Hamdia Mirkhan Ahmed

• PhD in Maternity Nursing
• Dean at Hawler Medical University

Background There have been numerous reports of physical and psychological abuse against women during labor and pregnancy care. Analyzing the lived experiences of women who have experienced such violence can help decrease its prevalence and/or severity. The present study aimed to explore women’s views and experiences of violence during labor. Metho...

Background and aim: Female genital circumcision (FGC), a prevalent practice in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has significant psychosocial and sexual implications for affected women. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate these impacts among circumcised and non-circumcised Kurdish women. Method: This comparative study was conducted from January...

Background Researchers in universities and academic institutions must be in a leading position in generating research evidence to inform and direct national policies and strategies, improve service delivery, and achieve the main objectives. This study aimed to determine the factors that promote or hinder research productivity and quality among univ...

Background Understanding the prevalence and determinants of physical activity among women is crucial for developing effective interventions to promote physical activity and improve health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, patterns, and determinants of physical activity, leisure-time exercise, and sedentary behavior among women...

Background and Objective: Patient satisfaction with nursing care remains essential in explaining patients' perceptions of service quality. Accordingly, healthcare institutions need to check and be highly concerned about consumers’ requests and evaluations periodically and continuously. The study aimed to measure the patients' experiences and satisf...

Background The misperception of body weight can significantly affect individuals' health behaviors, such as physical activity, diet, and weight management. This study aimed to examine the association between body weight perception and actual body mass index (BMI) among adult women and explore the factors influencing this relationship. Methods Five...

Stigma is a damaging psychological experience that breast cancer survivors often face. This review looks at the available data about breast cancer stigma in Iraq and provides a worldwide overview of breast cancer stigma, related factors, and consequences. The prevalence of perceived cancer-related stigma ranges from 5 to 90% in different countries....

Background Limited research has investigated the barriers to physical exercise among women in Iraqi Kurdistan Region and other similar Muslim and Middle Eastern societies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of perceived barriers to physical exercise among women and examine the associations of these barriers with the participants’ sociodem...

Background: The recommended respectful maternity care (RMC) developed by WHO and effective communication (EC) between mothers and health staff have a direct positive effect on women's childbirth experience and satisfaction. This study aimed to examine the effect of RMC and EC on mothers' satisfaction with childbirth by considering women's demograph...

Objectives: Religious beliefs may play a role in the rejection and acceptance of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines. We aimed to explore attitudes of Islamic clerics toward receiving the COVID-19 vaccines in a semi-structured qualitative focus group study. Methods: The clerics of members of the Union of Muslim Scholars of the Erbil branch wer...

Background and Objectives: Antenatal care is essential for protecting the health of women and their unborn children. Antenatal care utilization is a key intervention in problem detection and treatment, promoting health-seeking behavior, and preparing pregnant women for birth. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated fact...

Introduction: The postnatal stage is the most important but also the most ignored stage in the mother and newborn's lives. Early and immediate postnatal care that is satisfactory has been defined as meeting the postnatal health care needs of mothers to the level of their expectations and enhancing their quality of life. Aim: The aim of the present...

Background and objective: The World Health Organization recognizes the importance of positive childbirth experience. In Iraq, patient satisfaction during maternity care visits is not routinely collected. This study was aimed to find out the women’s expectation during labor from physicians and midwives and associated factors such as socio-demographi...

Background: The mode of delivery may have a significant effect on maternal outcomes after delivery. In this regard, we aimed to assess the reproductive and urinary system complaints of women who underwent C/S compared to vaginal delivery (V/D). Methods: In this comparative study, the women who received the C/S or V/D were invited to report their co...

This study aimed to examine the attitudes of Kurdish women toward menopause and find out its association with menopausal status and sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. Direct interviews were done with 912 women in perimenopause/menopause through non-probability convenient sampling from October 2020 to September 2021, aged 30 to 60 years...

