Samar Al‐hajj
Biographic Data
| ID | 362640 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Samar Al‐hajj |
| GIVEN NAMES | Samar |
| FAMILY NAME | Al‐hajj |
| SIGNATURE | AL HAJJ S |
| AFFILIATIONS | American University of Beirut |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4736-021X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Play as nostalgic reminiscence and escapism during the 2024 war on Lebanon: The meaning of play to internally displaced children through art and memory
Given surges worldwide in displacement occurring in part due to armed conflict, it is imperative to explore the meaning of play for internally displaced children, to identify opportunities for them to be safe, happy, and connected to their communities at times of emotional and physical turmoil. Despite this need, their voices are rarely included in research. To contribute to addressing this gap, we conducted arts-based interviews with 27 children…
Patient characteristics and interventions at a trauma stabilization point in Gaza– a retrospective analysis
BACKGROUND: Timely prehospital care is essential in preventing trauma‐related deaths in conflict settings, yet civilian systems often lack the capacity for rapid stabilization and evacuation. Trauma Stabilization Points (TSPs), adapted from military models, have been introduced in Gaza to provide forward‐deployed triage and stabilization. This study describes patient characteristics, clinical presentations, interventions, and outcomes at a TSP op…
Challenges and management of venomous bites and scorpion stings in Lebanon: A qualitative study
Background: Snakebites and scorpion stings are significant public health issues globally, particularly in the Middle East. This qualitative study investigates the management of these incidents in Lebanon by exploring the perceptions of healthcare providers and public health experts. Methods: Thematic analysis, guided by sociocultural theory, examined qualitative data from 17 interviews with healthcare providers, including emergency physicians, pa…
Injury morbidity and mortality during conflict: Evidence from the 2024 war on lebanon
The study highlights the immense human toll of the 2024 conflict in Lebanon on a population already crippled with economic crises and a fragile healthcare system. While vulnerable populations including women and children were heavily impacted, many blast victims were reported dead before hospital arrival due to limited access to timely care and the targeting of healthcare infrastructure. The findings underscore the violations of international hum…
Occupational injury severity among healthcare workers: A retrospective study
This study highlighted significant determinants of injury severity among HCWs, emphasizing the critical need for targeted interventions for individuals at risk. Implementing comprehensive safety and wellness programs can enhance the overall health and safety of HCWs in high-stress environments
Retheorising 'Risky' Play in a Global Context: Addressing the Safety Needs of Refugee and Displaced Families
A wealth of scholarship demonstrates the developmental benefits of risky play for children. However, this scholarship has overwhelmingly focused on the experiences of children and their caregivers from Euro-Western nations. It is imperative to explore child and caregiver perspectives on child risk, injury and play in communities where children experience a disproportionate burden of injuries resulting from play such as in refugee communities. For…
The impact of posttraumatic stress disorder and head injury on reactive and appetitive aggression in adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon
PTSD and head injury are independent risk factors for reactive aggression but not appetitive aggression in Syrian refugees in Lebanon, while the severity of somatic symptoms is an independent risk factor for both reactive and appetitive aggression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural assimilation of adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon: Effect modification by religiosity and sex on the relation between cultural adversities and common mental health disorders
Religiosity and sex are effect modifiers of the associations between cultural adversities and CMHDs. Religious and spiritual interventions in mental health care should be adopted in refugee settings. Moreover, there is an urgent need for capacity-building initiatives addressing social determinants of mental health among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Physical injuries and burns among refugees in Lebanon: Implications for programs and policies
Refugees severely suffer from injuries and burns, causing substantial human and economic repercussions on the affected individuals, their families, and the host healthcare system. Resources should be allocated toward designing safe camps as well as implementing educational awareness campaigns specifically focusing on teaching about heating and cooking safety practices
Community Fire Risk Reduction: Longitudinal Assessment for HomeSafe Fire Prevention Program in Canada
(1) Background: Residential fires represent the third leading cause of unintentional injuries globally. This study aims to offer an overview and a longitudinal evaluation of the HomeSafe program implemented in Surrey in 2008 and to assess its effectiveness in mitigating fire-related outcomes. (2) Methods: Data were collected over a 12-year period (2008-2019). Assessed outcomes comprised frequency of fire incidents, residential fires, casualties, …
Factors affecting road safety compliance in a low- and middle-income country: An observational study from Lebanon
Road traffic injury is a major public health problem in Lebanon. This study aims to assess compliance with safety measures including seatbelt and helmet use in adults and children, and the prevalence of distracted driving among road users across Lebanon different governorates. It further aims to investigate predictors of compliance with seatbelt and helmet use. A cross-sectional observational field study was conducted at multiple governorates in …
Beirut Ammonium Nitrate Blast: Analysis, Review, and Recommendations
