alsafar, Christian M Becker, Krina T Zondervan, Nilufer Rahmioglu. Impact of endometriosis in women of Arab ancestry on: health-related quality of life, work productivity, and diagnostic delay. Front Glob Womens Health 2021;2:708410.
• Mira Mousa, Moamar Al-Jefout, Habiba Alsafar, Shona Kirtley, Cecila M Lindgren, Stacey A Missmer, Christian M Becker, Krina T Zondervan, Nilufer Rahmioglu. Prevalence of common gynecological conditions in the middle east: systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Reprod Health 2021;3:661360.

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