Introduction: Due to the presence of causes of fire in the operating room, that these kinds of accidents likely take place in these places. Therefore, it is necessary for the operating room staff, including the anesthesia team and the operating room, to have sufficient information in order to prevent the accident and function properly during the ac...

Background Understanding the perspectives of the key players in the community regarding female genital cutting (FGC) is very important for directing preventive programs. Religious leaders help shape community behaviors, which is highly pertinent in the case of FGC as it is frequently perceived to be a religious requirement. This study assesses reli...

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of body mechanics (BMs) among pregnant women with lumbopelvic pain (LPP) and to determine the association between LPP and BMs. The study was conducted using a purposive sample of 110 pregnant women with LPP. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statist...

Background & objectives: Mother's health education is an important factor and has a significant effect on child tooth decay. This study aimed to identify perception of mother about dental caries of their children in Erbil city, Iraq. Methods: A qualitative study involving interviewing 29 women was conducted in Erbil, Iraq, from December 2021 to Jun...

Comparing Result of BUBBLE-HE Assessments between Home versus Health Facility Postnatal Nursing Interventions

Background: Early and immediate postnatal care that is satisfactory has been defined as meeting the postnatal health care needs of mothers to the level of their expectations, making them feel happy, and enhancing their quality of life and wellbeing. The study's goal is to compare how satisfied mothers were with postnatal nursing interventions at ho...

Background and Objectives Concern about mistreatment and abuse during childbirth care is growing, and evidence suggests that many women worldwide experience mistreatment during childbirth. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of abused women during labor, types of abuse, rate of satisfaction with birth care among abused women, and associated so...

e18680 Background: The concept of breast cancer related stigma and its effect on stage at presentation has been understudied in the Iraqi context. We sought to determine the extent to which perceived stigma or shame affected stage at presentation in Iraqi women diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods: A survey was conducted of 100 cancer patients see...

Background Understanding the perspectives of the key players in the community regarding female genital cutting (FGC) is very important for directing preventive programs. Religious leaders help shape community behaviors, which is highly pertinent in the case of FGC as it is frequently perceived to be a religious requirement. This study assesses reli...

According to the World Health Organization, intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 35% of women worldwide and 40% of pregnant women, often resulting in maternal and infant death and harm. Displaced persons are at higher risk of abuse compared to the general population. While few studies have explored IPV in Iraq, research from Erbil, Iraq showed n...

Background: World health organizations (WHO) recommended respectful maternity care (RMC) and effective communication (EC) during labor and childbirth to reduce mistreatment and to improve women's experience of care. This study aimed to finds out the effect of RMC and EC's on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Methods: This interventional study include...

Objective: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health issue and one of the most often observed psychological disorders among postpartum women. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of implementing respectful maternity care (RMC) and effective communication (EC) during labor and delivery on experiencing postpartum dep...

Background and objectives: Significant changes in hormonal levels result in certain physical and mental changes that can lead to sleep disorders in pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the relative contribution and interrelationship among physiological and psychological factors in the third trimester of pregnancy, and to compare the study...

Introduction: Maternal depression, which includes depression in the prenatal and postpartum periods, is estimated to affect between 10 and 20% of women globally but the rate is higher in the Middle East. Research focused on maternal depression in Iraq is limited to one study focused on postpartum depression. This paper identifies the prevalence an...

Background and objectives: The World Health Organization defines adolescent pregnancy as pregnancy in which the mother is under the age of 20 at the time the pregnancy ends. About 16 million girls ageing between 15 and 19 years give birth every year. The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitude among nurses and physicians in Erbil...

Background: Having a positive childbirth experience is highlighted as being important by the World Health Organization (WHO). One way of achieving this goal is to fulfill the expectations of women. This study aimed to find out women’s expectations in the delivery room and to determine the association between their overall level of expectation and s...

Background and objectives: Significant changes in hormonal levels result in certain physical and mental changes that can lead to sleep disorders in pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the relative contribution and interrelationship among physiological and psychological factors in the third trimester of pregnancy, and to compare the study...