A massive chemical detonation occurred on August 4, 2020 in the Port of Beirut, Lebanon. An uncontrolled fire in an adjacent warehouse ignited ~2,750 tons of Ammonium Nitrate (AN), producing one of the most devastating blasts in recent history. The blast supersonic pressure and heat wave claimed the lives of 220 people and injured more than 6,500 instantaneously, with severe damage to the nearby dense residential and commercial areas. This review…
Physical trauma and injury: A multi-center study comparing local residents and refugees in Lebanon
BACKGROUND: Refugees are susceptible to various types of injury mechanisms associated with their dire living conditions and settlements. This study aims to compare and characterize the emergency department admissions due to physical trauma and injuries among local residents and refugees in greater Beirut. METHODS: This epidemiological study analyzes injury incidence and characteristics of patients presenting to Emergency Departments of 5 sentinel…
Hospital disaster and emergency preparedness (HDEP) in Lebanon: A national comprehensive assessment
Analyzing Factors Associated with Fatal Road Crashes: A Machine Learning Approach
Road traffic injury accounts for a substantial human and economic burden globally. Understanding risk factors contributing to fatal injuries is of paramount importance. In this study, we proposed a model that adopts a hybrid ensemble machine learning classifier structured from sequential minimal optimization and decision trees to identify risk factors contributing to fatal road injuries. The model was constructed, trained, tested, and validated u…
Child and adolescent injury burden in the eastern mediterranean region: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 1990-2017
Almost 19% of global child injury related deaths occur in the EMR. Concerted efforts should be integrated to inform policies and adopt injury preventive strategies to reduce injury burden and promote child and adolescent health and well-being in EMR countries
Collaborative Visual Analytics: A Health Analytics Approach to Injury Prevention
Background : Accurate understanding of complex health data is critical in order to deal with wicked health problems and make timely decisions. Wicked problems refer to ill-structured and dynamic problems that combine multidimensional elements, which often preclude the conventional problem solving approach. This pilot study introduces visual analytics (VA) methods to multi-stakeholder decision-making sessions about child injury prevention; Methods…
The Canadian Atlas of Child and Youth Injury: Mobilizing Injury Surveillance Data to Launch a National Knowledge Translation Tool
Child and youth injury prevention research in Canada has lagged behind other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations, despite existing surveillance systems and longitudinal data. A critical need to improve access to the available data, as well as need to tailor its display and interpretation, was identified by injury prevention stakeholders involved in research, policy, and practice. The Canadian Atlas of Child and Youth In…
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Collaborative Visual Analytics: A Health Analytics Approach to Injury Prevention
Background : Accurate understanding of complex health data is critical in order to deal with wicked health problems and make timely decisions. Wicked problems refer to ill-structured and dynamic problems that combine multidimensional elements, which often preclude the conventional problem solving approach. This pilot study introduces visual analytics (VA) methods to multi-stakeholder decision-making sessions about child injury prevention; Methods…
The Canadian Atlas of Child and Youth Injury: Mobilizing Injury Surveillance Data to Launch a National Knowledge Translation Tool
Child and youth injury prevention research in Canada has lagged behind other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations, despite existing surveillance systems and longitudinal data. A critical need to improve access to the available data, as well as need to tailor its display and interpretation, was identified by injury prevention stakeholders involved in research, policy, and practice. The Canadian Atlas of Child and Youth In…
Hospital disaster and emergency preparedness (HDEP) in Lebanon: A national comprehensive assessment
Analyzing Factors Associated with Fatal Road Crashes: A Machine Learning Approach
Road traffic injury accounts for a substantial human and economic burden globally. Understanding risk factors contributing to fatal injuries is of paramount importance. In this study, we proposed a model that adopts a hybrid ensemble machine learning classifier structured from sequential minimal optimization and decision trees to identify risk factors contributing to fatal road injuries. The model was constructed, trained, tested, and validated u…
Child and adolescent injury burden in the eastern mediterranean region: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 1990-2017
Almost 19% of global child injury related deaths occur in the EMR. Concerted efforts should be integrated to inform policies and adopt injury preventive strategies to reduce injury burden and promote child and adolescent health and well-being in EMR countries
Beirut Ammonium Nitrate Blast: Analysis, Review, and Recommendations
A massive chemical detonation occurred on August 4, 2020 in the Port of Beirut, Lebanon. An uncontrolled fire in an adjacent warehouse ignited ~2,750 tons of Ammonium Nitrate (AN), producing one of the most devastating blasts in recent history. The blast supersonic pressure and heat wave claimed the lives of 220 people and injured more than 6,500 instantaneously, with severe damage to the nearby dense residential and commercial areas. This review…
Physical trauma and injury: A multi-center study comparing local residents and refugees in Lebanon
BACKGROUND: Refugees are susceptible to various types of injury mechanisms associated with their dire living conditions and settlements. This study aims to compare and characterize the emergency department admissions due to physical trauma and injuries among local residents and refugees in greater Beirut. METHODS: This epidemiological study analyzes injury incidence and characteristics of patients presenting to Emergency Departments of 5 sentinel…
