The attitudes of Syrian Private University Medical Students towards E-Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the education sector, leading to the closure of colleges and schools and disrupting the learning process for an uncertain duration. In response, electronic learning has emerged as a suitable method for continuing the educational process during the lockdown. This study aimed to assess the attitudes, practices, and barriers to e-learning among medical students at Syrian Private University. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of the Syrian Private University (SPU) in Damascus, Syria. The study used a convenience sampling approach and was carried out from June 2021 to January 2022. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire structured into two sections. The first section included 12 sociodemographic questions. The second section assessed students' attitudes, practices, and barriers related to e-learning, and consisted of 14 questions on attitudes, 11 questions on practices, and 9 questions on barriers. RESULTS: Of the 519 participating students, over half (55.1%) exhibited a negative attitude towards e-learning. However, more than 60% reported engaging in e-learning activities such as downloading educational content and participating in virtual study groups. The main barriers identified were unstable internet connections (92.7%) and challenges in communication with educators (82.7%). Bionomical logistic regression revealed that negative attitudes were predicted by housing status, academic year, health status, lack of engagement with colleagues in e-learning practices, and the reported barriers of difficulty adjusting learning style, lack of technical skills, poor communication with educators, limited access to devices, and limited space conducive for studying (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: While medical students at SPU were actively engaged in e-learning, over half held negative attitudes. These negative attitudes were associated with the various barriers that students reported. The findings can inform stakeholders in our institution and other Syrian universities about the challenges of implementing e-learning in medical colleges.

Prevalence of childhood obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its role in daytime sleepiness in Syria: a large-scale school-based cross-sectional study.

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) has become vastly conceded in the last decade as a possible reason for significant morbidity in childhood. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of OSAS among school children and to assess the interrelationship between OSAS and daytime sleepiness. Methods and materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 1029 children and adolescents aged 6-15 years attending elementary and secondary schools in Damascus, Syria. The questions involved 19 sleep problems items using the children sleep habits questionnaire, and 4 sleep disorder items (loud snoring, having snorts or gasps, breathing pauses, daytime sleepiness). Total sleep time (TST) was determined by sleep habits. Severe possible OSAS (p-OSAS) was addressed as having all OSA symptoms "frequently", and mild p-OSAS was defined as having any of the symptoms "sometimes". Severe and mild daytime sleepiness were rated as being very sleepy during the day "frequently", and "sometimes", respectively. Logistic regression was applied to predict risk factors of severe and mild daytime sleepiness. Results: The prevalence of p-OSAS was 22.2%, of them 15.8% were mild, and 6.3% were severe. p-OSAS was more recognized in males 15.2% children (P<0.05). Most p-OSAS children sleep less than 6 h of TST; however; the mean TST was significantly lower at the secondary school level (P≤0.001). Predicted risk factors for severe and mild daytime sleepiness were students' grade level (P<0.05), severe and mild p-OSAS (P≤0.001), and TST less than 6 h (P≤0.001). Conclusions: A significant number of children have p-OSAS, affecting daytime sleepiness in school age. Physicians should consider loud snoring, and breathing pauses as marked symptoms of severe daytime sleepiness. Moreover, raising parents awareness about OSAS and daytime sleepiness is essential to ensure early access to primary care.