scholarly journals Knowledge and practice regarding prevention of COVID-19 among the Saudi Arabian population

Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 767-775
Author(s):  
Ammar Ahmed Siddiqui ◽  
Freah Alshammary ◽  
Junaid Amin ◽  
Hassaan Anwer Rathore ◽  
Ibne Hassan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
The Body ◽  
World Health ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Knowledge And Practice ◽  
The Government ◽  
Arabian Population

BACKGROUND: Prevention is the best way to manage a pandemic like COVID-19. The World Health Organization has issued public advice to create awareness by providing people knowledge to prevent/protect them from COVID-19. Hence, the present study was planned to assess knowledge of prevention and its practical use amongst samples from the Saudi Arabian population. It can be used to bring awareness among the masses not only in expanding their knowledge about COVID-19 but also on how to enforce a practicing behavior in relation to the prevention of COVID-19. The study is among the pioneer studies on the issue related to knowledge and practice of the prevention of COVID-19 among Saudis and foreign nationals residing in Saudi Arabia. OBJECTIVE: The prime objective of this study is to examine the existence of knowledge among the Saudi and non-Saudi nationals about COVID-19 and its impact on their behavior to practice the protocols to prevent the disastrous infection of COVID-19. This study has also examined how the residents in Saudi Arabia react to the methods and protection measures adopted by the government for their dominions to eradicate the spread of COVID-19. METHODS: The study used a survey-based methodology and data was collected from Saudi nationals as well as expatriates living and working in five different regions of Saudi Arabia. Non-probability snowball sampling was used to reach and select the population of the current study. A self-designed, structured, and validated questionnaire was electronically distributed among the respondents. SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the data of the current study. RESULTS: Out of the 443 respondents, 356 respondents (84%) knew they had to wash their hands for 20 seconds and did this as well, 303 respondents (75%) knew that sneezing or coughing into the arm/elbow can prevent the spread of COVID-19 and were doing this as well, 357 respondents (82%) knew that COVID-19 can be transferred by shaking hands and avoided this, 333 respondents (79%) knew that they had to maintain a safe distance of at least one meter and kept this distance, 315 respondents (76%) knew that touching one’s face can transfer the virus and avoid this, and 414 respondents (95%) knew that staying at home can decrease the chances of getting infected. The relationship between different regions and most of the knowledge-based and practice-based questions was significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Results reveal that there is a significant relationship between knowledge and practice, but the strength of association is weak. It was found that knowledge and practice of COVID-19 was followed differently in the five regions of Saudi Arabia and the level of education of the respondents influenced their choice of practice to protect themselves from the effects of COVID-19. The study has contributed in the body of literature by examining the inter-relationship between knowledge and practice and their use in prevention of COVID-19 among the Saudi population.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Germophobia Questionnaire in Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-316
Author(s):  
Seyed Mohammadreza Alavizadeh ◽  
◽  
Mojgan Sepahmansour ◽  
Somaye Entezari ◽  
Mohammadreza Seirafi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The World ◽  
Valid Instrument ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Study Participants

Objective: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has recently been identified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The outbreak of the disease has caused numerous individuals around the world to become extremely frightened and subsequently present the signs of phobia. Fear is the basic emotion of anxiety disorders and individuals cope with their emotions by different strategies. The present study aimed at developing and validating Emotion Regulation Strategies for Germophobia Questionnaire (ERS-GPQ). Methods: The study participants were 99 individuals (74 females) of the Iranian population with concerns about germs who were selected with the snowball sampling method. They completed the ERS-GPQ and GPQ in the Google Forms platform. Results: The present study results illustrated that the ERS-GPQ has acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (a=0.61), reliability coefficients with split-half (0.70), and one-week test-retest (0.92); the ERS-GPQ also presented a moderate positive correlation with the contamination obsessions checklist of GPQ (r=0.44) as the convergent coefficient. Besides, the confirmatory factor analysis indicated 2 factors of the ERS-GPQ. Finally, the ERS-GPQ has 2 components with good convergent and discriminate validities and composite reliability. Conclusion: Based on the current research findings, the ERS-GPQ has acceptable and good psychometric properties; researchers can use the ERS-GPQ as a reliable and valid instrument for assessing ER strategies concerning germophobia. Furthermore, it has some considerations for practitioners in epidemic and pandemic crises, like COVID-19.

scholarly journals Prevalence of physical inactivity in Saudi Arabia: a brief review

