BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a common problem with severe short and long-term consequences to the abused child, the family and to society. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of CSA, and demographic and other characteristics of the abused and their families.DESIGN AND SETTING:Retrospective and descriptive study based on a review of medical records of CSA cases from 2000-2009 at Sulmaniya Medical Complex, the main secondary and tertiary medical care facility in Bahrain.PATIENTS AND METHODS:The review included demographic data, child and family characteristics, manifestations and interventions.RESULTS:The 440 children diagnosed with CSA had a mean age of 8 years (range, 9 months to 17 years); 222 were males (50.5%) and 218 were females (49.5%). There was a steady increase in cases from 31 per year in 2000 to 77 cases in 2009. Children disclosed abuse in 26% of cases, while health sector professionals recognized 53% of the cases. Genital touching and fondling (62.5%) were the most common form of CSA, followed by sodomy in 39%. Gonorrhea was documented in 2% of the cases and pregnancy in 4% of the females. The illiteracy rate among the fathers and mothers was 9% and 12%, respectively, which is higher than the rate among the adult general population. Children came from all socio-economic classes. There was referral to police in 56%, public prosecution in 31% of the cases, but only 8% reached the court.CONCLUSION:During ten years there has been a 2.5% increase in reported cases of CSA. Improving the skill of professionals in identifying CSA indicators and a mandatory reporting law might be needed to improve the rate of recognition and referral of CSA cases. Further general population-based surveys are needed to determine more accurately the scope of CSA and the risk and protective factors in the family and community.

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Background: Vitamin D is vital for human health but its deficiency is worldwide. There is a gap in our knowledge about vitamin D status in Bahrain. Objective: To identify vitamin D status and associated risk factors among men in Bahrain. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Four public and four private maternity hospitals in Bahrain. Method: The study was carried out in the second and third weeks of April 2012. Three hundred sixty-four men (husbands of mothers who presented in labor) participated in the study. A questionnaire was administered and vitamin D level was measured in the blood. Bivariate and multiple linear regression analysis were used to evaluate differences between variables. P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Result: The mean age ± SD was 34.40 ± 7.27 years. Vitamin D mean level ± SD was 46.14 ± 12.80 nmol/L. Vitamin D level was <50 nmol/L in 233 (64%) men. The following variables showed significant association with vitamin D deficiency: high income (P-value 0.020), smoking (P-value 0.021), lack of sun exposure (P-value 0.001) and high body mass index (Pvalue 0.022). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is common among men in Bahrain. High income, lack of sun exposure and high BMI were significant and independent predictors of low vitamin D level. There is a need for population-based study in a randomly selected sample which includes all age groups and both genders.

To improve the understanding of child physical abuse, assess its magnitude, and identify the presentations and the characteristics of the victims, their families and the offenders, we carried out a retrospective review of 237 child physical abuse cases evaluated over 10 years (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009) in a tertiary hospital in Bahrain. Mean age of the children was 7 years, 58% were males. The annual number of reported cases increased from 11 in 2000 to 54 in 2009. Skin manifestations were seen in 59.0%, fractures in 10.5% and head injuries in 9.7%. The perpetrators were adults (89%), males (64%) and known to the child (98%). Referral to law enforcement was made in 48% of the cases. About 10% of the children were removed from the abusive environment. The increase in reported cases of child physical abuse calls for strengthening of child protection services. RÉSUMÉ Pour accroître les connaissances sur la violence physique infligée à l'enfant, évaluer l'ampleur du phénomène, relever les présentations des victimes et les caractéristiques de ces dernières ainsi que celles de leur famille et des agresseurs, nous avons mené un examen rétrospectif de 237 cas de violence physique infligés à l'enfant, évalués sur dix ans (2000-2009) dans un hôpital de soins tertiaires à Bahreïn. L'âge moyen des enfants était sept ans, et 58 % étaient de sexe masculin. Le nombre annuel de cas notifiés est passé de 11 en 2000 à 54 en 2009. Des manifestations cutanées ont été observées dans 59,0 % des cas, des fractures dans 10,5 % des cas et des blessures à la tête dans 9,7 %. Les agresseurs étaient des adultes (89 %), de sexe masculin (64 %) et étaient connus de l'enfant (98 %). La police a été contactée dans 48 % des cas. Environ 10 % des enfants ont été soustraits de l'environnement violent où ils vivaient. L'augmentation des cas notifiés de violence physique infligée à l'enfant appelle un renforcement des services de protection en la matière.