Background Quality of life (QOL) research develops data and insight into issues that pertain not only to the individual, but that can also apply to the population as a whole. This study aimed to analyze the QOL of Kurdish women from families of martyred individuals in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Methods A cross-sectional study of 380 women from...

Background: cervical cancer is the public health problem world wide it imposes large costs on society, performing cervical cancer screening considered as a health promotion. Fortunately cervical cancer has a long premalignant period, primary and secondary prevention can reduce the incidence. The Pap smear is the main screening modality but the upta...

Background: Effective communication by maternity care staff can help a woman during labor and birth have a positive birth experience. Due to limited knowledge regarding this topic in Iraqi Kurdistan, therefore, this study assessed: 1) The level of women's satisfaction regarding verbal and non-verbal communication of midwives and physicians in the...

Background: Effective communication by maternity care staff can help a woman during labor and birth have a positive birth experience. Due to limited knowledge regarding this topic in Iraqi Kurdistan, therefore, this study assessed: 1) The level of women’s satisfaction regarding verbal and non-verbal communication of midwives and physicians in the d...

Anemia in pregnancy is a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the nutritional characteristics of pregnant women and find out its relationship with anemia during pregnancy. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 600 pregnant women who attended four primary health-care centers whic...

Background: A considerable amount of research demonstrates how breastfeeding self-efficacy significantly influences breastfeeding outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of nursing intervention on mother's breastfeeding self-efficacy. Methods: In this experimental investigation, 130 pregnant women who attended a primary health c...

Background Effective communication by maternity care staff can help a woman during labor and birth have a positive birth experience. Nothing is known about this topic in Iraqi Kurdistan, therefore, this study assessed: 1) The level of women’s satisfaction regarding verbal and non-verbal communication of midwives and physicians in the delivery room...

Following publication of the original article [1], the author notified us about the incorrect values on Table 4.

Inadequate knowledge or inappropriate attitude about breastfeeding may lead to undesirable consequences. This study assessed the breastfeeding knowledge and attitude of pregnant women about breastfeeding. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 pregnant women from four primary health-care centers in Erbil City/Iraqi Kurdistan from...

Background Quality of life (QOL) research develops data and insight into issues that pertain not only to the individual but also can apply to the population as a whole. This study aimed to analyze the QOL of Kurdish women from martyr families of Kurdistan region of Iraq.Methods A cross sectional study was conducted on 380 women from martyrs’ famili...

Background: Quality of life (QOL) research develops data and insight into issues that pertain not only to the individual, but that can also apply to the population as a whole. This study aimed to analyze the QOL of Kurdish women from families of martyred individuals in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 380 women from...

Background: Quality of life (QOL) research develops data and insight into issues that pertain not only to the individual, but that can also apply to the population as a whole. This study aimed to analyze the QOL of Kurdish women from families of martyred individuals in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 380 women from...

Background and Objectives: During childbirth, women are at risk for experiencing perineal trauma to the genitalia resulting in a tear of the perineum or the surgical process of an episiotomy. Knowing the prevalence and the risk factors associated with perineal trauma may help in the reduction of episiotomy and prevention of occurrence of tear. The...

Background Female genital mutilation (FGM) is prevalent in Iraqi Kurdistan Region, but there is a lack of adequate knowledge about how the practice is perceived by the women population who are the direct victims of the practice. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, beliefs, and attitude of a sample of Kurdish women of FGM and identify the main...

Background There are controversies over the effects of Ramadan fasting on pregnancy outcomes, and women’s perspectives of fasting are diverse. This study aimed to assess the perspectives and pregnancy outcomes of maternal Ramadan fasting in the second trimester of pregnancy. Methods A case-control study was conducted at Hawler Maternity Teaching H...

This study aimed to understand the position of religious leaders toward female genital cutting (FGC) and their perspectives on the relationship between the Islamic religion and FGC. In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 religious leaders in Erbil governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan region from June 2016 to May 2017 using a semi-structured interview g...