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 663-670
Author(s):  
H. M. Al Hazzaa
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Arabian Population ◽  
Heart Disease Risk

Major lifestyle changes in recent years in Saudi Arabia may be leading to physical inactivity and a low level of physical fitness. This paper reviews the current literature about physical inactivity in the Saudi Arabian population and discusses its implications for health. Available data from a small number of studies suggests a high prevalence [43.3%-99.5%] of physical inactivity among Saudi children and adults alike. Furthermore, the proportion of Saudi children and adults who are at risk due to inactivity is much higher than for any other coronary heart disease risk factor. It is recommended that a national policy encouraging activity in daily life be established and more studies are carried out to address physical activity patterns with representative samples of the Saudi Arabian population

scholarly journals The Effects of Self-Esteem and Influence of Friends via Social Media on Body Image Amongst Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Arman Hj Ahmad ◽  
Izian Idris ◽  
Regina Moy Li Jing
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Theoretical Implication ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Body ◽  
The Self ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Comparison Theory ◽  
The Government

Introduction: With the rise and fall of many communication platforms embedded into our everyday lives and the on-going maturity of the digitalization era, social media usage has tremendously increased over the past decade. The purpose of this research is to identify to what extent self-esteem and the influence of friends’ impact children's perception of their body image through social media and how powerful social media in influencing the body image of children.Methodology: The theoretical implication of this study is to expand the usage of Signalling theory, Sociocultural theory and Social Comparison theory towards better explaining children’s behaviours and the factors that impact children view of their body image. 282 children were recruited using the snowball sampling technique and data collected were analysed using Smart-PLS to see the impacts and relationship between all variables.Results: This study found that the self-esteem and friends do impacts body comparison on social media. However, the self-esteem is negatively correlated. The study also identified that there is a significance direct relationship between the direct impacts of self-esteem and friends towards the body image. On the other hand, the social media is found to have no direct impact on body image.Conclusion/- and Recommendations: This study provides a better insight for the government on the importance of regulation of advertisements particularly via social media and for the society at large to create a more socially supportive environment for adolescents to communicate and help them grow their mind-set on the acceptable and realistic standards of beauty as well as contributes to the existing knowledge on the role of social media and adds knowledge to how powerful social media in giving impacts to body image among adolescences.

scholarly journals Hand Hygiene Knowledge and Perception among the Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Qassim, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1627
Author(s):  
Adil Abalkhail ◽  
Ilias Mahmud ◽  
Fahad A. Alhumaydhi ◽  
Thamer Alslamah ◽  
Ameen S. S. Alwashmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Government ◽  
Health Organization

Hand hygiene is among the most important factors of infection control in healthcare settings. Healthcare workers are the primary source of hospital-acquired infection. We assessed the current state of hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practice among the healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, we used the hand hygiene knowledge and perception questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Knowledge and perceptions were classified into good (80–100%), moderate (60–79%), and poor (<60% score). The majority of the healthcare workers had moderate knowledge (57.8%) and perception (73.4%) of hand hygiene. Males were less likely to have moderate/good knowledge compared to females (OR: 0.52, p < 0.05). Private healthcare workers were less likely (OR: 0.33, p < 0.01) to have moderate/good perceptions compared to the government healthcare workers. Healthcare workers who received training on hand hygiene were more likely to have good/moderate perception (OR: 3.2, p < 0.05) and to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs (OR: 3.8, p < 0.05) than the ones without such training. Physicians are more likely (OR: 4.9, p < 0.05) to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs than technicians. Our research highlighted gaps in hand hygiene knowledge, perception and practice among healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia and the importance of training in this regard.

m-Government Adoption in Saudi Arabia

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-68
Author(s):  
Anan Alssbaiheen ◽  
Steve Love
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
High Level ◽  
Arabian Population

This study analyzed the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of mobile government services in Saudi Arabia. By collecting data through surveys from citizens and employees in Saudi Arabia, this study shows that the high level of mobile penetration in the country offers an opportunity for Saudi Arabian government to offer mobile government services in the country. The results suggest that although a large percentage of population does not have access to mobile technologies, there is still a strong desire among users for the provision of mobile government services. The effective implementation of mobile government services would enhance the technological development in Saudi Arabia. However, there exist certain challenges. Sufficient level of understanding among the Saudi Arabian population about the benefits of mobile government services is lacking. There is lack of the customization of mobile government services and lack of access to mobile technologies would be a challenge.

scholarly journals Perceptions and Preventive Practices Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak and Oral Health Care Perceptions during the Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Survey from Saudi Arabia

