scholarly journals The awareness of amblyopia among parents in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 251584141986810
Author(s):  
Ali M. Alsaqr ◽  
Ali M. Masmali
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Previous Knowledge ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Common Cause ◽  
The Media ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Eye Clinic

Purpose: Amblyopia is the most common cause of unilateral visual impairment. This study investigated parents’ awareness of amblyopia in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional population study. The survey consisted of two main sections; the first section contained 13 general background questions, and the second section (10 questions) focused on awareness of amblyopia, routine vision checks and how to raise awareness of amblyopia in the community. The survey was distributed to respondents using email and social media. Results: The responses of 1649 families were received. Respondents’ age range was from 22–62 years (mean ± standard deviation = 33.6 ± 8.7 years). Most respondents had no previous knowledge of amblyopia (1155 participants, 70%), and 313 participants (19%) had no idea if their children had amblyopia. In total, 990 participants (60%) did not visit the eye clinic with their children for a routine eye exam. A total of 495 parents (30%), who were aware of amblyopia, knew of it mainly from eye clinic visits and from Internet websites. A total of 140 respondents reported that their children had amblyopia; 58.3% of those children underwent routine eye examinations once a year, and the rest underwent routine eye examinations twice a year. Conclusion: The results clearly showed a lack of amblyopia awareness among the Saudi community. This lack of awareness can lead to visual impairment among children. More efficient efforts are urgently needed from health professionals, education centres, the media and social organizations to promote awareness of amblyopia.

Instagramming our way through public health communication: why and who is using it?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Vareda ◽  
T Garcia ◽  
J Rachadell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Healthy Lifestyles ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases

Abstract Background From disease prevention to health promotion, communication is key for Public Health (PH) practice and, according to the 9th Essential Public Health Operation its goal is to improve populations health literacy and capacity to access, understand and use information. Though social media is frequently presented as a potentially useful tool for PH communication, there is a lack of evidence about its effectiveness and impact on PH outcomes. This study researches Instagram® as a PH tool and aims to know who is using it, what content is shared on the platform and how much engagement there is. Methods This cross-sectional study regards information on 1000 Instagram® posts with the hashtags publichealth, publichealthpromotion, healthpromotion, publichealthmatters and publichealtheducation. Authors categorized post content and creators, and reviewed the number of likes and comments per post to determine engagement. Data analysis was performed on IBM SPSS® Statistics. Results The most common content categories were communicable diseases (n = 383), non-communicable diseases (n = 258) and healthy lifestyles (n = 143). Health professionals post more about communicable diseases (43,6%) and non-professionals about healthy lifestyles (36,1%). Non-professionals (n = 191) post about PH issues almost as much as health professionals (n = 220) and PH associations (n = 201). Most don't reference their sources (n = 821). Posts on communicable diseases have the most likes and comments per post (mean of 172 likes and 3,1 comments). Conclusions Half the Instagram® posts analysed in this study were made by health professionals or organizations. Communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and healthy lifestyles were the most frequent content categories and had the most engagement. The majority of posts didn't reference their sources. Though Instagram® seems to be a potential PH communication tool, further research is needed to confirm its benefits for PH. Key messages Social media platforms like Instagram® are potentially powerful tools for PH communication. There is a need to understand the efficacy of social media as health promotion tools.

scholarly journals Knowledge of non-healthcare individuals towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a cross-sectional study in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reema M. Alhussein ◽  
Mansoor M. Albarrak ◽  
Abdulaziz A. Alrabiah ◽  
Nawfal A. Aljerian ◽  
Hashim M. Bin Salleeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Riyadh City ◽  
Resuscitation Training ◽  
The Media

Abstract Background Most sudden cardiac arrests occur at home, with low rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation being performed. We aimed to assess knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among individuals in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, who are not involved in health care. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between January and February 2020 in 4 different areas in Riyadh City: North, South, East, and West. The participants were surveyed using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0 was used for inferential statistics and binary logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 856 participants completed the questionnaire, 51.8% were unaware of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Only 4.4% of the participants had attended a formal cardiopulmonary resuscitation training course, 5.1% were campaign attendees, and 38.7% acquired their experience through the media. Having a higher level of education was positively associated with having knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The main concern among attendees of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training courses and campaigns was legal issues, whereas inadequate knowledge was the major barrier for those who had learned about cardiopulmonary resuscitation through the media. Conclusion The level of knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among non-health care individuals in Riyadh City was found to be insufficient. Therefore, coordinated efforts among different authorities should be considered to implement a structured strategy aiming to increase awareness and knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among non-health care individuals.

