scholarly journals Stigma Related to COVID-19 Positive Patients in Jeddah – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during 2020 Pandemic

Author(s):  
Ali Alawi Milibary ◽  
Najlaa Ahmed Mandoura

Background: COVID-19 has contributed to the development of stigma in the community of Jeddah, thus causing negative attitudes and beliefs toward individuals linked to the disease. Objective: To describe stigma related to COVID-19 positive patients and find out factors associated with stigma subscales. Subjects and Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study conducted on COVID-19 positive patients (lab confirmed) in Jeddah. The sample size was 420 patients, and the data was collected using a validated questionnaire adapted from HIV/AIDS stigma instrument (HASI-P). The data were analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS, version 27.0). Results: Total number of responses was (419). The median age was 32 (IQR, 25-43). Both genders, Saudi and non-Saudi, were included. The tool used to measure the COVID-19 related stigma of different six subscales. The verbal abuse had a median of (0, IQR=0-0.25), negative self-perception (median=0, IQR=0.02), health care neglect (median=0, IQR=0-0), social isolation (median=0.2, IQR=0-0.6), fear of contagion (median=0.33, IQR=0-0.83) and workplace stigma (median=0, IQR=0-0). Male gender was significantly associated with social isolation and fear of contagion, while working in the health care field was associated with workplace-related stigma.  Conclusion: COVID-19-related social stigma was reported by a considerable number of Jeddah healthcare providers, specifically workplace-related stigma. Unexpectedly, males need more attention as regard to social isolation and fear of contagion. The results of this study can be of used to guide supportive social interventions to suppress the COVID-19 related stigma.

Author(s):  
Olumuyiwa A. Olowe ◽  
Andrew J. Ross

Background: Despite hypertension being a common condition among patients attending primary health care (PHC) clinics, blood pressure (BP) control is often poor. Greater insight into patient-related factors that influence the control of hypertension will assist in the development of an intervention to address the issues identified.Aim: The aim of the study was to assess patient-related variables associated with hypertension control among patients attending a peri-urban PHC clinic.Setting: The setting for this study was a peri-urban PHC clinic in KwaZulu-Natal.Method: This was an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study with 348 patients selected over a 1-month period. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data on patients’ hypertension knowledge and self-reported adherence, and BP recordings from their medical record were recorded to ascertain control.Results: Of the 348 participants, only 49% had good BP control and 44% (152/348) had concurrent diabetes mellitus. The majority of patients had moderate levels of knowledge on hypertension and exhibited moderate adherence. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and reported adherence, between reported adherence and control, but not between reported knowledge and control.Conclusion: Despite over 90% of the study population having moderate knowledge, and 62% with moderate reported adherence, BP was well controlled in only less than 50% of the study population. These findings suggest a need to emphasise adherence and explore new ways of approaching adherence.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Syed Meraj Ahmed ◽  
Faisal Alhumaidi Alruways ◽  
Thamer Fahad Alsallum ◽  
Meshal Munahi Almutairi ◽  
Abdullah Saif Al-Subhi ◽  
...  

<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>


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (31) ◽  
pp. 2439-2445
Author(s):  
Prathibha Anand Nayak ◽  
Esraa Hamdan Aljohani ◽  
Maram Abdulhabib Ali ◽  
Badriah Khalid Fatihi ◽  
Norah Abdullah Alzubedy ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The principles and methods of biostatistics have gained importance in various fields including dentistry and medicine. The health researchers must have adequate knowledge and understanding of biostatistics to overcome the associated dilemmas in concluding the statistical data. The present study was planned to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and perception of biostatistics among health researchers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS The present cross-sectional study was questionnaire based and was conducted among 251 health researchers in Saudi Arabia. A convenience method of sampling was followed during the 2 months study period from 15. 08. 2020 to 15. 10. 2020. A pre-validated questionnaire was used that consisted of questions related to the knowledge, attitude and perception of biostatistics. A chi-square test was used to find the significance of study parameters and the level of significance chosen was 5 %. RESULTS Gender, nationality, or qualification of participants did not show any statistically significant differences with regards to their knowledge, attitude, or perception about biostatistics. The years of experience of the faculty showed statistically significant differences in their ability to interpret the results using statistical methods [P = 0.002], ability to choose a particular test to answer research question [P = 0.024], ability to design their projects [P = 0.02], and forming opinions / making decisions in health care using statistical information [P = 0.001]. Nursing and dental faculty were able to design their research projects significantly better when compared to other groups. Faculty of Pharmacy, nursing, and dentistry more frequently used statistical information to form opinions or make decisions in health care when compared to those from the Medical program. CONCLUSIONS The study showed a medium level of knowledge as well as awareness about the importance of statistics in research and indicated a great motivation for further training with an emphasis on teaching and learning biostatistics during undergraduate / postgraduate education. KEY WORDS Biostatistics, Interpret Results, Health Researchers


