Student Perception and Preferences With Social Media for Enhanced Learning in Health Sciences Following Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities worldwide pivoted to distance education, primarily online, using various blended learning tools. In the contemporary era, characterized by widespread high-speed internet and the ubiquity of social media (SM), SM has become an essential tool, especially among students. This study aimed to assess the perception, impact, and preferences of various SM platforms for learning among health sciences students in the post-COVID-19 era. Methodology The study was conducted at constituent colleges of Jouf University and Northern Border University between January and June 2022. Responses from 560 students were assessed using a self-administered, pre-validated questionnaire comprising 31 questions. These questions addressed students' perceptions, preferences, and learning modes derived from SM. Descriptive and inferential statistics evaluated the influence of SM on student learning. Results On average, students spent 3.18 hours daily on SM. YouTube (41.1%) and Instagram (37.1%) emerged as the most preferred platforms for learning. A significant 86.4% of students utilized SM for accessing subject-related texts and watching related videos. Moreover, 78.6% believed that SM platforms enhanced their subject knowledge following lectures. Logistic regression analysis indicated maximum learning benefits for students who used SM between two to three hours daily. Conclusion Social media platforms, when used judiciously, can enhance the learning experience for health sciences students in the post-COVID era. While offering opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills, care must be taken to prevent misuse, abuse, or related health hazards.

Comparison of distraction techniques using salivary biomarkers during local anaesthesia administration in children aged 3-5 years: A clinical study.

Aim: In paediatric dentistry, pain is adversely influenced by a child's level of anxiety. Ironically, the most common form of pain control used in dentistry, local anaesthesia, can itself produce anxiety. One of the techniques to overcome a child's anxiety is using distraction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of distraction techniques, i.e. audio distraction (AD) and audio-visual distraction (AVD) by measuring salivary stress biomarker (salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase) levels in 3-5 year-old children. Materials and Methods: Forty children aged 3-5 years were divided randomly into two groups; (Group I = AD, Group II = AVD). Cotton pellets were placed in the lingual vestibule to collect a sample of saliva. Children were then asked to wear overhead phones in the AD group, connected to a phone, and rhymes were played. In AVD, a cartoon movie was shown to the children using AV glasses. Simultaneously, local anaesthesia was administrated to children, after which another saliva sample was collected. Biomarker estimation was done using ELISA. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Statistically significant results were seen with Group II compared to Group I (cortisol-P = 0.009; salivary alpha-amylase-P = 0.03). Conclusion: Both distraction techniques are effective in reducing stress but compared to AD, AVD is more efficacious.