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BACKGROUND: Monkeypox outbreaks in non-endemic countries emphasize the importance of being prepared to prevent its progression to a pandemic. To effectively control monkeypox, healthcare providers must have sufficient knowledge and good attitudes and practices to limit its spread. We initiated this project to assess the factors associated with health workers' knowledge and attitude toward monkeypox in southwestern Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We included 398 eligible health workers working at various health facilities. Data was collected using an online survey, and participants had an opportunity to consent. We conducted descriptive statistics for all variables and used chi-square statistics, t-test, and multivariate analysis to establish the association between health workers' demographic characteristics and knowledge of monkeypox disease. RESULTS: The mean age was 30.93 ± 8.25 years for the included participants, and most of them were between 22 and 29 years, male, single, nurses, working in government hospitals, and had worked for at least five years. The chi-square and t-test showed that the participants' knowledge level was significantly related to age, marital status, job title, and medical practice. Most of the participants had low knowledge and good attitudes toward monkeypox prevention measures. Multivariate analysis showed that higher knowledge was associated with younger age after controlling all other significant bivariate relationships between knowledge and demographics. CONCLUSIONS: This study found low knowledge levels and high good attitude levels of monkeypox among the participants. As such, there is a need to support health workers in understanding monkeypox epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Therefore, Saudi Arabia will be making significant strides to being well prepared and ready to handle future monkeypox outbreaks.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18332/tid/156842.].
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INTRODUCTION: Smoking cessation has significant health benefits. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and related factors of smoking cessation therapies in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that took place at smoking cessation clinics in primary healthcare centers between January 2019 and January 2020. RESULTS: This study enrolled a total of 103 people. The success rate for quitting smoking was 36% at three months, with a 13% relapse rate at six months. Age (p=0.017), occupation (p=0.046), daily cigarette intake (p=0.015), and number of visits (p=0.001) were all found to be significant determinants of smoking cessation. In the multivariate analysis, only the number of visits increased the likelihood to quit smoking (AOR=0.31; 95% CI: 0.15-0.63). Self-efficacy was cited as the primary reason for quitting smoking by 71% of the participants, whereas family support, smoking cessation therapies, and friends' support were cited as predictive variables by 18%, 10%, and 1% of the participants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Smokers who received the smoking cessation intervention package were three times more likely to succeed in giving up smoking when compared to those who received the routine service. Regular follow-up during smoking cessation interventions significantly enhanced the quit rate. It is recommended that pharmacotherapy strategies and intense therapy performed face-to-face with a cessation counselor be combined to improve the quit rate.
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(1) Background: Recent studies in Saudi Arabia have indicated that a small proportion of the population is hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccines due to uncertainty about their safety. The objective of this study was therefore to examine concerns about COVID-19 vaccines in Saudi Arabia; (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed Saudi residents aged 14 years and older. The online questionnaire consisted of the following sections: (1) demographics; (2) knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and sources of information; (3) COVID-19 vaccines worry scale; and (4) opinions about restrictions placed on unvaccinated individuals in Saudi Arabia. An adjusted regression model was computed to examine the relationships between demographic factors and worry about COVID-19 vaccines. All analyses were stratified by age, with those aged 19 years and above considered adults and those aged younger than 19 years considered as adolescents; (3) Results: A total of 1002 respondents completed the survey. Of the study sample, 870 were aged ≥19 years and 132 were aged <19 years. Of the adults in the study sample, 52% either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "I am worried about the potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccinations in children". Among adults, females demonstrated higher levels of worry about COVID-19 vaccines than males (ß = 1.142; p = 0.004) in the adjusted analyses. A high percentage of the participants either disagreed or strongly disagreed with allowing unvaccinated individuals to enter malls, schools, universities or to live freely without restrictions; (4) Conclusions: A high proportion of individuals in Saudi Arabia are concerned about possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, and many believe that unvaccinated individuals should not be restricted from participating in public life. It is therefore crucial to provide easily accessible information on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in order to accelerate vaccination and minimize hesitancy regarding any future vaccinations that may be necessary.