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansoor Ahmed ◽  
Hyea Bin Im ◽  
Jung Hye Hwang ◽  
Dongwoon Han

Abstract Background Pregnant women’s disclosure of herbal medicine (HM) use to their health care providers during pregnancy is crucial, as misuse of HM can have a detrimental effect on both pregnant woman and the fetus. However, the lack of disclosure of HM use to physicians remains a public health concern in developing countries such as Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 postpartum women admitted at Maternity and Women’s Hospital located in Kathmandu, Nepal. The survey instrument included 30 questions on the use of HM during pregnancy, sociodemographic and health characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes. Chi-square test and logistic regression were conducted for data analysis using SPSS ver. 21.0., and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all analyses. Results 60.3% of respondents used at least one herbal remedy during their previous pregnancy, and the overall disclosure rate of HM use to healthcare providers was 54.6%. Women with secondary education level and four or more antenatal care visits were more likely to disclose their HM use to healthcare providers. Conclusions This study highlights that despite the popular use of HM among pregnant women in Nepal, most women obtained HM-related information from informal sources and did not disclose their HM use to physicians. To ensure the safe use of HM, physicians should integrate questions regarding patients’ HM use into their routine patient assessments to facilitate active communication and improve the quality of care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manyun Li ◽  
Jiang Long ◽  
Xuyi Wang ◽  
Yanhui Liao ◽  
Yueheng Liu ◽  
...  

Objective: To understand the current situation of stigmatizing attitudes toward Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China and compare it with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Methods: Convenient sampling and vignette-based methods were used to recruit participants on WeChat. A demographic form and adopted stigma scale were used to collect participants' demographic information and stigmatizing attitudes toward COVID-19 and AIDS.Results: A total of 13,994 questionnaires were included in this study. A high portion of participants tend to avoid contact with individuals affected with COVID-19 (74.3%) or AIDS (59.0%), as well as their family members (70.4% for COVID-19 and 47.9% for AIDS). About half of the participants agreed that affected persons could not only cause problems to their own family but also have adverse effects on others (59.6% and 55.6% for COVID-19, 56.9 and 47.0% for AIDS). The agreements with statements about perceived stigma were similar but slightly higher than those about personal stigma in both COVID-19 and AIDS. Participants' agreements with all statements regarding personal and perceived stigma attitudes between COVID-19 and AIDS were all statistically significant (p &lt; 0.001). Participants obtained COVID-19-related information mainly from social media (91.3%) and newspaper or television (77.1%) during the epidemic, and 61.0% of them thought information from newspapers or television was the most reliable.Conclusion: Several similarities and differences of people's attitude toward COVID-19 and AIDS were found. Avoidance, blame, and secondary discrimination to diagnosed persons and their surrounding persons were the main representations of COVID-19-related stigma. Stigma of COVID-19 had less moral link but more public panic. Experience from HIV-related stigma reduction and prevention can be applied to reduce COVID-19-related stigma.


PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11469
Author(s):  
Abbas Al Mutair ◽  
Alya Al Mutairi ◽  
Zainab Ambani ◽  
Abbas Shamsan ◽  
Sana AlMahmoud ◽  
...  

Background The outbreak of the novel Corona Virus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly to many countries leading to thousands of deaths globally. The burden of this pandemic has affected the physical and mental health of the frontline health care workers (HCWs) who are exposed to high risk of infection and psychological stressors. Aims The aim is to measure the level of depression among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 pandemic to establish interventional strategies. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was used to conduct the current study. The data of this study was recruited between 15 June and 15 July 2020 from healthcare providers who work in both public and private healthcare sectors in Riyadh and Eastern province in Saudi Arabia utilizing a self-administered questionnaire. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group (IRB Log No. RC20.06.88-2). Data were collected by using The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale SDS. A total of 900 healthcare providers working in the healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic were invited to participate in the study. A total of 650 healthcare providers participated in the study by completing and submitting the survey. Results Almost 30% suffered from depression which can be divided into three categories; mild depression (26.2%), moderate/major (2.5%) and severe/extreme (0.8%). The finding shows that the level of depression among respondents at the age range of 31–40 years old was significantly higher than the level of depression among respondents with the age above 50 years old. Non-Saudi healthcare workers experienced more depression than Saudi workers. It also shows how nurses suffered from depression compared to their physician colleagues. Those who did not suffer from sleeping disorder perceived more depression as compared to those who are having sleeping disorder. Conclusion It is recommended that health care facilities should implement strategies to reduce the prevalence of mental health problems among healthcare providers and eventually it will improve their performance in provision of safe and high-quality care for patients.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arabat Kasangaki ◽  
Andrew Macnab ◽  
Faith Gagnon

A growing challenge of globalization is the migration of many healthcare trainees to richer nations when they complete their education. This loss of intellectual capital compromises the ability of low-income countries to provide adequate health care. Despite recognition of this loss most African nations keep no track of those they train. Effective investment in health care demands retention of this resource; the ability to direct healthcare providers where needed; understanding of local factors driving migration, choices regarding postgraduate training abroad, and future practice preference. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of 200 Uganda College of Health Sciences students for anonymous completion; 141/200 (70.5%) were completed; 84% of respondents intended to pursue postgraduate studies abroad; 63% to migrate within five years of graduation; 57% to work in urban areas. While partly due to global trends and awareness of international opportunities, this negative trend of migration and shunning rural practice is also influenced by sociopolitical and educational elements within Uganda. One option (adopted elsewhere) is mandatory practice in government community health centers for a period following graduation. But the ethics, consequences, and implications of current international migratory trends need to be addressed locally and by the global medical education community.


