Assessment of Cognitive Impairment and Related Factors Among Elderly People in Jordan.

Background: With an increase in elderly people, it is essential to address the issue of cognitive impairment and support healthy aging. This study aimed to assess cognitive impairment and factors associated with it among older adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in different catchment areas within the Jerash governorate in the north of Jordan. The Elderly Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire (ECAQ) and a household face-to-face interview were used to collect data from 220 older adult participants aged 60 years and more. Descriptive statistics were conducted to describe the study variables. Correlation tests were applied to find associations between them. Logistic regression analysis was applied, with a minimum significance level (p < 0.05). Results: About 9.10% of the older adults had cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment was correlated with age, self-perceived health, hypertension, stroke, and mental illness. The primary predictors of cognitive impairment were age [odds ratio (OR) =1.07 (1.01-1.14), p = 0.001] and stroke [OR = 10.92 (1.44-82.85), p = 0.001]. Conclusions: While many factors were correlated with cognitive impairment, the strongest predictors of cognitive impairment were age and stroke.

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among School Children in Abha-Saudi Arabia.

Oral health is a very critical component of individuals' physical and psychological well-being. The present study aimed to investigate the dental health knowledge, attitude, and practice among schoolchildren in Abha. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted. Each student completed a questionnaire regarding oral health. The participants were 800 students: 54.8% were male and 45.2% were female. Knowledge scores showed that -59.1% of the participants have fair knowledge. Statistically significant results were found between the age, school type, and students' educational level with the knowledge of oral health care (p < .05). More than half of the participants had positive attitudes (57.2%) and less than half demonstrated satisfactory oral health habits (45.3%). Students' educational level was significantly associated with attitudes and practices (p < .05). It can be concluded that the average knowledge, attitude, and practice level was 53.9%, which is not a positive indicator and needs to be strengthened.

Impact of COVID-19 on perinatal mental health among pregnant mothers infected with COVID-19, during the first wave of the epidemic in Jordan.

Background: Data concerning the impact of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection on the mental health of pregnant women are still limited. The study explored baseline information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in the perinatal period, among mothers infected with COVID-19, during the first wave of the epidemic in Jordan. The current study aimed to examine the anxiety levels of pregnant women infected with coronavirus over the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from March to December 2021, using an online survey that addressed key issues related to the role of COVID-19 infection in developing anxiety among pregnant women using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The study population was pregnant women with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection, and who agreed to participate in the study (n = 530). Results: The results indicated that one-third of the women had contracted coronavirus infection in each trimester. Most had no pregnancy complications (78.0%), 42.0% had no symptoms of coronavirus infection, 10.0% were hospitalized and 2.0% were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Approximately half declared that they did not receive support from the medical staff, although 71.0% had very good support from their families. Nearly a quarter of respondents stopped smiling while infected, 19% did not want to have any entertainment, and one-third had sleep problems. Moreover, more than half of the pregnant women were feeling anxiety (58.0%) and fear (59.0%). The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 67%. The EPDS scores were statistically significant and associated with being a smoker, method of delivery, getting COVID-19, experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and being admitted to a hospital or ICU. Conclusions: This study highlights that healthcare providers and family members should pay more attention to maternal mental health during a pandemic. Fear and anxiety among pregnant women need to be taken into account more during the period of international crises, taking into account the mental health of the pregnant woman when developing health plans, developing health programs, and providing diagnostic and therapeutic management in the maternal care departments.

Public Awareness Toward Coronavirus Disease-2019.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has become a global issue of concern. Since its occurrence, about 18 million cases have been reported globally and about 280 000 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the general population toward COVID-19. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A questionnaire was built by the researchers that was composed of demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices sections. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 575 participants. The mean scores of knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 16.48 ± 2.90, 10.01 ± 2.18, and 8.91 ± 1.91, respectively. The Ministry of Health constitutes the main source of participants' information. CONCLUSION: The findings showed that participants have good knowledge, positive attitudes, and satisfactory practices toward COVID-19. Yet, areas of low knowledge and negative attitudes were noticed. However, further studies are recommended to design an effective measure to control the disease.