Workplace Violence against Health Care Providers in Emergency Departments of Public Hospitals in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare providers is a serious problem that carries health, safety, and legal consequences. Healthcare providers working in emergency departments (ED) are more susceptible to WPV compared to other healthcare settings. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of physical and verbal violence against ED physicians and nurses in public hospitals in Amman, Jordan, and to explore the relationship between WPV and the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to assess physical and verbal violence against ED physicians and nurses. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 67 physicians and 96 nurses from three public hospitals in Amman. In the past year, 33% and 53% of the participants experienced physical and verbal violence, respectively. Compared to their female counterparts, males were more frequently physically (43.7% vs. 2.3%, p-value < 0.001) and verbally (61.3% vs. 29.5%, p-value < 0.001) abused. The main perpetrators of physical and verbal violence were the patients' relatives. Out of 53 physical and 86 verbal abuse incidents, only 15 cases (10.8%) were followed up with legal persecution. In conclusion, there is a widespread occurrence of physical and verbal violence against ED physicians and nurses in the public sector hospitals in Jordan. A collaborative effort by all stakeholders should be instituted to ensure the safety of the physicians and nurses and to improve the quality of the healthcare provided.

Effects of CYP2B6 Genetic Variants on the Propofol Dose and Response among Jordanian Arabic Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Propofol is the most commonly used general anesthetic drug in many countries, including Jordan. However, there is a wide variation in the propofols' dose and response among the patients. Genetic variation in the cytochrome (CYP) 2B6 gene affects propofol metabolism and might affect propofol dose and response. AIMS: This study aimed to determine the influence of major genetic alleles of the CYP2B6 gene, CYP2B6*2A, *6A, *3, *4A, and *5A, on the required propofol dose and response among Jordanian Arabic patients attending The University of Jordan Hospital. METHODS: A total of 155 patients were administrated propofol. The propofol response was evaluated by monitoring the time to reach the bispectral index of 60 (BIS60) for every patient. The CYP2B6 genetic variants were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction through specific enzymes for CYP2B6 variants. RESULTS: It is found that patients with variant CYP2B6*2A and *4A alleles required significantly (P < 0.05) lower propofol doses, while patients with variant CYP2B6*6A, *3, and *5A alleles required higher propofol doses in comparison with patients carrying the wild CYP2B6 alleles. Patients with variant CYP2B6*2A and *3 alleles needed a significantly (P < 0.05) shorter while patients with variant CYP2B6*5A allele needed longer time of BIS60 than patients with wild CYP2B6*2A, *3, and *5A alleles. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that CYP2B6 genetic variants affect propofol dose and can explain, at least partly, the inter-individual variation in the propofol response. Further clinical studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm the findings of this study.

Predictors of adherence with home quarantine during COVID-19 crisis: the case of health belief model.

Although Jordan has applied lockdown in response to COVID-19 pandemic, many people were not adherent to the quarantine. We aimed to examine the attitudes of the Jordanians and how these attitudes can predict their adherence using the health belief model (HBM). A cross-sectional study of 5057 participants using an internet-based questionnaire was conducted during lockdown. Multivariable ordinal regression analyses were used to estimate predictors of adherence to home quarantine. Overall, 646 (12.8%), 2078 (41.2%), and 2317 (46%) of participants showed poor, intermediate, and strict adherence, respectively. Of the HBM constructs, seriousness (ß= 0.116, 95% CI 0.027 to 0.205), benefits (ß= 0.056, 95% CI 0.002 to 0.110) and barriers (ß= -0.025, 95% CI -0.035 to -0.015) were significant predictors. We identified income insecurity (ß= -0.096, 95% CI -0.144 to -0.046), social withdrawal (ß= -0.062, 95% CI -0.121 to -0.004), religious concerns (ß= -0.149, 95% CI -0.202 to -0.096) and health consequences (ß= 0.065, 95% CI 0.011 to 0.11) as barriers. Governmental instructions were the only predictive external cue (ß= 0.055, 95% CI 0.004 to 0.014). Our findings suggest that a high number of Jordanians are adherent with the quarantine, demonstrating the ability of governmental policies in tackling potential barriers.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: early quarantine-related anxiety and its correlates among Jordanians.

BACKGROUND: Jordan implemented a nationwide lockdown and recommended self-quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such measures are expected to have consequences on mental health. AIMS: In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of quarantine-related anxiety and its socioeconomic correlates. METHODS: An online questionnaire was utilized to collect information about quarantine-related anxiety and related factors from a non-representative sample of Jordanian population in March 2020. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to ascertain the level of stress. Using STATA 16, multivariable ordinal logistic regression was done to estimate beta-coefficient (ß) and corresponding 95% CI of the anxiety level. RESULTS: Overall, 5274 participants returned the survey. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe anxiety was 21.5%, 10.9%, and 6%, respectively. Female gender (ß= 0.47, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.59) and more members of the household (ß= 0.04, 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.07) were correlated with a higher degree of anxiety, while older age (ß= -0.27, 95% CI: -0.33 to -0.20), having larger social network (ß= -0.17, 95% CI -0.22 to -0.13), social support (ß= -0.28, 95% CI: -0.32 to -0.23), and higher income (>2000 Jordanian Dinars vs reference, ß= -0.52, 95% CI: -0.71 to -0.33) were correlated with lower BAI scores. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that approximately four out of every ten participants experienced quarantine-related anxiety. Younger participants, women, and people with poor social support were more likely to experience quarantine-related anxiety. These findings highlight the importance of targeting these groups to mitigate the consequence of home quarantine on public health.