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 959
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alassaf ◽  
Basim Almulhim ◽  
Sara Ayid Alghamdi ◽  
Sreekanth Kumar Mallineni
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Oral Health Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Preventive Practice ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Arabian Population ◽  
Source Of Information

Aims: The study aimed to evaluate perceptions and preventive practices regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and oral health care perceptions during the lockdown in the Saudi Arabian population. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was performed by collecting the data from individuals belonging to various parts of the Saudi Arabian Population through an online self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire had two main parts: first comprised of demographic data include the region of residence, gender, nationality, age, the number of family members, monthly income of the family, and the second was further divided into three sections of perception (P), practice (PRA) and oral health care practice (D) questions. All these (P, PRA, and D) were analyzed by comparing all of the demographic characteristics. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS IBM (version 21.0), and statistical significance was set at a 5% level. Results: Overall, 2013 participants (54% males and 46% females) contributed to the Saudi Arabia study. Only 5% of non-Saudis live in Saudi Arabia were participated in the study, while the majority of participants were of 21–40 years age group (45%), 59% of having more than five family members, and 60% of them had ≤10 K Suadi riyal monthly income respectively. The majority of the participants were from Riyadh (33.7%) and Asir (25.1%) in the study. Overall, 89.5% of the participants were aware of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The majority of the participants (55%) from Saudi Arabia utilized the Ministry of Health website, a source of information regarding COVID-19. However, 56.5% of the participants had COVID-19 related perception, and 74.3% followed an appropriate preventive practice. Approximately 60% had good oral health practice. The study participants showed mixed opinions on perceptions regarding COVID-19, preventive practice, and oral health practices. Conclusion: The present study suggested that the Saudi Arabian population has good attention to COVID-19, but preventive practice and oral health perception need better awareness to control this novel virus spread. The Ministry of Health website utilized as a significant source of information among the Saudi Arabian population regarding COVID-19.

scholarly journals Psychosocial effects of social media on the Saudi society during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248811
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ahmed Hammad ◽  
Turki Mahdi Alqarni
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Government ◽  
Anxiety Depression

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been posing a substantial challenge to human survival and well-being, which rely on the actions and behaviors of individuals. It is essential that accurate information is distributed; however, misinformation has been spread via social media. Consequently, the resulting panic has to be addressed while putting essential public health measures in place. It is also important to explore the link between the social media exposure and well-being. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to identify the levels of anxiety, depression, and social isolation among individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we explored the relationship between exposure to misleading social media news and anxiety, depression, and social isolation. A cross sectional design was employed to collect data from 371 Saudi participants (aged 16–60 years), using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Results showed that the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and social isolation was 47.82%, 47.57%, and 46.42%, respectively. Further, more than 83% of the participants reported using social media frequently during the pandemic. We found that exposure to misinformation via social media has a significant positive relationship with anxiety, depression, and social isolation. However, Due to the cross-sectional nature of this study it cannot be determined whether social media causes negative mental health outcomes, or if individuals experiencing greater depression, anxiety and social isolation turn to social media more than others, or if some third variable might explain both. Based on our findings, we present specific suggestions related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the government of Saudi Arabia. Minoring and filtering out misleading information with the cooperation of the World Health Organization (WHO) can promote the spread of accurate news in Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals Pathologists’ Perceptions Regarding Oropharyngeal Specimens during Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
The Body ◽  
World Health ◽  
P Value ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Laboratory Design ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Academic Faculty ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Training

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic effected individuals worldwide. A significant number of specimens examined by pathologists are obtained from oropharyngeal region containing a highly viral titer along with increased preference of the virus to these tissues compared to other areas of the body requiring. The need of knowledge, attitudes such as appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) along with discarding of samples and adherence to protocols while dealing with these samples is necessary. Therefore, we aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of oral pathologists pertaining to modifications in laboratory protocols issued by various international organizations. Methods: A validated questionnaire with 22 close-ended questions was given to academic faculty, practicing pathologists and trainees of the pathology department working in a government institute (n=37). Statistics were applied and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In this study 16 (73.7%) of the individuals were found to be well aware of the possible modifications in protocols. In addition, 12 (50%) pathologists recommended the use of complete PPE while performing various procedures. Furthermore, 15 (68.2%) individuals were satisfied with their laboratory design and training to combat the possible risks of the disease. p value was found to be 0.50, which shows an insignificant association between pathologists and laboratory practices. Conclusion: The results of the study can be considered satisfactory as they indicate that 16(73.7%) pathologists dealing with oropharyngeal specimens are aware of the modified guidelines regarding laboratory protocols, handling of specimens, architecture and personal protective equipment provided by organizations such as Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization. Keywords: Covid-19 Pandemic; Pathologists; Laboratory.

