Social media addiction and depression and their predictors among university students.

OBJECTIVES: Social media facilitate the interaction between individuals without regard to the distances between the users. Everybody who has access to internet can suffer from social media addiction. During COVID-19 pandemic there was an increase in social media usage among all population types and especially the university students, which would negatively affect their mental health. Therefore, this study aims at assessing social media addiction and depression among pharmacy students by using questionnaires specifically designed for this purpose. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with convenience sampling was conducted from the start of November to the end of December 2021 among undergraduate pharmacy students in Mosul city, Iraq. An online questionnaire was adopted; it consisted of three parts, the first was for collecting socio-demographic and social media usage information, Social Media Addiction Questionnaire (SMAQ) was used in the second part to assess social media addiction of the participants, and the third part was comprised of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression among students. RESULTS: Six hundred-three students completed the questionnaire and constituted the final study sample. Instagram was the most used social media program among the students. About 38 % of the students were at risk of becoming addicted on social media, with only 8.4 % of them being minimally or not depressed. Additionally, positive significant correlation was observed between social media addiction and depression. Using social media for more than 4 h and poor academic performance were found to be predictors for social media addiction and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Addiction to social media and depression are prevalent among pharmacy students in Iraq and the two are related to each other.

COVID-19 vaccination, do women suffer from more side effects than men? A retrospective cross-sectional study.

The vaccine was the only way to fight against Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) from its statement as a pandemic till day. COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the world health organization (WHO) in December 2020. Despite a large number of studies regarding the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, to our knowledge, there were limited studies that outlined the gender disparity towards COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects. This study aims to outline the variety of side effects among men and women after getting COVID-19 vaccines (either single or two doses). It is a cross-sectional study accomplished electronically from September to November 2021. The participants involved were 843 Health Care Workers (HCWs) from different cities in Iraq. The majority of respondents were females (664). Around 65% of males experienced adverse effects compared to 77% of females. A high frequency of severe pain was reported among females. Regarding dermatological reactions like swelling, redness and skin rash were also higher reported among female subjects. In addition to that, higher frequencies of moderate and severe systemic adverse effects and mild to moderate nausea was also reported more frequently among females. In terms of cardiopulmonary adverse effects, all the reported adverse effects were found more frequently among females. In conclusion, COVID-19 vaccines produced limited adverse effects and the majority of them were reported among women. This may be associated with hormonal and psychological factors related to them.

Depression, anxiety and stress after COVID-19 vaccination: A retrospective cross-sectional study among health care providers

Background: Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is a health concern that produced considerable psychological and physical health challenges to Health care providers (HCPs) internationally. Aims: This study aims to determine the level of depression, anxiety, and stress after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine among HCPs in Iraq. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used in this study. The participants involved were 700 Iraqi HCPs who received one or two doses from COVID-19 vaccines. The questionnaire was designed and brought to them electronically using Google form and distributed by social media. Then mental health status was measured using a specific depression, anxiety and stress scale named DASS-21. Each domain of the DASS scale was calculated for each subject and DASS-21 scores were compared between different demographic groups. Results: Females represented a large percentage of participants (80%). The majority of participants had a normal level of DASS-21 after receiving the vaccine. Higher scores were obtained among graduated young age groups also among individuals who have side effects associated with the vaccine. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that assesses mental health after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in the middle east. The study concluded that HCPs have low DASS-21 scores and this gives us promising results for the use of the COVID-19 vaccine in future. (AU)

COVID-19 vaccination, do women suffer from more side effects than men? A retrospective cross-sectional study

The vaccine was the only way to fight against Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) from its statement as a pandemic till day. COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the world health organization (WHO) in December 2020. Despite a large number of studies regarding the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, to our knowledge, there were limited studies that outlined the gender disparity towards COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects. This study aims to outline the variety of side effects among men and women after getting COVID-19 vaccines (either single or two doses). It is a cross-sectional study accomplished electronically from September to November 2021. The participants involved were 843 Health Care Workers (HCWs) from different cities in Iraq. The majority of respondents were females (664). Around 65% of males experienced adverse effects compared to 77% of females. A high frequency of severe pain was reported among females. Regarding dermatological reactions like swelling, redness and skin rash were also higher reported among female subjects. In addition to that, higher frequencies of moderate and severe systemic adverse effects and mild to moderate nausea was also reported more frequently among females. In terms of cardiopulmonary adverse effects, all the reported adverse effects were found more frequently among females. In conclusion, COVID-19 vaccines produced limited adverse effects and the majority of them were reported among women. This may be associated with hormonal and psychological factors related to them. (AU)

Which Type of the Promising COVID-19 Vaccines Produces Minimal Adverse Effects? A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Since the declaration of Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was clear that vaccination is the best way to overcome it. Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Pfizer were the first vaccines introduced to defeat it. To recognize the short-term adverse effects among Iraqi health care workers (HCWs) after vaccination, the three COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available in Iraq were compared. An online survey was distributed to Iraqi HCWs who had received at least one of the COVID-19 vaccines as part of a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS. The total number of participants was 843. The majority of the participants (85.9%) were under 39 years old, with 78.8% of them being females. Around 60% of individuals had received the Pfizer vaccine. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had infected 46.7% of the total participants. A total of 628 out of 843 participants experienced adverse effects after receiving the vaccine, accounting for 74.49% of the overall respondents. After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the vast majority of respondents who received the three vaccines experienced pain at the injection site (n = 800), while other side effects like headache, myalgia, tiredness and fever mainly appeared with Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. Most of the reported adverse effects were tolerable and self-limited and they were linked to the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

Depression, anxiety and stress after COVID-19 vaccination: A retrospective cross-sectional study among health care providers.