Factors affecting road safety compliance in a low- and middle-income country: An observational study from Lebanon
Road traffic injury is a major public health problem in Lebanon. This study aims to assess compliance with safety measures including seatbelt and helmet use in adults and children, and the prevalence of distracted driving among road users across Lebanon different governorates. It further aims to investigate predictors of compliance with seatbelt and helmet use. A cross-sectional observational field study was conducted at multiple governorates in …
Physical injuries and burns among refugees in Lebanon: Implications for programs and policies
Refugees severely suffer from injuries and burns, causing substantial human and economic repercussions on the affected individuals, their families, and the host healthcare system. Resources should be allocated toward designing safe camps as well as implementing educational awareness campaigns specifically focusing on teaching about heating and cooking safety practices
Community Fire Risk Reduction: Longitudinal Assessment for HomeSafe Fire Prevention Program in Canada
(1) Background: Residential fires represent the third leading cause of unintentional injuries globally. This study aims to offer an overview and a longitudinal evaluation of the HomeSafe program implemented in Surrey in 2008 and to assess its effectiveness in mitigating fire-related outcomes. (2) Methods: Data were collected over a 12-year period (2008-2019). Assessed outcomes comprised frequency of fire incidents, residential fires, casualties, …
The impact of posttraumatic stress disorder and head injury on reactive and appetitive aggression in adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon
PTSD and head injury are independent risk factors for reactive aggression but not appetitive aggression in Syrian refugees in Lebanon, while the severity of somatic symptoms is an independent risk factor for both reactive and appetitive aggression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural assimilation of adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon: Effect modification by religiosity and sex on the relation between cultural adversities and common mental health disorders
Religiosity and sex are effect modifiers of the associations between cultural adversities and CMHDs. Religious and spiritual interventions in mental health care should be adopted in refugee settings. Moreover, there is an urgent need for capacity-building initiatives addressing social determinants of mental health among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Challenges and management of venomous bites and scorpion stings in Lebanon: A qualitative study
Background: Snakebites and scorpion stings are significant public health issues globally, particularly in the Middle East. This qualitative study investigates the management of these incidents in Lebanon by exploring the perceptions of healthcare providers and public health experts. Methods: Thematic analysis, guided by sociocultural theory, examined qualitative data from 17 interviews with healthcare providers, including emergency physicians, pa…
Injury morbidity and mortality during conflict: Evidence from the 2024 war on lebanon
The study highlights the immense human toll of the 2024 conflict in Lebanon on a population already crippled with economic crises and a fragile healthcare system. While vulnerable populations including women and children were heavily impacted, many blast victims were reported dead before hospital arrival due to limited access to timely care and the targeting of healthcare infrastructure. The findings underscore the violations of international hum…
Occupational injury severity among healthcare workers: A retrospective study
This study highlighted significant determinants of injury severity among HCWs, emphasizing the critical need for targeted interventions for individuals at risk. Implementing comprehensive safety and wellness programs can enhance the overall health and safety of HCWs in high-stress environments
Retheorising 'Risky' Play in a Global Context: Addressing the Safety Needs of Refugee and Displaced Families
A wealth of scholarship demonstrates the developmental benefits of risky play for children. However, this scholarship has overwhelmingly focused on the experiences of children and their caregivers from Euro-Western nations. It is imperative to explore child and caregiver perspectives on child risk, injury and play in communities where children experience a disproportionate burden of injuries resulting from play such as in refugee communities. For…
Play as nostalgic reminiscence and escapism during the 2024 war on Lebanon: The meaning of play to internally displaced children through art and memory
Given surges worldwide in displacement occurring in part due to armed conflict, it is imperative to explore the meaning of play for internally displaced children, to identify opportunities for them to be safe, happy, and connected to their communities at times of emotional and physical turmoil. Despite this need, their voices are rarely included in research. To contribute to addressing this gap, we conducted arts-based interviews with 27 children…
Patient characteristics and interventions at a trauma stabilization point in Gaza– a retrospective analysis
BACKGROUND: Timely prehospital care is essential in preventing trauma‐related deaths in conflict settings, yet civilian systems often lack the capacity for rapid stabilization and evacuation. Trauma Stabilization Points (TSPs), adapted from military models, have been introduced in Gaza to provide forward‐deployed triage and stabilization. This study describes patient characteristics, clinical presentations, interventions, and outcomes at a TSP op…
Medicine (13 works) · Poison control (9 works) · Environmental health (8 works) · Injury Epidemiology and Prevention (7 works) · Injury prevention (7 works) · Occupational safety and health (7 works) · Medical emergency (6 works) · Trauma and Emergency Care Studies (6 works) · Migration, Health and Trauma (5 works) · Political science (5 works)