Search

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of impetigo among children in Saudi Arabia as well as to identify socio-demographic factors associated with impetigo. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia examined impetigo prevalence and associated factors among children aged 2 to 15. Data collection occurred between June 2022 and November 2023, involving structured interviews with the parents or legal guardians of the participating children. A pre-designed questionnaire was used, which included questions related to personal hygiene practices (such as, frequency of handwashing, bathing routines, and use of communal facilities), environmental conditions, and the child's impetigo diagnosis history. Results: The study encompassed a total of 1200 participants, with a predominant representation of female (79.3%). Participants exhibited a diverse age distribution, with the highest proportion falling within the 18– 24 age group (33.7%). Importantly, a statistically significant association was identified between the occurrence of impetigo in children and their personal hygiene scores (p < 0.001). Children with a confirmed impetigo diagnosis exhibited lower mean personal hygiene scores (2.6 ± 0.723) in contrast to those without such diagnoses (3.75 ± 0.911). Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors, including child's gender, parental education level, employment status, and geographic location, emerge as significant determinants of impetigo occurrence. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between proper personal hygiene practices and a reduced incidence of impetigo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity in children is a critical public health issue in developed countries and developing countries. The establishment of health-related behaviors in childhood, significantly influenced by parental involvement, underscores the need for effective intervention measures. Aim: This original research is a systematic review and meta-analysis that aimed to investigate the impact of parental involvement on the prevention and management of childhood obesity, focusing on outcomes such as BMI z-score, exercise levels, screen time, dietary self-efficacy, and percentage body fat. Methods: Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) identified through comprehensive searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, including RCTs involving children aged 2–18 years with parental or caregiver participation, reporting on the specified outcomes. Data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3, employing a random effects model. Results: A total of 5573 participants were included. The meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction in BMI z-score (MD = −0.06, 95% CI: −0.09 to −0.02, p = 0.005, I2 = 58%), a non-significant increase in exercise levels (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI: −0.01 to 0.52, p = 0.05, I2 = 52%), and a significant reduction in screen time (MD = −0.36 h per day, 95% CI: −0.61 to −0.11, p = 0.005, I2 = 0%). Dietary self-efficacy also improved significantly (MD = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.12 to 1.05, p = 0.01, I2 = 0%). However, changes in percentage body fat did not reach statistical significance (MD = −1.19%, 95% CI: −2.8% to 0.41%, p = 0.15, I2 = 0%). Conclusion: Parental involvement in childhood obesity interventions significantly impacts BMI z-score, exercise levels, screen time, and dietary self-efficacy but not percentage body fat. These findings highlight the importance of engaging parents in obesity prevention and management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the knowledge of parents who are working as healthcare workers about Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and to determine the predictors of ADHD knowledge in children among parents. Methods: A cross-section study was conducted among parents who are working as HCWs. An online survey by google forms facilitated the creation of a 373 participant's sample. Results: The parents who are working as HCWs toward ADHD Knowledge 14.9 (SD = 7.9). The most questions were answered correctly. ADHD children are frequently distracted by extraneous stimuli 285 (76.8%). ADHD children often fidget or squirm in their seats 272 (73.7%) and HCWs training in managing an ADHD child are generally effective when combined with medication treatment 260 (70.5%). Conclusion: This study found that many parents who working as HCWs had poor knowledge regarding causes and general aspects of this disorder. The results had many implications that include increased efforts to improve the capabilities of parents who working as HCWs and prevent further complications for the children and increase awareness among parents and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a family-based lifestyle intervention on reducing body weight among Jordanian children with obesity aged 6-9 years old. The pretest-posttest control group design was conducted among 162 children (75 in the intervention group and 87 in the control group) with obesity aged 6-9 years old at four primary schools in Jordan during the period from March 2021 to July 2021. The results found that, after the intervention, there was a statistically significant change in the F scores in the control group vs. in the intervention group (M = 37.07, SD = 2.77; M = 33.48, SD = 2.73; t (160) = 8.29, P < 0.001), where the mean BMI percentile was reduced by 2.05 in the intervention group. A significant difference was demonstrated in the median BMI percentile in the