Self-efficacy for taking Preventive Measures against COVID-19 among Undergraduate University Students in Saudi Arabia

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed various stresses on individuals and communities. Coping with sudden, tense, demanding situations during an infectious disease outbreak requires self-efficacy. Increasing the public’s self-efficacy for preventive and control measures is important in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research was aimed at evaluating the self-efficacy and associated factors of students at a public university in the southwest region of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional study, and a snowball sampling method was used to recruit participants. Data were collected from the beginning of April to the end of June 2020 using an online questionnaire. A total of 761 students were included in the study. The participants’ demographic data were collected, and self-efficacy was analyzed using the General Self-efficacy Scale. The results showed that self-efficacy for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic was moderate in almost half of the students but was low in approximately 25% of the participants. There were statistically significant associations between self-efficacy regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and gender, college type, marital status, and family income (p < 0.05). However, the participants’ self-efficacy was not associated with age, residence, or history of chronic illness. In dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, most students had either moderate or low self-efficacy. Certain demographic variables were positively associated with self-efficacy as perceived by the students. These findings provide data central to the development of self-efficacy initiatives. They may also be useful for the effective implementation of public health preventive behavior programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Level of Academic Leaders’ Mastery of the Intangibles Management Skills and its Role in Achieving the Competitive Advantage of Saudi Universities: A Field Study

This study aimed to examine the academic leaders' mastery level in emerging Saudi universities of intangibles management skills and explore the relationship between mastery levels and achieving a competitive advantage. A total of 330 randomly selected teaching staff members at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University responded to a questionnaire developed by the researcher. Findings showed that (a) the academic leaders' mastery level of intangibles knowledge management skills at university was high, (b) there was a positive relationship between mastery level and achieving a competitive advantage, and (c) there was no statistically significant difference about mastery level due to college type or academic rank or the nature of work while there was a statistically significant difference due to gender in favor of males. Regarding achieving a competitive advantage, the study revealed that there were no statistically significant differences due to college type and academic rank while there was a statistically significant difference due to gender in favor of males and the nature of work in favor of expatriates. The researcher recommended providing the current and the second class of leaders with intangibles management skills and enacting a clear law to protect intellectual capital from strict restrictions by toxic, dictatorial, or bureaucratic leaderships and from the misuse of rigid systems of accountability or traditional censorship.

Predicted Student Study Period with C4.5 Data Mining Algorithm

Data of alumni from 2012 to 2015 found that the average percentage of students graduating on time was 22%. The comparison between the number of students who graduate on time and new students who enter each year is not comparable, therefore a study is needed to find out the factors that affect student graduation and to prediction of the graduation period of the student through data mining research using the C4.5 algorithm. The data tested was student alumni data from 2012 to 2015. The instruments studied include study period, academic year, GPA, corner focus, gender, intensity of work during college, type of thesis, intensity of campus internal organization, intensity of external organization of campus, UKT group, scholarship status, pre-college education, hobby intensity, intensity of game play, academic competition participation status, non-academic competition participation status, and availability of facilities and infrastructure. The best test results using percentage-split 75% obtained 83.33% accuracy as well as the rules contained in the decision tree.

Study on Scientific Attitude of B.Ed., Trainees in Perambalur District

The study was intended to find out the level of Scientific Attitude of B.Ed., trainees in the Perambalur district. This study involves a survey method. The size of the sample in the study was 941 B.Ed., trainees who were selected through the simple random sampling technique. The main objectives of the study are to find out the Scientific Attitude of B.Ed., trainees concerning the Demographic variables such as gender, year of study, locality of college, type of family. The Statistical procedures used in this study were; Mean, Standard Deviation, and’ test to analyze the data. The Major findings of the study were; i). The level of Scientific Attitude of B.Ed., Trainees, is average. ii) Female B.Ed., Trainees, is a significantly higher level of Scientific Attitude than the Male B.Ed., Trainees. iii) Second Year B.Ed., Trainees are a significantly higher level of Scientific Attitude than the First Year B.Ed., Trainees. iv) Urban B.Ed., Trainees, is a significantly higher level of Scientific Attitude than the Rural B.Ed., Trainees. v) Nuclear Family and Joint Family of B.Ed., Trainees, are having a similar level of Scientific Attitude. It’s my conclusion that the present study reveals that there is more number of B.Ed., Trainees have an average Scientific Attitude.

The role of new media in developing political awareness among Omani university youth: Ash Sharqiyah University in the Sultanate of Oman as a model: دور الإعلام الجديد في تنمية الوعي السياسي لدى الشباب الجامعي العماني: جامعة الشرقية بسلطنة عمان أنموذجاً

The study aims to identify the role of the new media in developing political awareness among Omani university Students. The study sample consisted of (91) students from Ash Sharqiyah University in the Sultanate of Oman in the first semester of the academic year 2018- 2019. This study is part of a descriptive research that relies on the survey methodology. Mentioning below the most important results of the study: One of the most sites that students prefer using is Facebook with (76.92%). The presence of moderate cognitive, emotional and behavioral effects achieved by the Omani university students as a result of their reliance on new media sites to follow up on political issues. The Omani university students do not have more than one account on social media sites (62.6%). There is an intermediate level of motivation by the Omani university students for new media sites. There are reasons for Omani university students to rely on new media sites to pursue political issues at an average degree. There are statistically significant differences at the level of (less than 0.05) in the field of incitements of use of new media sites due to the gender variable in favor of females. There are no statistically significant differences at a level (less than 0.05) in the motives using new media in general or for political reasons and the reasons why Omani university student relying on new media sites according to the variable of the school year and the college type. The study recommends that university students should be careful in publishing in new media sites and educational sessions and seminars should be held by the competent authorities to educate young people about how to use the security of new media sites.

