Search

Nahid K Elfaki,1 Mohammed Jamaan Alzahrani,2 Yahya Hussein Ahmed Abdalla,1 Abdullah I Adeh,3 Abdalla Mohammed Ahmed Osman Abdalla,1 Mugahed A Alkhadher,4 Samah R Elrefaey,1 Warga Hashim Hussein Abdelmagid,5 Faroq Alshameri,6 Ahmed Abdalla Jarelnape,7 Manal SA Hakami,7 Fahad Abdullah A Alghamdi,7 Yagoub Hamadt Allah Elhaj,8 Niemat MAA Dinar,7 Amal Abdelgadir Ali Mohamed,9 Elsadig Eltaher Hamed Abdulrahman,4 Duria Hassan Merghani Mohamed,10 Elwaleed Idris Sagiron,1 Maha Hamed Mohamed Ali,1,11 Waled AM Ahmed7 1Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 2Pediatric Department, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 3Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 4Medical- Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 5Maternity and Child Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 6Nursing Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Nursing, Alrayan Colleges, Almadina, Saudi Arabia; 7Faculty of Nursing, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia; 8Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Maternal and Child Nursing Sciences, College of Nursing, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; 10Faculty of Nursing, King Khalid University, Muhail Aseer, Saudi Arabia; 11Public Health Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Khamis Mushait Aseer, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Nahid K Elfaki, Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia, Email nahid1768@hotmail.com Waled AM Ahmed, Community Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966508245369, Email wahmed@bu.edu.saBackground: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne skin infection that remains prevalent in regions with poor socioeconomic conditions. Stigmatization occurs when individuals with physical or psychological disorders interact with societal stereotypes. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived social stigma surrounding CL among people residing in Hubuna, Saudi Arabia.Methods: This cross-sectional community-based survey recruited 618 individuals aged 18 years and above using the snowball sampling technique to reach hidden cases within the target population. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue for Perceived Social Stigma (EMIC-SS-12) was used to assess the level of perceived social stigma. It includes questions on demographic variables, behaviors, and experiences. The analysis was performed using SPSS.Results: The study included 618 participants, the majority of whom were women and girls (54.2%), with a mean age of 28 ± 12.7 years. The median score for perceived social stigma was 26.0. Only 2.1% (n = 13) of participants had the highest EMIC-SS-12 score of 36, while 7.6% (n = 47) scored zero. The mean score for overall perceived social stigma was 1.89 ± 0.91, while the mean score for experienced stigma was 1.99 ± 1.02. Univariate analysis showed that sex, employment, location of lesions, and number of lesions were insignificantly associated with stigmatization (P-value < 0.05), because these associations were uncertain because the CI includes or very close to 1.Conclusion: The study reveals insights into stigmatization associated with CL in the Habuna area of Saudi Arabia. It found that the median of perceived social stigma was 26. Factors such as sex, employment status, and location of the lesion are uncertainly associated with stigma. It is crucial to explore negative behaviors and perceptions and develop suitable health education programs.Keywords: social stigma, cutaneous leishmaniasis, Hubuna, Saudi Arabia, infectious diseases

Sadeq Abdo Mohammed Alwesabi,1 Yahya Hussein Ahmed Abdalla,2 Elsadig Eltaher Abdulrahman,1 Abdalla Mohamed Ahmed Osman,2 Mugahed Ali Alkhadher,1 Faroq Abdulghani Alshameri,3 Manal SA Hakami,4 Waled AM Ahmed4,5 1Medical and Surgical Nursing Department, Nursing College, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 2Community and Mental Health Nursing Department, Nursing College, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 3Nursing Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Nursing, Al-Rayan College, Almadina, Saudi Arabia; 4Nursing Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia; 5Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Postgraduate Studies, Al-Saeeda University, Sana’a, YemenCorrespondence: Waled AM Ahmed; Yahya Hussein Ahmed Abdalla, Tel +966508245369, Email wahmed@bu.edu.sa; yabdalla286@gmail.comBackground/Aim: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a significant complication of acute and chronic liver disease. It is crucial for nurses to have knowledge of encephalopathy symptoms to enable prompt and effective responses when caring for such patients. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate nurses’ HE knowledge in Najran hospitals in Saudi Arabia.Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with nurses at the Najran Hospital in Najran City, Saudi Arabia. The sample size was determined using Epi-Calc 2000, resulting in a final sample of 125 nurses from intensive care units (ICU), cardiac surgical ICU and pediatric ICU, and they were selected by convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, and 125 nurses participated in knowledge assessment. The data were coded and entered into SPSS version 21.0 for descriptive and inferential statistics. Information letters and consent forms were obtained from all the participants.Results: The majority of nurses (88.8%) were female, and 59.2% were married. The age range of participants was 20– 30 years (50.4%). Approximately 36.8% had 4– 6 years of work experience. The majority of the nurses (87.2%) held a bachelor’s degree. More than half (56%) of the nurses demonstrated moderate HE knowledge, whereas over a quarter (28%) exhibited good knowledge. There was a highly statistically significant association between marital status, level of education, nationality, and level of nurses’ knowledge regarding HE (P-value = 0.01, 0.02, and 0.02, respectively).Conclusion: The study concludes that nurses in Najran hospitals have an adequate knowledge levels, ranging from moderate to good. This highlights the importance of tailored educational programs to enhance nurses’ understanding of HE symptoms and management. Furthermore, the marital status, education level, and nationality have significant association with nurses’ knowledge.Keywords: hepatic encephalopathy, knowledge, Najran hospitals, nurses