intervention and control groups post-intervention (P < 0.001). A significant difference was also noticed between the average weekly reported dietary habits and the physical activities of both the control group and the intervention group post-intervention. The findings support the effect of family-based lifestyle interventions. Healthcare providers should adopt such interventions for children living with obesity. Future study is required to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this intervention on weight reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nursing students constitute the future nursing workforce; their knowledge can readily influence potential donors' decisions on organ donation. This study aimed to assess nursing students' knowledge of organ donation, determine its impact on their attitude, and identify relevant factors. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study assessed the level of knowledge and attitude toward organ donation among nursing students using the following two questionnaires: (1) knowledge about organ donation and (2) attitudes toward posthumous organ donation. Non-probability convenience sampling was employed to collect data. Results: A total of 278 nursing students demonstrated a low level of knowledge on organ donation, with a score of 6.43 out of 15. This influenced their attitude toward organ donation (χ2 (3) = 33.91, p < 0.001). Nursing students who were willing to donate their organs showed higher knowledge (7.33 ± 3.23) compared to those who were not willing to donate their organs (5.21 ± 3.09), p < 0.001. Registered donors had higher knowledge (8.52 ± 2.99) than non-donors (5.80 ± 3.17), p < 0.001. Conclusions: Even though nursing students typically favor organ donation, findings have revealed a low knowledge score. Therefore, it is necessary to improve knowledge of organ donation through nursing curricula and research, which could potentially increase the number of donors among future nursing students and, by extension, the broader population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gender equality in the workforce and the promotion of woman leadership is critical to economic growth and the sustainable development of society and the global community. However, gender diversity in leadership positions is a concern as women continue to be underrepresented. Ensuring equal opportunities in leadership positions in the health sector can help advance the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore Saudi women's perspectives and leadership experiences at senior-level positions in the healthcare sector. Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach was adopted to address the study aim. This included nine semi-structured interviews with Saudi women who have held leadership positions in the health sector over the past ten years. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted by adopting the six phases. Results: The results showed that internal factors, such as qualifications, experience, and the innate qualities of a winner, are the most important factors that contribute to women's leadership. Women's role expectations, gender norms, and the patriarchal nature of the community have a negative impact on women's leadership. One of the new findings of this study was negative attitudes and lack of support from female colleagues. Conclusion: Women leaders in health care in Saudi Arabia share similarities and differences with women leaders around the world. However, the Saudi community has its own social norms and gender roles that cannot be denied. While Vision 2030 brought a number of positive changes in women's empowerment that participants spoke of, more research is needed to explore men's perceptions, which can complete the picture and lead to organizational improvement and changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic places a high demand on frontline healthcare workers. Healthcare workers are at high-risk of contracting the virus and are subjected to its consequential emotional and psychological effects. This study aimed to measure the level of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study; data were collected from healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia using a survey that included the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7. A total of 326 participants took part in the study by completing and submitting the survey. Results. The vast majority of the participating healthcare workers were Saudi nationals (98.8%) working in a public healthcare facility (89.9%). The results indicated that most of the participants had mild levels of anxiety and depression. A total of 72.5% of the respondents had anxiety, ranging from mild (44.1%) to moderate (16.2%) and severe (12.2%). Moreover, 24.4% of the respondents had depression ranging from mild (21.7%) to moderate (2.1%) and severe (0.6%). The generalized linear models showed that the <30 age group (Beta = 0.556, p=0:037) and the 30-39-year age group (Beta = 0.623, p=0:019) were predicted to have anxiety. The analysis revealed that females were more anxious (Beta=0.241, p=0:005) than males. Healthcare providers working in primary healthcare centers (Beta = -0.315, p = 0:008) and labs (Beta = -0.845. p=0:0001 were predicted to be less anxious than those working in other healthcare facilities. The data analysis showed that participants with good economic status had more depression than the participants in the other economic status groups (Beta = 0.067, p=0:003). Conclusion. This study found that the level of anxiety and depression in