Childbirth is a natural phenomenon with a history as old as human life on the Earth and his creation. Nowadays, midwives are responsible for taking care of the mother and carrying out an uncomplicated delivery. Regarding the importance to empower women to become more involved in maternal and child healthcare as well as considerable role of midwife...

Background and objective: Labor is a life-changing event and is a high-risk time for both the fetus and the mother which affects them physically and emotionally, so proper care during labor and delivery is important. The study assessed the quality of the labor and delivery care by nurse/midwives. Methods: A study was carried out to observe nurse/m...

Background: Labor is one of the most painful events in a women's life. Frequent change in positions and back massage may be effective in reducing pain during the first stage of labor. Aim: The focus of this study was to identify the impact of either change in position or back massage on pain perception during first stage of labor. Design: A qu...

Background: Religious leaders are one of the key actors in the issue of female genital cutting (FGC) due to the influential position they have in the community and the frequent association of FGC with the religion. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perspectives of the local religious leaders in Erbil governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan Region...

Background: Preconception care is an organized and comprehensive program of health care that identifies and reduces woman’s reproductive risks before conception through risk assessment, health promotion, and interventions. This study aimed to assess knowledge, practice, and attitude of married women about preconception care and find out the associa...

We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and experience of health professionals of female genital mutilation (FGM). The study involved content analysis of semi-structured interviews with 21 health professionals. The participants had poor knowledge regarding different aspects of FGM including its types, prevalence, and complications as well as th...

Anemia in pregnancy is a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. Nutritional anemia is the most common type of anemia worldwide and mainly includes iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin C deficiencies. Iron deficiency contributes to half of the burden of anemia globally. The objectives of this study were to find out the...

First descriptive and geographic analyses of the nutritional situation among women in Erbil, Kurdistan.

Background Healthy sexual relationship leads to achievement of affinity and affection in family in addition to proper satisfaction of sexual instincts. Objectives This study was conducted to find out the prevalence of sexual satisfaction and to identify factors that are associated with marital satisfaction in a group of married women in Erbil. Meth...

Background and objective: Knowing the rate and indications of the cesarean section will help to have an overview of this common type of obstetrical procedure and to plan for the high level of care management. This study aimed to find out the rate of cesarean section and to identify its indications. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at...

Background and objective: Breast cancer is a global health concern. It has been identified as a major public health problem in both developed and developing nations. Breast cancer associated morbidity and mortality can be reduced through early detection and diagnosis by breast self-examination. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and...

Background and objective: Local professional norms, experiences in tainting, and individual provider preference may lead to wide practice variation in rate and practice of episiotomy by midwives. The aim of this study was to find out the midwives' perspectives regarding practicing of episiotomy in three main cities of Kurdistan region/Iraq. Methods...

Objectives: This study aimed to findout approaches which used by midwives for avoiding episiotomy and assess their knowledge regarding complications of episiotomy in three main cities of Kurdistan region. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1st January and 15th April 2014 in the three biggest maternity teaching hospitals. The...

Background and objective: One of the main responsibilities of midwives is the provision of post episiotomy care instructions for women who have episiotomy before discharge from the hospital after delivery. This study aimed to assess the post episiotomy care instructions provided by midwives and compare the instructions of midwives of the three main...

Aim: The aim of this study was assessment of obstetrical characteristics of women with hemorrhoids and analfissure. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1st September 2013 and 30th July 2014 in Pirmamcity in Kurdistan Region of Iraq on 50 women who attend surgical private clinic and complained with signs andsymptoms of hemorrh...

To complement standard measures of maternity care outcomes, an assessment of women’s satisfaction with care is needed. The aim of this study was to elicit the perspectives and experiences of Iraqi women about childbirth and postnatal care services. The study participants were a sample of 37 women of different educational and socioeconomic status wh...

Objectives: An episiotomy is one of the most common obstetric surgical procedures and is performed mainly by midwives. The decision to perform an episiotomy depends on related clinical factors. This study aimed to find out midwives' reasons for performing episiotomies and to identify the relationship between these reasons and the demographic chara...

