ABSTRACT
Background School-based educational interventions are critical because they provide an opportunity to strengthen preventive measures by educating students about the importance of vaccination and promoting healthy practices within the community. Aim The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of influenza vaccination education in terms of knowledge and attitudes among secondary schoolgirl students in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods This open-label, parallel-group, quasi-experimental study included 419 secondary school girls in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The control group comprised 199 participants, while the intervention group comprised 220 participants. Both groups were administered a self-administered Arabic questionnaire prior to the study to collect information on participants' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding seasonal influenza and its vaccine. Subsequently, the intervention group was presented with a brief educational video and evaluated via a post-test. The primary outcomes were the students' knowledge and attitudes about seasonal influenza vaccines. The secondary outcomes were the participants' practices and reasons for not receiving the vaccine for seasonal influenza. Results Following an educational intervention about seasonal influenza and its vaccine, there was a statistical increase in knowledge and attitudes among students compared to a pre-intervention baseline. However, in both intervention and control groups, only a small proportion of participants had received the influenza vaccine, either once or on more than one occasion. Most participants employed additional preventive measures beyond vaccines; however, the majority also believed that vaccines were ineffective or perceived influenza as a relatively minor illness. Conclusion Implementing an influenza vaccination education program effectively enhances the knowledge and attitudes of secondary school female students in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, further measures need to be taken to enhance the low vaccination uptake among the target population.
ABSTRACT
Background Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) represent the most common diagnosis in ambulatory care settings. Some of these infections are properly treated with antibiotics, but evidence points to an inappropriate overuse of antibiotics in URTI management. This overuse is linked to antibiotic resistance, drug-related adverse effects, and increased costs. Objective This study evaluated the prevalence and predictors of antibiotic prescription for patients with URTI symptoms at the primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) and pediatric emergency department (ED) of the Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH) in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Methods A prospective study was conducted in the PHCCs and pediatric ED of MCH. Trained physicians collected data on patients with URTI symptoms aged three years and older. Scores based on modified Centor criteria were calculated, and rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) were conducted for all study participants. Results Out of 469 patients with a URTI, 141 (30.1%) received a prescription for an antibiotic, with a smaller proportion in the PHCCs (n=85; 24.4%) than in the pediatric ED (n=56; 46.3%). The main significant predictors of antibiotic prescription in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were a positive RADT result (OR=41.75, 95%CI=4.76-366.28), the presence of tonsillar exudate (OR=5.066, 95%CI=3.08-8.33), tender and/or swollen anterior cervical lymph nodes (OR=4.537, 95%CI=1.96-10.54), and fever (OR=3.519, 95%CI=2.33-5.31). A higher Centor score was also a predictor (2 to 5 vs. -1 to 1) (OR=2.72, 95%CI=1.8-4.12). The absence of a cough was not a significant predictor (OR=1.13, 95%CI=0.74-1.72). Conclusions Although a positive RADT increased the likelihood that a patient would be prescribed an antibiotic at the time of assessment, most antibiotic prescriptions were not justified. To control expenses, prevent adverse effects, and limit the spread of antibiotic resistance, efforts should be made to reduce unnecessarily high antibiotic usage.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of this study was to summarize the available evidence on the prevalence of stress, burnout, anxiety and depression among healthcare providers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Google scholar for related studies published between January 2020 and April 2021 and conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Results: Of the 1815 identified studies, 29 met the inclusion criteria, and 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of prevalence for moderate to severe anxiety as reported using GAD-7 was 34.57% (95% CI = 19.73%, 51.12%), that for moderate to severe depression using PHQ-9 was 53.12% (95% CI = 32.76%, 72.96%), and that for moderate to severe stress using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scales was 81.12% (95% CI = 72.15%, 88.70%). Meta-analysis was not performed for burnout due to the small number of identified studies and the different tools used; however, the highest prevalence was reported at 76% (95% CI = 64%, 85%). Overall, a positive trend was observed over time for moderate to severe anxiety and depression, p = 0.0059 and 0.0762, respectively. Of note, the heterogeneity was significant among the studies, and many studies were of poor quality. Conclusion: The prevalence of mental health disorders during the current pandemic among healthcare workers in GCC countries is high. However, the results could be affected by the high heterogeneity and low quality studies.