scholarly journals The Lifestyle of Saudi Medical Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7869
Author(s):  
Khalid A. Bin Abdulrahman ◽  
Ahmad M. Khalaf ◽  
Fahad B. Bin Abbas ◽  
Omran T. Alanezi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Cross Sectional

This study was conducted to investigate medical students’ lifestyle habits, including sleep quality, eating and drinking patterns, physical activity, and social status. Method: This research project is part two of a multi-institutional cross-sectional observational study conducted among medical students from six medical colleges in Saudi Arabia between September and December 2019. Results: 675 medical students were enrolled electively into the lifestyle study. About half of this number were male students and the majority were aged 18–24 years. Most students (87.6%) slept between 4–8 h a day and over 44% were dissatisfied with their sleep. Only 28.1% had three meals a day; about 40% of them usually or always skipped breakfast. A total of 44% usually or always ate fast food and 44.7% drank 2 L of water per day. Moreover, male students were significantly consuming more fast food than females, p < 0.001. The majority (63.3%) revealed they usually or always drink black coffee daily. Females were significantly more inclined to regular coffee consumption than males, p < 0.001. Only 4.3% exercised for 30 min or more daily. The majority (65%) of the students were introverted; they had few close friends. Yet, 81% were somewhat satisfied or satisfied with their social life. Male students were significantly more satisfied with their social life than females, p = 0.001. Only 4.6% smoked cigarettes daily whereas 7.1% smoked e-cigarettes daily. In contrast, only 0.3% used shisha (hookah) daily. Male medical students were substantially more inclined to e-cigarette use than females (p < 0.001). The top five leisure activities of a medical student were surfing social media (75.9%), watching movies (61.3%), hanging out with friends (58.1%), spending time with their family (55.4%), and browsing the Internet (53.6%). Female medical students were significantly more inclined to surf social media than male medical students, p = 0.022; also, watching movies was preferred for females compared to males, p = 0.006. Conclusion: This study revealed that the majority of these medical students in Saudi Arabia exhibited healthy lifestyles to some extent, and these health-promoting behaviors differed based on sex, especially concerning physical activity and eating patterns. The findings of this study provide relevant information for future actions that will be geared towards effectively decreasing the occurrence of chronic illnesses and improving future doctors’ well-being.

The prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Dariyah, a rural community in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed Alghamdi ◽  
Godwin O. Ovenseri-Ogbomo
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Refractive Error ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Health Examination ◽  
Refractive Errors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Eye Examination

Background: Visual impairment is disproportionately distributed between rural and urban dwellers. Rural dwellers have limited access to the eye care services that are available in urban cities.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Dariyah, a rural community in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.Setting: This research comprised a population-based assessment of the vision and visual status of the inhabitants of Dariyah community.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted amongst the inhabitants of the community of Dariyah. A comprehensive eye examination consisting of visual acuity, ocular health examination, objective and subjective refraction was performed. The examinations were conducted by registered ophthalmologists and optometrists from the Qassim University. Vision impairments were categorised according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Section 9D90, ‘Vision impairment including blindness’ (2018).Results: In all, 68 (24.5%) participants had vision impairment (using the better-seeing eye), with refractive errors being the main cause of vision impairment. Other causes of vision impairment included cataract (20, 7.2%), trichiasis (5, 1.8%) and glaucoma (2, 0.7%). Refractive errors were present in 193 (69.7%), with astigmatism being the commonest refractive error. About 60% of those with refractive errors presented without spectacles for correction, and 20% reported that they had never had an eye examination. Refractive errors could not be determined in 19 (6.9%) of the subjects because of conditions such as matured cataract and other ocular abnormalities.Conclusion: Uncorrected refractive error was found to be the leading cause of vision impairment in this rural community in Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals A Study on the Rationale of Social Media Use by the Students of King Khalid University

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayed Salahuddin Ahmed ◽  
Abdulkhaleq Q. A. Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Smart Phone ◽  
Language Preference ◽  
Subject Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media

s not it deplorable that in a country that tops in the entire world in using several social media sites does not utilize the same media in acquiring knowledge and skills? In Saudi Arabia, undergraduate students spend a significant amount of time on social media every day, but they are reluctant (or not motivated enough) to use the same media for educational purposes. This study was carried out on the undergraduate English majors of King Khalid University in Muhayil Asir in Saudi Arabia. In the English department, every student carries at least one smart phone with Internet connection, and they are found occupied with their phones on the campus, sometimes even in classrooms, but they are weak both in subject knowledge and skills of English language. The teachers-cum-researchers were baffled with students’ competence because regular users of Internet and social media are supposed to be updated with the subject knowledge as well as confident in using English language. The researchers designed an empirical study to explore students’ rationale of using the social media and their language preference. The study concludes with gloomy findings that students use the media mainly for entertainment and ineffective communication in English language. The worst fact is: they are not motivated enough to use the social media for educational purposes.