Understanding women's experiences and perspectives of antenatal care services is particularly critical for enhancing effectiveness of services delivery and addressing women's needs and expectations. As part of a comprehensive assessment of the maternity care services in Iraq, this study aimed to explore the views and experiences of antenatal care i...

Background and objectives: Vaginal symptoms are among the most common reasons of visits in clinical practice, and occur frequently in women during their reproductive life, resulting very often in consulting an obstetrician or a gynecologist. The objectives of the study were finding out the proportion of women affected by abnormal vaginal signs and...

Background: Menstruation is episodic uterine bleeding in response to cyclic hormonal changes and lead to the following discomforts for the girls: a bloody discharge of the vagina, pains, abdominal bloating, headache, fatigue, breast tenderness, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, mood swings, irritability, and sweating which affect on school performanc...

The most common manifestation of pelvic floor dysfunction is urinary incontinence (UI) which affects 15-50% of adult women depending on the age and risk factors of the population studied. The aim of this study was to determine the probable risk factors associated with UI; the characteristics of women with UI; describe the types of UI, and determine...

Describe the spatial characteristics of body mass index (BMI) among women living in Erbil in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, Iraq.

Objective To describe the spatial patterns concerning BMI among women living in Kurdistan, Iraq. Methods Anthropometric and geographic data were collected by the researchers from a sample of 1023 women working and/or studying at the University of Salahhadin in Erbil, Iraq in the spring of 2010. Spatial relationships were examined concerning BMI. T...

To examine the nutritional status and determinants among women living in Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, Iraq.

Objective To examine the nutrition and spatial characteristics among women living in the Region of Kurdistan, Iraq. Methods Anthropometric, nutrition, geographic, socioeconomic, and activity data were collected from 1023 healthy women studying and/or working at the University of Salahhadin in Erbil, Iraq. Results Indicators of underweight were fo...

BACKGROUND Significant change has occurred concerning the political, economic, and social landscape within Iraq in the past thirty years. Kurdistan, while relatively isolated from the second Gulf War, has not been immune to the negative social and economic effects of continuing political upheaval. Throughout Iraq and Kurdistan, conflict has been a...

185 (‫طﺎﻟﺐ‬) 90 ‫و‬ ‫ﺳﺮوران‬ ‫ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ 95 ‫ﺑﺎوه‬ ‫ﺧﺠﮫ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﮭﯿﺪ‬ ‫ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ (‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻟﻠﻔﺘﺮة‬ 2 / 1 ‫ﻟﻐﺎﯾﮫ‬ ‫و‬ 30 / 8 / 2012. ‫و‬ ‫اﻷﺳﺌﻠﮫ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ‬ ‫ﺧﻼل‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬ ‫ﺟﻤﻊ‬ ‫ﺗﻢ‬ ‫ﺗﻢ‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻲ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺎﺣﺜﯿﻦ‬ ‫ﻗﺒﻞ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﺗﺼﻤﯿﻤﮭﺎ‬. ‫ﻏﯿﺮ‬ ‫اﻟﺤﺎﻻت‬ ‫و‬ ‫اﻟﺸﮭﺮﯾﮫ‬ ‫اﻟﺪورة‬ ‫ﺻﻔﺎت‬ ‫و‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻲ‬ ‫اﻻﻧﺠﺎز‬ ‫ﺑﯿﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﻼﻗﮫ‬ ‫ﻻﯾﺠﺎد‬ ‫ﺳﯿﻜﻮر‬ ‫ﻛﺎي‬ ‫اﺧ...

One of the important public health problems affecting maternal and child health is postpartum depression (PPD). It generally occurs within 6-8 weeks after childbirth. To determine the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) using a Kurdish version of Edinburgh postpartum depression scale (EPDS) and to analyze the risk factors for postpartum depre...

Abstract-The incidence of cesarean birth has increased dramatically in the last 25 years from less than 5% in 1965 to 22.9% in 2000. Maternal complications occur in 25% to 50% of cesarean births. So proper nursing care is a main factor in preventing and treating complications, after cesarean birth, especially when it is implemented according to nur...