healthcare workers was mild. The factors that may contribute to anxiety in healthcare workers included being female, being younger than 30 or between the ages of 31 and 39, working in a specialized hospital facility, and the number of COVID-19 cases the workers dealt with. Economic status was associated with depression. A longitudinal study design is needed to understand the pattern of anxiety levels among healthcare workers over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency-based measures of heart rate variability have been shown to be a useful physiological marker in both clinical and research settings providing insight into the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Ongoing interactions between the autonomic nervous system control of the heart and lung occurs during each ventilation cycle because of their anatomical position within the closed thoracic cavity. Mechanical ventilation and subsequent removal change the normal ventilator mechanics producing alterations in the tidal volume, intrathoracic pressure, and oxygen delivery. A noninvasive method called heart rate variability (HRV) can be used to evaluate this interaction during ventilation and can be quantified by applying frequency-based measures of the variability between heartbeats. Although HRV is a reliable method to measure alteration of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and cardiopulmonary interaction, there have been limited reports concerning the changes in the frequency-based measure of HRV during both spontaneous and mechanical ventilation. The purpose of this methodological study is therefore to describe the physiological influence of both spontaneous and mechanical ventilation on frequency-based measures of HRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted widely on the healthcare providers physically and mentally. Many healthcare providers are exposed to psychological stressors due to their high risk of contracting the virus. Aims: This study aimed to measure the level of anxiety among healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. In addition, this study aimed to measure the level of anxiety based on demographic characteristics. Method: A cross-sectional survey was employed to recruit a convenience sample of healthcare providers. A pencil and paper self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from demographic and generalized anxiety disorder GAD-7 data. However, this study received written informed consent from participants of the study. In addition, the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group (IRB Log No. RC20.06.88-03). Results: A total of 650 participants were recruited, results of GAD-7 showed that 43.5%, 28.9% and 27.5% of healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia experienced mild, moderate and severe anxiety, respectively, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated that age, health specialty, nationality, and sleeping disorders before COVID-19 were associated with anxiety levels. Conclusion: The generalized anxiety among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia was mild. Older healthcare providers were found to have a higher level of anxiety compared to other participating healthcare providers. Several factors may contribute to a higher level of anxiety including age, socioeconomic status, marital status, having chronic conditions, and sleeping disorder before the COVID-19 pandemic. To further understand the level of anxiety among healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, longitudinal and mixed-method research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted widely on the healthcare providers physically and mentally. Many healthcare providers are exposed to psychological stressors due to their high risk of contracting the virus., Aims: This study aimed to measure the level of anxiety among healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. In addition, this study aimed to measure the level of anxiety based on demographic characteristics., Method: A cross-sectional survey was employed to recruit a convenience sample of healthcare providers. A pencil and paper self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from demographic and generalized anxiety disorder GAD-7 data. However, this study received written informed consent from participants of the study. In addition, the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group (IRB Log No. RC20.06.88-03)., Results: A total of 650 participants were recruited, results of GAD-7 showed that 43.5%, 28.9% and 27.5% of healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia experienced mild, moderate and severe anxiety, respectively, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated that age, health specialty, nationality, and sleeping disorders before COVID-19 were associated with anxiety levels., Conclusion: The generalized anxiety among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia was mild. Older healthcare providers were found to have a higher level of anxiety compared to other participating healthcare providers. Several factors may contribute to a higher level of anxiety including age, socioeconomic status, marital status, having chronic conditions, and sleeping disorder before the COVID-19 pandemic. To further understand the level of anxiety among healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, longitudinal and mixed-method research is needed., Competing Interests: Abbas Al Mutair and Abbas Shamsan were employed by the Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2021 Al Mutair et al.)