Smoking and associated factors among school teenagers in the city of Sousse (Smoking and school teenagers).

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use among teenagers in an increasing concern for the international community, especially with the fact that early experimentation is now identified as a risk factor for durable consumption and addiction. AIM: To study Tobacco use and its determinants amongteenagers in the city of Sousse. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectionalstudy was carried out among a sample of teenagers enrolled in the city of Sousse (Tunisia) in 2016-2017. A two-stage sampling was conducted for the selection of adolescents. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire in Arabic language. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 330 students. The prevalence of smoking was 9.7%(95% CI6,7% ;13%), with a male predominance (14.4% vs 6.3%). The mean age of onset of tobacco was 14.65 ± 1.38 years. 44.8% of parents ignore their children's smoking. The mean dependence score was 4.77 ± 3.6 (HONC test).  Factors significantly associated with smoking were gender, age, educational level, repeating school years, relationship with parents and teachers, presence of smokers in the environment, knowledge about the health risks of tobacco. CONCLUSION: Sensitizationactions should be strengthened within schools, starting even in primary schools, in collaboration with teachers, family and health professionals. In addition, more effective and rigorous enforcement of legislation is essential.

[Prevalence and associated factors of alcohol consumption among students of the Sousse region of Tunisia]. / Prévalence et facteurs associés à la consommation d'alcool chez les étudiants de Sousse, Tunisie.

Aim: This study was designed to assess the prevalence of alcohol consumption and factors associated with alcohol consumption among students of the Sousse region of Tunisia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 556 students of Sousse universities during the 2012-2013 academic year, using an anonymous self-report questionnaire. Data capture and statistical analysis were performed with SPSS software 18.0. Results: Our study population was composed of 268 males (48.2%) with a mean age of 21.8 ± 2.1 years. Eighty-four students (15.1%) had consumed alcohol at least once. On multivariate analysis, male gender (OR = 6.94; 95%CI = [2.32-20.72]), smoking (OR = 13.21; 95%CI = [6.20-27.78]), drug use (OR = 32.22; 95%CI = [6.73-154.26]) and parental alcohol consumption (OR = 4.31; 95%CI = [1.70-10.91]) were the factors significantly associated with alcohol consumption among students. Conclusion: This study was designed to determine the characteristics of alcohol consumption among Tunisian students. Alcohol consumption levels were comparable to those reported in the general population and were significantly related to smoking and drug use. The next step of this study will consist of developing strategies to prevent risk behaviours in the student population.

[Determinants of paramedical staff motivation in a Tunisian hospital]. / Les facteurs de motivation au travail chez les cadres paramédicaux dans un hôpital tunisien.

The results of this study will help guide public hospital human resource managers in the choice of measures designed to increase the motivation of their employees in order to ensure staff satisfaction as well as quality health care services..

[The morbidity diagnosed among the elderly in primary care at the sanitary region of Sousse]. / La morbidité diagnostiquée en première ligne chez les personnes âgées dans la région sanitaire de Sousse.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, the ageing of the population became a societal frequent problem throughout the world. In Tunisia, the part of the elderly of 60 years old and over is estimated at 17,7 % in 2029. This ageing is at the origin of important health problems, in particular the increase of the frequency of the chronic diseases. AIM: To identify the Sociodemographic characteristics of the consultants of 65 years old and over, and to describe the morbidity diagnosed in this age group in the primary health care centers of the sanitary region of Sousse. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study in 86 primary health care centers in Sousse over 1 year (2002-2003). Medical records for 3 weeks per season were randomly selected. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) was used to code recorded data. RESULTS: 2198 consultations were collected, elderly person presents on average 1,22 (± 0,55) morbid states by consultation. The main diseases identified in order were cardiovascular (26,2%), breathing (20,8%), osteo-articular (14,8%). Psychological and social disorders accounted for only 0,4% of cases. The major health problems were uncomplicated hypertension (22,4%), acute bronchitis / bronchiolitis (9,2%), diabetes mellitus type 2 (7,9%) and osteoarthritis of knee (4,7%). CONCLUSION: These results are important both to meet the needs of consultants and especially to better adapt the training to practice field.

Nurse students' perception of the academic learning environment in Tunisian institutes of nursing sciences: A multisite cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: A learning environment is an important determinant of students' learning behaviours, professional competencies, and academic performances. It is also an essential indicator of the quality of teaching programmes. To date, there is not a Tunisian study, that analysed nurse students' perceptions of the educational environment. AIMS: This study aimed to assess the perception of Tunisian higher nursing institutes students regarding the quality of the learning environment, and identify the factors associated with it. DESIGN: Multi-site cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Five universities of nursing sciences in Tunisia. PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate nursing students (n = 736). METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted during the academic year 2019-2020. The Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was used to describe the students' perceptions of the learning environment. The participants were recruited using a convenience sampling method. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 20. One-way analysis of variance and t-test were used to compare the DREEM scores and socio-demographic/academic characteristics. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The mean overall DREEM score was 110.92 ± 20.55, indicating a positive perception of the learning environment. The year of study was significantly associated with total DREEM scores, with first-year students scoring higher than third- and second-year students (p = 0.035). The perception of the learning environment varied significantly among the five institutes (p < 10-3). Demotivated atmosphere, lack of a support system, poor timetable organisation, and teacher-centred learning were revealed as problematic areas that needed improvement (individual score < 2). Our adapted version of the DREEM obtained acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.881). CONCLUSIONS: The study reported positive perceptions of the students regarding their academic learning environment. However, the DREEM scores reflected a traditional learning environment. It is essential to re-engineer the curriculum and shift the teaching paradigm towards 'student-centred curriculum' to enhance both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the learning environment.