scholarly journals Opinion of Healthcare Professionals in the Usage of Social Media for Patient Care in Majmaah, Saudi Arabia

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Syed Meraj Ahmed ◽  
Faisal Alhumaidi Alruways ◽  
Thamer Fahad Alsallum ◽  
Meshal Munahi Almutairi ◽  
Abdullah Saif Al-Subhi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Use Of Social Media

<span lang="EN-US">Use of social media for patient care is the new frontier in the healthcare indus-try. Sharing of information between the clinicians and their patients is now so much easier. In slowly gaining a foothold worldwide it needs a healthy push to make it universally accepta-ble. Study the knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthcare providers on the usage of social media in their clinical practice.</span><span lang="EN-US">A baseline cross – sectional study was conducted among 200 healthcare professionals from March 2015 to September 2015 on their knowledge, attitude, and practices in the use of social media for patient care in Majmaah, Saudi Arabia. A close ended self – administered validated questionnaire was used to gather data which was analyzed by using the SPSS ver. 21.0 software. 55.3% participants used social media for both professional and personal reasons. Some (25.3%) specified using it for patient care while a significant majority (52.9%) opined that it can be successfully used for patient interaction. Nearly 55% agreed that social media should not be banned due to its benefits as an efficient tool for patient communication. </span><span>S</span><span lang="EN-US">ocial media use for pa-tient doctor interaction should be encouraged to improve patient care through effective com-munication.</span>

scholarly journals Physical Activity and Attitudes Toward Social Media Use of Active Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mezna A. AlMarzooqi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Social Media Platforms

Background: Social media became an integral part of the lives of people because it encourages social relations and shares interests, activities, and real-life connections. As quarantine and lockdown orders are prolonged, many people, as well as those physically active individuals, typically responded to this stressful condition by using social media platforms.Objective: This study aimed to examine the level of physical activity of physically active individuals and their attitudes toward social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among physically active individuals in Saudi Arabia between June 2020 and July 2020. An online survey was employed among eligible participants who completed a self-administered questionnaire that covered reasons for physical activity and attitudes toward social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Of these 323 participants, 29.1% were in the age group of 18–24 years, 66.6% were women, and 67.8% were single. The proportion of participants whose metabolic equivalent of tasks-min/week from vigorous activity &lt;1,680 was 31.9%, and all of the participants follow people or pages in social media related to sports teams and fitness models. The average number of hours spent on social media per day was 2.95 ± 0.90 h. The majority of the participants showed positive attitudes toward social media used for exercise and physical activity. Of the eight variables, age, level of physical activity, and the average of hours spent on social media emerged as significant predictors of attitudes toward the use of social media (P &lt; 0.05).Conclusions: The present survey results indicate adverse consequences of home quarantine as reflected by a small proportion of participants who had differences in levels of vigorous activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Social media appears to be a key avenue to promote and disseminate health interventions to promote physical activity during this COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Ethnicity matters in perceived impacts and information sources of COVID-19 among mothers with young children in Australia: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. e050557
Author(s):  
Li Ming Wen ◽  
Huilan Xu ◽  
Danielle Jawad ◽  
Limin Buchanan ◽  
Chris Rissel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
English Speaking

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate perceived impacts, ways of communication with professionals and information sources related to COVID-19, and explore whether these impacts or information sources were associated with ethnicity that is, language spoken at home.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingSydney, Australia during the period from March to October 2020.ParticipantsMothers of young children participating in an existing trial.Outcome measuresMothers were asked to respond to a set of survey questions related to COVID-19 via telephone. The questions included a mental health scale, and how they communicated with health professionals and their information sources related to COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsOf 537 mothers who completed the survey (81% response rate), 45% reported they spoke a language other than English at home. Overall, 136 (26%) reported experiencing mental distress. 234 (44%) reported that COVID-19 affected the way they receive and communicate health-related information with health professionals, especially for those from non-English speaking backgrounds with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.58 (95% CI 1.10 to 2.27). They were less likely to use a face-to-face service (AOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.80) and more likely to use social media (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.40 to 3.17) for health-related information. Regarding sources of COVID-19-related information, mothers from non-English-speaking backgrounds were more likely to rely on family members (AOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.19) and social media (AOR 3.34, 95% CI 2.05 to 5.43).ConclusionsCOVID-19 has significantly impacted mothers with young children in regard to their mental health, means of communication with health professionals and sources of health information. Mothers from non-English-speaking communities were less likely to use a face-to-face service, and more likely to seek information from family members and social media. Appropriate health support for non-English-speaking community needs to take these factors into account.Trial registration numberANZCTR:12618001571268.they

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