Higher Academic Stress Was Associated with Increased Risk of Overweight and Obesity among College Students in China

This study examined associations between academic stress and overweight and obesity, and moderation effects of gender, grade, and types of college on such associations. Data on academic stress, negative learning events, weight, and height were self-reported by 27,343 college students in China in 2018. About 23% and 91% of students perceived high academic stress and suffered from at least one negative learning event during the past six months, respectively, especially for females, undergraduates, and students major in humanities and social science subject groups. Perceived academic stress was associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity among all students (OR = 1.05, 95%CI: 1.00–1.10), male (OR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.03–1.15), undergraduate (OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 1.00–1.11), and students from subordinate universities (OR = 1.13, 95%CI: 1.01–1.26). Negative learning events were associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity among all students (OR = 1.05, 95%CI: 1.01–1.09), undergraduates (OR = 1.05, 95%CI: 1.01–1.09), and students from local universities (OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 1.00–1.14). Interventions are needed to reduce the high academic stress of college students, considering the modifying effects of gender, grade, and college type. Such interventions may further contribute to the prevention of overweight and obesity among college students.

Tobacco Use Trajectories in Young Adults: Analyses of Predictors Across Systems Levels

Introduction Research is needed to examine trajectories of tobacco use beyond cigarette smoking, particularly during emerging middle young adulthood, and to identify distinct multilevel influences of use trajectories. Aims and Methods We examined (1) tobacco use trajectories over a 2-year period among 2592 young adult college students in a longitudinal cohort study and (2) predictors of these trajectories using variables from a socioecological framework, including intrapersonal-level factors (eg, sociodemographics, psychosocial factors [eg, adverse childhood experiences, depressive symptoms, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms], early-onset substance use), interpersonal factors (eg, social support, parental substance use), and community-level factors (eg, college type, rural vs. urban). Results About 64.5% were female and 65.0% were white. From age 18 to 26, 27%–31% of participants reported past 30-day use of any tobacco product. We identified four trajectory classes: Abstainers/Dabblers who never or infrequently used (89.2%); Adult users who began using frequently around age 20 and continued thereafter (5.9%); College Smokers who began using before 19 but ceased use around 25 (2.5%); and Teenage users who used during their teenage years but ceased use by 22 (1.9%). Multinomial regression showed that, compared to Abstainers/Dabblers, significant predictors (p &lt; .05) of being (1) Adult users included being male, earlier onset marijuana use, attending public universities or technical colleges (vs. private universities), and living in urban areas; (2) College users included being male, earlier onset marijuana use, and parental alcohol or marijuana use; and (3) Teenage users included only earlier onset marijuana use. Conclusion Distinct prevention and intervention efforts may be needed to address the trajectories identified. Implications Among young adult college students, the largest proportion of tobacco users demonstrate the risk of continued and/or progression of tobacco use beyond college. In addition, specific factors, particularly sex, earlier onset marijuana use, parental use of alcohol and marijuana, and contextual factors such as college setting (type of school, rural vs. urban) may influence tobacco use outcomes. As such, prevention and cessation intervention strategies are needed to address multilevel influences.

Motivation and Attitude towards Studying Tourism among Students of Kaski District, Nepal

This study aimed to find the factors that motivate students to study tourism in the colleges of Nepal and to identify selection patterns for studying tourism subject through analysis of socio demographic determinants according to gender, study level and college type. This study is designed as a descriptive and analytical study based on primary data. A total of 124 respondents collected from Kaski district as data input during November 2018 and data are collected using structure questionnaire. Chi-square test is used to determine factors associated with studying tourism in colleges of Nepal according to gender, study level and college type. Cronbach’s alpha has been used to test reliability and validity. The result shows that gender has no association with all motivational variables for studying tourism in colleges of Nepal. Study level is associated with motivational variables such as learning value, self-efficacy, interest and emerging subject. College type is associated with motivational variables such as learning value, self-efficacy, social status and interest (p<0.05). This study is particularly relevant for tourism subject teaching colleges and can help them for developing strategies for promotion of tourism subjects. Colleges studying tourism subjects must focus on the various opportunity areas that can be achieve by studying tourism subject to attract students.

The Trends of Al-Balqa' Applied University Students towards Jordanian Woman's Political Participation in Parliamentary Elections

This study aimed at investigating Al Balqa&#39; Applied University Students attitude towards Jordanian woman&#39;s political participation in parliamentary elections. Researchers used a questionnaire in order to obtain needed data for the study. The sample of the study consisted of (1327) male and female students (589 male) and (738 female) students. The study posed the following questions: 1) What are the attitudes of Al-Balqa Applied University students towards woman&rsquo;s participation in politics in Jordan? 2) Are there any statistically significant differences due to gender, college education level, and residency variables? In order to achieve the study&#39;s objectives, researchers used various statistical analyses, such as averages account, triple t - test, and Shiva posteriori comparisons. The study reached the following results: 1) Students attitude towards woman&rsquo;s political participation in all questionnaire items were medium with means of (3.68). 2) The paragraph that read &quot;woman better able to understand the status of woman&quot; comes in the first place with means of (4.35), and the paragraph that reads &quot;woman&rsquo;s participation in parliamentary elections increases herself confidence&quot; came in second place with means of (4.17), and The paragraph that reads I support the election of a woman who has high education and culture came in third place with means of (4.14), while the paragraph that reads &quot;woman is well qualified physically and intellectually for political participation&quot; came in the last place, with means of (3.06). There is statistically significant differences due to gender variable in favor of female student. There is no statistically significant difference due to residency; there are statistically significant differences due to study level in favor of fourth year students. There are no statistically significant differences due to college type. Recommendations are expressed.