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Article History

Received: 28 July 2025

Accepted: 18 November 2025

First Online: 15 December 2025

Declarations

:

: This research received ethical clearance from the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the National Research Centre, Egypt (Registration No. 13060178-2). Prior to participation, informed consent was obtained from all individuals or their legal guardians. For participants unable to provide a written signature, consent was documented using a right thumbprint, in accordance with the committee’s approved procedures. Participation was strictly voluntary, with all participants clearly informed of their right to withdraw at any time without any repercussions. To maintain confidentiality, data were anonymized by removing all personally identifiable information and securely stored in de-identified form. The study adhered to the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and complied with the 2016 Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) guidelines on biomedical research ethics [ ]. Special attention was given to ensuring participants’ comprehension of the study's objectives and procedures, aligning with culturally relevant ethical practices previously reported in Egyptian populations [ ].

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.