Nomophobia among university students in five Arab countries in the Middle East: prevalence and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Excessive use of mobile phones leading to development of symptoms suggestive of dependence syndrome with teenagers are far more likely to become dependent on mobile phones as compared to adults. COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the mental health of several groups in society, especially university students. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of mobile phone dependence among university students and its associated factors. METHODS: Between September 2021 and January 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted at universities in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia utilizing an online and paper-based self-administered questionnaire. We employed a previously developed questionnaire by Aggarwal et al. RESULTS: A total of 5,720 university students were involved in this study (Egypt = 2813, Saudi Arabia = 1509, Jordan = 766, Lebanon = 432, and Bahrain = 200). The mean estimated daily time spent on using mobile phone was 186.4 (94.4) minutes. The highest mobile dependence score was observed for the university students from Egypt and the lowest mobile dependence score was observed for the university students from Lebanon. The most common dependence criteria across the study sample was impaired control (55.6%) and the least common one was harmful use (25.1%). Females and those reported having anxiety problem or using a treatment for anxiety were at higher risk of developing mobile phone dependence by 15% and 75%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Mobile phone dependence is common among university students in Arab countries in the Middle East region. Future studies exploring useful interventions to decrease mobile phone dependence are warranted.

Prevalence of Sleep Disorders Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Makkah City: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to rising rates of morbidity and mortality associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), Saudi Arabia is ranked second in the Middle East and seventh overall among nations with the greatest incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Significant sleep abnormalities have been linked to difficulties in managing blood sugar levels, suggesting a link between sleep disorders and diabetes. This study aimed to find out how common sleep disturbances were among patients with T2DM in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2022 in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. Patients with T2DM who visited primary healthcare facilities in Makkah during the study's duration were included in the study. To evaluate sleep quality, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in Arabic was employed. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were given an interview questionnaire to fill out. RESULTS: In total, 355 patients with T2DM were enrolled in this study. The patients' median age was 49.24 years. Other than DM, a majority of them (58.9%) had chronic illnesses, with hypertension (64.5%) and cardiovascular disease (65.5%) as the most prevalent comorbidities. Only 22% of the patients had controlled diabetes. Of the individuals who had sleep disorders, 63.7% stated having poor sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Sleep problems are a common occurrence in patients with T2DM. Additionally, compared to people with other chronic disorders, people with endocrine diseases had poorer sleep quality. Hence, the duration of diabetes has an impact on sleep quality.