scholarly journals Exploring the risk of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome- coronavirus among expatriate healthcare workers. A comparative epidemiological study of Saudi Arabian and South Korean healthcare workers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Owais Qureshi ◽  
Abrar Chughtai ◽  
Holly Seale
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
World Health ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Abstract Background In comparison to South Korea, which was able to contain the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus (MERS-CoV) in 2015, new cases are still emerging in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian healthcare sector, which is dependent on the expatriate workforce to cater to its growing local healthcare demands, has been reporting multiple healthcare-associated MERS-CoV outbreaks since 2012. In this paper, we compare the epidemiology of MERS-CoV among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia and South Korea and to ascertain the risks of MERS-CoV among expatriate HCWs. Methods Data were collected from publicly available resources such as World Health Organization and health department websites. A line list of all reported cases of MERS-CoV among HCWs in Saudi Arabia and South Korea was prepared and analysed. Results Among the total infected HCWs in Saudi Arabia, 84.6% (n=192/227) were expatriates. The mean age of infected HCWs in both settings was similar (Saudi Arabia 38 years, South Korea 39 years). Female HCWs were more likely to be infected, while male HCWs were more likely to die. In Saudi Arabia, 36.5% (n= 68/186) of HCWs with MERS-CoV were asymptomatic, compared to 7% (n=2/28) HCWs in South Korea. Most of the expatriate HCWs in Saudi Arabia were asymptomatic (78%, n=53/68) to MERS-CoV. Unlike South Korea, in Saudi Arabia, a diversity of HCWs other than doctors, and nurses were also infected with MERS-CoV. Conclusions A high proportion of expatriate HCWs were infected with MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia which highlights the need for adequate training and education in this group about emerging infectious diseases and the appropriate strategies to prevent acquisition. Also, we did not find any policy statements restricting the contact of HCWs, vulnerable to MERS-CoV like pregnant HCW, HCWs over the age 60, HCWs with underlying comorbidity etc, from getting in proximity with a suspected or potential MERS-CoV infected patient. Policy development in this regard should be a priority, to contain healthcare-associated transmission of emerging and remerging infectious diseases like MERS-CoV. Further studies should be conducted to determine social, cultural and other factors contributing to high infection rate among expatriate HCWs.

scholarly journals Diabetes telemedicine clinic implementation during the COVID-19 virus outbreak in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
Eman Sheshah ◽  
Khalid Kelis ◽  
Najim Abdulwahid ◽  
Nahla Alswaied ◽  
Reem Aman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
World Health ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Type 2 Diabetic Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medicine Clinic ◽  
Study Results

Background: Saudi Arabia implemented a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the COVID-19 after a global pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization. Diabetes patients are one of the most vulnerable chronic illness groups to the complications of COVID-19 virus, thus the necessary to implement a tele-medicine clinic during the lockdown. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study, the study was done during the period from October to December 2020. We used convenience sampling to select participants who attended the clinics of the Diabetes Care Center at King Salman Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 375 patients participated in the study. Results: The study included 375 participants around 60% were female participants. The age of almost one-third of them (33.9%) ranged between 51 and 60 years. Most of the participants were type 2 diabetic patients (85.3%), and lived in Riyadh city (97.6%). Vast majority of participants (99.5%) were follow-up patients and reported telemedicine visit by physicians (98.9%). Patients’ satisfaction questions showed that majority of the participants either strongly agreed or agreed with the statements that they were satisfied with the quality of the audio during the virtual visit (92%), use of telemedicine was essential in maintaining health during the COVID-19 outbreak (90.1%), the quality of the medical care provided during the virtual visit (88.3%), the clarity of the management plan discussed with the heath care practitioner during the virtual visit (87.7%), the tele-medicine visit was as good as a regular in person visit (81.5%). Also, majority of the participants recommend making diabetes tele-medicine clinic as an available option for patients with diabetes after the COVID-19 outbreak is over (81.5%). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has urged the transition from in person clinical visits to tele-medicine clinics and showed that it is feasible and effective to have the option of tele-medicine for diabetes clinics in Saudi Arabia. The majority of diabetic patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the tele-medicine clinic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document