Factors Associated with Knowledge and Awareness of Stroke Among the Jordanian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objective: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Jordan and over the world. Knowledge and awareness towards stroke play a crucial role in the management and prevention of its complications. This study aims to assess the knowledge and awareness about stroke among the Jordanian population and determine factors associated with stroke awareness. Methods: This cross-sectional study through a web-based anonymous questionnaire that needed 10 minutes to be completed. It examined sociodemographic characteristics and recognition of the risk factors, warning signs, stroke consequences, and early response to stroke symptoms. Logistic regression analysis identified the factors associated with poor knowledge of stroke. Results: A total of 573 Jordanian adults participated in this study. The participant's ability to identify at least one early symptom of stroke and the proper response to the symptoms were significantly correlated with the educational level (OR of 3.4 and 2.5, respectively). At least one consequence of stroke was significantly associated with different demographic factors such as gender, socioeconomic income, females versus males and those with medium income versus low income had significantly higher odds (OR of 6.6 and 4.1, respectively). Conclusion: This study revealed a good knowledge and awareness level about stroke among Jordanians correlated mainly with their educational level. Therefore, new strategies should be considered to decrease the prevalence of stroke in Jordan, including the need for engagement in enhanced awareness campaigns.

Genetic Bases of VitaminB12 Deficiency: Impact of MTHFR, TCN-II and GIF Polymorphisms on Vitamin B12 Level

Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with serious health problems such as neurological disorders. In Jordan, few studies have evaluated the level of vitamin B21 in the Jordanian population with different prevalence. Genetic predisposition, lifestyle, environment, socioeconomic status, and geographic have been linked to vitamin B12 deficiency. Polymorphisms in the GIF, MTHFR, and Transcobalamins, have been proposed to be associated with the level of vitamin B12. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of certain polymorphisms in MTHFR, TCN-II and GIF genes on the level of vitamin B12 in the Jordanian population. Polymorphic sites of the MTHFR (c.677 C>T, rs1801133 and c.1286A>C, rs1801131), TCN2-776C>G (Arg259Pro) (rs1801198) and GIF-68 A>G (Q5R) genes were analyzed by RFLP and DNA sequencing in a group of vitamin B12 deficient individuals (n = 100). The control group included 100 matching individuals with a normal level of vitamin B12 (>200 ng/mL). Our results showed a significant association between the homologous variant of the TCN2 gene (G776G) and MTHFR c.677C>T genes and vitamin B12 deficiency. On the other hand, The MTHFR c.1286A>C variant and GIF variants did not show significant association with vitamin B12 deficiency. This study expounds the association of TCN2 and MTHFR polymorphisms with cobalamin levels in a Jordanian population and highlights the necessity of further studies to elucidate the molecular basis and impact of TCN2, GIF, and MTHFR gene polymorphisms on vitamin B12 deficiency and associated disorders.

Factors Associated with Knowledge and Awareness of Stroke Among the Jordanian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objective: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Jordan and over the world. Knowledge and awareness towards stroke play a crucial role in the management and prevention of its complications. This study aims to assess the knowledge and awareness about stroke among the Jordanian population and determine factors associated with stroke awareness. Methods: This cross-sectional study through a web-based anonymous questionnaire that needed 10 minutes to be completed. It examined sociodemographic characteristics and recognition of the risk factors, warning signs, stroke consequences, and early response to stroke symptoms. Logistic regression analysis identified the factors associated with poor knowledge of stroke. Results: A total of 573 Jordanian adults participated in this study. The participant's ability to identify at least one early symptom of stroke and the proper response to the symptoms were significantly correlated with the educational level (OR of 3.4 and 2.5, respectively). At least one consequence of stroke was significantly associated with different demographic factors such as gender, socioeconomic income, females versus males and those with medium income versus low income had significantly higher odds (OR of 6.6 and 4.1, respectively). Conclusion: This study revealed a good knowledge and awareness level about stroke among Jordanians correlated mainly with their educational level. Therefore, new strategies should be considered to decrease the prevalence of stroke in Jordan, including the need for engagement in enhanced awareness campaigns.

Attitudes and Commitment Toward Precautionary Measures Against COVID-19 Amongst the Jordanian Population: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Survey

Aims: This study aimed to (1) assess the non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures that were used by the Jordanian population against COVID-19, and (2) determine the sociodemographic and behavioral predictors of contracting COVID-19 with a focus on the utilization of personal precautionary measures.Methods: A descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was used in this study. A structured web-based questionnaire was disseminated to the Jordanian community through social media platforms. Participants were asked a series of questions about socio-demographic characteristics, in addition to the knowledge, attitudes, and commitment toward using various personal precautionary measures (e.g., face mask, hand washing, social distancing) against the COVID-19. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and binary logistic regression through SPSS®.Results: Responses from 7,746 participants were included in our final analyses. Descriptive statistics showed that most participants (82.6%) believed that face mask protects against COVID-19. Around 69.5% of the participants were completely committed to wearing a face mask, while 65% of the participants were completely committed to hand washing. The results of the regression analysis revealed that female gender (AOR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.07–1.35; p = 0.002), having a family member infected with COVID-19 (AOR = 8.5; 95% Cl: 7.51–9.70; p = 0.001), having a health-related work or study (AOR = 1.2; 95% Cl: 1.09–1.38; p = 0.001), believing that face masks do not protect against COVID-19 (AOR = 1.3; 95% Cl: 1.12–1.47; p = 0.001), and partial commitment to handwashing (AOR = 1.2; 95% Cl: 1.11–1.75; p = 0.006) were all associated with an increased odds of contracting COVID-19 among the participants.Conclusion: Overall, commitment to non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures, such as wearing a face mask, hand washing, and physical distancing, was not optimal among Jordanians. This might explain the dramatic increase in the infectivity rate of the COVID-19 virus in the past few months in the country. More sustainable efforts regarding health promotion and strict policies are required to prevent a third wave of hitting the country and to prevent similar infectious threats in the future.

Investigating the association of CD36 gene polymorphisms (rs1761667 and rs1527483) with T2DM and dyslipidemia: Statistical analysis, machine learning based prediction, and meta-analysis

CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36) is a membrane protein involved in lipid metabolism and has been linked to pathological conditions associated with metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and dyslipidemia. A case-control study was conducted and included 177 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 173 control subjects to study the involvement of CD36 gene rs1761667 (G>A) and rs1527483 (C>T) polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of T2DM and dyslipidemia among Jordanian population. Lipid profile, blood sugar, gender and age were measured and recorded. Also, genotyping analysis for both polymorphisms was performed. Following statistical analysis, 10 different neural networks and machine learning (ML) tools were used to predict subjects with diabetes or dyslipidemia. Towards further understanding of the role of CD36 protein and gene in T2DM and dyslipidemia, a protein-protein interaction network and meta-analysis were carried out. For both polymorphisms, the genotypic frequencies were not significantly different between the two groups (p > 0.05). On the other hand, some ML tools like multilayer perceptron gave high prediction accuracy (≥ 0.75) and Cohen’s kappa (κ) (≥ 0.5). Interestingly, in K-star tool, the accuracy and Cohen’s κ values were enhanced by including the genotyping results as inputs (0.73 and 0.46, respectively, compared to 0.67 and 0.34 without including them). This study confirmed, for the first time, that there is no association between CD36 polymorphisms and T2DM or dyslipidemia among Jordanian population. Prediction of T2DM and dyslipidemia, using these extensive ML tools and based on such input data, is a promising approach for developing diagnostic and prognostic prediction models for a wide spectrum of diseases, especially based on large medical databases.