Author(s):  
Juhi Lohiya ◽  
Vrinda Saxena ◽  
Garima Bhambhani ◽  
Shweta Chaturvedi ◽  
Swapnil Jain ◽  
...  

Background: The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has loaded remarkable psychological stress on people around the world, predominantly the Health Care Professionals (HCPs). The present study aimed to assess anxiety and fear of getting infected among HCPs working during the current viral outbreak. Also, doctors' knowledge about various practice modifications to combat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has been evaluated.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on Health care professionals (HCPs) of Madhya Pradesh India using an online survey. A pretested and pre-validated questionnaire was designed on Google forms and link generated was shared through social media. A total of 320 doctors from different cities of Madhya Pradesh have participated in the study. A Chi-Square and Spearman Correlation test was applied using SPSS version 25.Results: Present Study reveals that more than two-thirds of HCPs (80%) were anxious and worried about the overwhelming effect of COVID-19. Among HCPs, dental professionals (61%) unfolded greater fear and anxiety level than the medical professionals. The majority of participants (92%) were updated with good knowledge and awareness of recent changes in the treatment protocols regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the implementation of modifying treatment protocol was recorded as 71%.Conclusions: High psychosomatic implications of COVID -19 outbursts were seen in HCPs while working in their respective fields. So providing psychological first aid is a significant care component for populations that have been victims of emergencies and disasters.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yigrem Ali Chekole ◽  
Solomon Yimer ◽  
Birhanie Mekuriaw ◽  
Semagn Mekonnen

Abstract Background: The Coronavirus belongs to large groups of viruses that cause serious health problems including the mental health of the society particularly the health care providers. Understanding the mental health response after a public health emergency might help health care providers and communities to prepare for a population's response to a disaster.Objective: This study aimed to assess the magnitude of perceived stress and risk factors of coronaviruses disease 2019 among healthcare providers in Dilla, Southern Ethiopia 2020.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 244 samples selected with systematic random sampling technique. Data collection was carried out with validated perceived stress scale adapted from the World health organization. Data were coded and entered into Epi-info Version 7 and was exported and analyzed with SPSS version 20. Crude and adjusted OR were analyzed using logistic regression and the level of significance of association was determined at P-value <0.05.Result: The magnitude of perceived stress of coronavirus disease 2019 among participants was 126 (51.6%). Being at the age range of 25-31 years (AOR=2.5, 95%CI, 1.07, 5.90), nurse professionals (AOR= 7.8, 95%CI 2.15, 27.98) and pharmacist professionals (AOR=4.15, 95%CI, 1.01, 17.06) were variables found to have a strongly statistically significant association with perceived stress of Coronaviruses disease.Conclusion: this indicates that early prevention, early identification and intervention of perceived stress of coronaviruses disease among healthcare providers. Particularly, more stress for the frontline healthcare worker nurses, pharmacists and age ranges of 25-31 years.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Hakim ◽  
Nauman Arif ◽  
Siraj Ul Islam ◽  
Abdul Saboor ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Vaccines are one of the main cornerstones in the global initiatives to control the COVID-19 pandemic. National vaccination programs largely depend on vaccine availability and acceptance by a large proportion of the population to confer a measurable impact on SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In this study we determine the acceptance, barriers and facilitators of COVID-19 vaccination amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) in Pakistan Methods A structured and validated questionnaire was used in an online cross-sectional study. Health care workers residing in Pakistan were invited between 31st January to 9th February to participate in this survey. Results A total of 436 health-care workers took part in this survey and among those 327 (75%) were doctors. 260 (60%) health-care workers indicated that they would accept vaccination against COVID-19. 308 (71%) were completely confident or confident in using USA, UK manufactured COVID-19 vaccine. The acceptance concerning a potential Chinese vaccine was 267 (61%). 292 (67%) strongly agreed or agreed that they are concerned about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination while the concerns for safety were 293 (67%). Conclusions About a third of HCWs, a group generally biased towards early acceptance of health interventions – expressed concerns or refusal of vaccination against COVID-19 in this survey. A dedicated communication plan and information campaign addressing the issues of efficacy, quality, logistics and religious concerns is needed to address these hurdles to allow for a successful national vaccination campaign.


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