Background: Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is a health concern that produced considerable psychological and physical health challenges to Health care providers (HCPs) internationally. Aims: This study aims to determine the level of depression, anxiety, and stress after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine among HCPs in Iraq. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used in this study. The participants involved were 700 Iraqi HCPs who received one or two doses from COVID-19 vaccines. The questionnaire was designed and brought to them electronically using Google form and distributed by social media. Then mental health status was measured using a specific depression, anxiety and stress scale named DASS-21. Each domain of the DASS scale was calculated for each subject and DASS-21 scores were compared between different demographic groups. Results: Females represented a large percentage of participants (80%). The majority of participants had a normal level of DASS-21 after receiving the vaccine. Higher scores were obtained among graduated young age groups also among individuals who have side effects associated with the vaccine. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that assesses mental health after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in the middle east. The study concluded that HCPs have low DASS-21 scores and this gives us promising results for the use of the COVID-19 vaccine in future.

Spirometric Outcomes and Oxidative Stress Among Cement Factory Workers: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Cement industry workers are at high risk due to the dust emitted at various steps of its production. Pulmonary damage is the most important hazard. This work aimed to evaluate lung function and oxidative stress parameters of the workers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 97 workers in four cement factories was conducted from December/2019 to March/2020. Data collection was performed by spirometry test and measuring oxidative stress parameters. RESULTS: There were significant differences in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) between workers in milling and packaging departments. Negative correlations were found between oxidative stress and spirometric parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged occupational exposure to cement dust could worsen the pulmonary function. Working in milling department is associated with a pronounced effect on oxidative stress. Higher oxidative stress parameters were associated with lower pulmonary function.

Knowledge and Practice of Contraception Use Among Females of Child-Bearing Age in Mosul, Iraq.

PURPOSE: For thousands of years, fertility control has been used in different forms. This study was carried out to evaluate the knowledge and practice of participants regarding birth control methods with the prevalence of each method. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed to evaluate knowledge and practice among females. Three family-planning centers were included in addition to 2 general hospitals. A total of 440 married women between the ages of 18 and 40 years were interviewed by the first author. Self-administered version of a previously translated questionnaire was used to evaluate practice and knowledge concerning contraception use. RESULTS: A total sample of 388 women of child-bearing age was interviewed. The mean age ± SD was 29.76 ± 6.67, while the mean number of their offspring was 4.06 ± 2.08. The intrauterine contraceptive device was the most frequently used method followed by oral contraceptive pills, while the safe-period method was the least frequently used. More than 50% of the females obtained their contraceptives from public health centers and/or hospitals. The mean number of contraception methods known by the females was 2.15 ± 1.07. Safety was the most indicated criterion for choosing the preferred method. Out of all the respondents, 86.9% indicated that they experience adverse effects from using contraceptive methods, in which a higher rate was for oral pills (31.1%), intrauterine contraceptive device (21.3%), or from both methods (18.4%). CONCLUSION: This study disclosed an acceptable level of knowledge and positive practices among Iraqi women seeking health-care facilities with respect to birth control methods. Females with lower levels of education require continued education and regular communication about the importance of birth control to promote the use of modern contraceptive methods. The findings from this study will help to develop programs that can improve knowledge of females and services provided by the health-care system and can reduce adverse effects from contraception and the incidence of unplanned pregnancies.

Diabetes knowledge, medication adherence and glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Most of interventions that have attempted to improve medication adherence in type 2 diabetes have been educational; on the assumption that knowledge regarding diabetes might affect patients' adherence to their treatment regimen. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate any association of knowledge and medication adherence with glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Setting The study was conducted at the Diabetes Outpatients Clinic, Hospital Pulau Penang. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 540 adult patients with type 2 diabetes attending the clinic. A questionnaire including previously validated Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used and the patients' medical records were reviewed for haemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels and other disease-related information. A total of 35 (6.48%) patients were excluded after data collection due to lack of HbA1C results. RESULTS: Five hundred and five patients were included in the final analysis, with a mean age of 58.15 years (SD = 9.16), 50.7% males and median HbA1C of 7.6 (IQR was 6.7-8.9). The median total knowledge score was 7.0 (IQR was 5.0-10.0) while the median adherence score was 6.5 (IQR was 4.75-7.75). Significant correlations were found between the three variables (HbA1C, knowledge and adherence). A significantly higher score for knowledge and adherence (P < 0.05) was found in those patients with lower HbA1C. Higher diabetes knowledge, higher medication adherence and using mono-therapy were significant predictors of good glycemic control in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Patients' knowledge about diabetes is associated with better medication adherence and better glycemic control. In addition to other factors affecting medication adherence and glycemic control, healthcare providers should pay attention to knowledge about diabetes that the patients carry towards medication adherence.

The eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale MMAS: translation and validation of the Malaysian version.

AIMS: To translate and examine the psychometric properties of the Malaysian version of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) among patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A standard "forward-backward" procedure was used to translate MMAS into Malay language. It was later validated on a convenience sample of 223 type 2 diabetes outpatients between May and September 2009. Reliability was tested for internal consistency. Validity was confirmed using convergent and known group validity. RESULTS: Employing the recommended scoring method, the mean±SD of MMAS scores was 6.13±1.72. Moderate internal consistency was found (Cronbach's α=0.675), the test-retest reliability value was 0.816 (p<0.001). A positive correlation between the eight- and four-item MMAS was found (r=0.792; p<0.01). A significant relationship between MMAS categories and HbA1c categories (χ(2)=20.261; p≥0.001) was found. The MMAS sensitivity and specificity, with positive and negative predictive values were 77.61%, 45.37%, 46.84% and 76.56%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this validation study indicate that the Malaysian version of the MMAS is a reliable and valid measure of medication adherence which can now be used.