Mohammed Jamaan Alzahrani,1 Nahid Elfaki,2 Yahya Hussein Ahmed Abdalla,2 Mugahed Ali Alkhadher,3 Maha Hamed Mohamed Ali,4 Waled AM Ahmed5 1Pediatric Department, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 2Community Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 3Medical and Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 4Public Health Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia; 5Nursing Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Albaha University, Al-Baha, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Nahid Elfaki, Community Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966503151008, Email nahid1768@hotmail.comBackground: Many countries are currently affected by leishmaniasis, and cutaneous leishmaniasis is ranked among the ten most neglected diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors related to cutaneous leishmaniasis and preventive measures among people living in Hubuna, Najran, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to October 2022. A convenience sampling technique was used, with 396 individuals invited to participate in the current study and 391 included. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized for collecting data. Descriptive analysis was used for risk factors and preventive measures, while χ2 tests were used for determining associations with risk factors.Results: Among participants, 38.1% (n=149) reported having cutaneous leishmaniasis clinically diagnosed and under treatment. Age 0– 10 years was found to be associated significantly with cutaneous leishmaniasis infection (AOR 3.08, 95% CI 1.6– 6.4; P=0.002) compared to other groups. A significant association was noted too for those residing in/around planted areas versus those who were not (AOR 1.18, 95% CI 0.13– 2.24; P< 0.001). In terms of occupation, farming was significantly associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis (AOR 2.54, 95% CI 1.15– 3.76; P=0.010). No significant associations were observed in regard to sex (AOR 1.4, 95% CI 0.7– 1.6; P=0.11), education (P=0.072), or preventive measures used (P> 0.05).Conclusion: The cutaneous leishmaniasis endemicity level in Hubuna was high. Several socioeconomic and environmental factors contribute enormously to the spread of the disease in the area. Further investigation of risk factors of cutaneous leishmaniasis all over the country and setting up appropriate interventions to prevent its spread are recommended.Keywords: cutaneous leishmaniasis, preventive measures, risk factors, Hubuna, Saudi Arabia

Background: Smoking is a common problem in university students worldwide. Smoking is one of the most dangerous social phenomena and has a significant impact on public health. This study investigated the beliefs and attitudes of medical students toward smoking in Sudan., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at Al Neelain University, Sudan, from March to June 2022 using a web-based questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of eight items on demographic characteristics and 13 on the beliefs and attitudes toward smoking. Other data included smoking status, smoking habits, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and smoking duration. Data analysis was performed descriptively, and chi-square test and logistic regression were conducted using SPSS version 24. Statistical significance was set at 0.05., Results: A total of 336 students participated in this study, and the smoking prevalence was 48.8% (41.1% in men and 7.7% in women). In total, 76.8% reported smoking daily at a rate of 5-10 cigarettes per day. In terms of students' beliefs about smoking, 86.8% disagreed with selling cigarettes at the university. Of the respondents, 68.4% did not approve smoking on campus. There was a relationship between smoking habits and the age group of 22-25 years, which was the highest smoking category among students ( p -value = 0.01)., Conclusion: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among medical students is disturbing, particularly as they are future doctors. There is a need to include plans to reduce smoking among students that can be incorporated into courses and special programs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that can be construed as potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jarelnape, Ahmed, Omer, Fadlala, Ali, Hassan, Ahmed, Hakami, Ali, Mohammed, Sagiron, Abdalla, Osman, Abdelazeem and Balola.)