Unveiling blood donation knowledge, attitude, and practices among 12,606 university students: a cross-sectional study across 16 countries.

We assessed university students' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward blood donation and identified the factors that promote or hinder their willingness to donate. We employed a multicenter cross-sectional design, collecting data from August to October 2022 through self-administered questionnaires available in Arabic and English. Both online (Google Forms) and paper surveys were utilized. Data were analyzed using R Statistical Software (v4.1.3; R Core Team 2022). A total of 12,606 university students (7966 females and 4640 males) from 16 countries completed the questionnaire; of them, 28.5% had a good knowledge level regarding blood donation, and 22.7% had donated blood at least once. Students in health science colleges had significantly more awareness of blood donation (p-value < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in practice (p-value = 0.8). Barriers to donation included not being asked (37%), medical ineligibility (33%), fear of pain or infection (18%), concerns about negative health effects (18%), difficulty accessing donation centers (15%), and medical mistrust (14%). Individuals aged > 20 years had significantly higher odds of possessing a high knowledge level (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.77, p < 0.001). Private and international university enrollment was associated with increased knowledge (aOR 1.19, p-value < 0.001 and aOR 1.44, p-value = 0.003), while non-health science college students had lower odds (aOR 0.36, p < 0.001). Regarding blood donation status, participants > 20 years old were more likely to donate (aOR 2.21, p < 0.001). Conversely, being female, having congenital or chronic diseases, and possessing low knowledge levels were associated with decreased odds of blood donation (all p < 0.05). University students show insufficient knowledge about blood donation, with health science students displaying higher awareness levels. Despite their positive attitudes, blood donation rates remain low across all disciplines. It is imperative to enhance education and accessibility to foster a culture of blood donation among students.

Knowledge, attitude, and perception of Arab medical students towards artificial intelligence in medicine and radiology: A multi-national cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess undergraduate medical students' knowledge, attitude, and perception regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine. METHODS: A multi-national, multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2022, targeting undergraduate medical students in nine Arab countries. The study utilized a web-based questionnaire, with data collection carried out with the help of national leaders and local collaborators. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of knowledge, attitude, and perception among the participants. Additionally, cluster analysis was employed to identify shared patterns within their responses. RESULTS: Of the 4492 students surveyed, 92.4% had not received formal AI training. Regarding AI and deep learning (DL), 87.1% exhibited a low level of knowledge. Most students (84.9%) believed AI would revolutionize medicine and radiology, with 48.9% agreeing that it could reduce the need for radiologists. Students with high/moderate AI knowledge and training had higher odds of agreeing to endorse AI replacing radiologists, reducing their numbers, and being less likely to consider radiology as a career compared to those with low knowledge/no AI training. Additionally, the majority agreed that AI would aid in the automated detection and diagnosis of pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: Arab medical students exhibit a notable deficit in their knowledge and training pertaining to AI. Despite this, they hold a positive perception of AI implementation in medicine and radiology, demonstrating a clear understanding of its significance for the healthcare system and medical curriculum. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study highlights the need for widespread education and training in artificial intelligence for Arab medical students, indicating its significance for healthcare systems and medical curricula. KEY POINTS: • Arab medical students demonstrate a significant knowledge and training gap when it comes to using AI in the fields of medicine and radiology. • Arab medical students recognize the importance of integrating AI into the medical curriculum. Students with a deeper understanding of AI were more likely to agree that all medical students should receive AI education. However, those with previous AI training were less supportive of this idea. • Students with moderate/high AI knowledge and training displayed increased odds of agreeing that AI has the potential to replace radiologists, reduce the demand for their services, and were less inclined to pursue a career in radiology, when compared to students with low knowledge/no AI training.

How do university students perceive the educational transition in the COVID-19 era: A cross-sectional study from 15 Arab countries.

Background and Aims: The viral agent of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread worldwide, leading to a global pandemic. this may negatively affect students' mental health who have to maintain their learning efforts. Therefore, we aimed to assess students' perceptions of the online learning programs designed for university students in Arab countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on university students using a self-administered online questionnaire in 15 Arab countries, including 6779 participants. The actual sample size was calculated using the EpiInfo program calculator. The validated, piloted questionnaire assessed the effectiveness of internet-based distance learning applications used in these countries during the pandemic. The SPSS version 22 was used. Results: Among the 6779 participants, 26.2% believed that their teachers diversify learning methods, 22.0% thought that their teachers were able to treat the weakness the students have, and 30.7% agreed that their teachers efficiently communicate with them through COVID-19 internet-based learning process. Around 33% of students participated in lectures effectively, 47.4% submitted their homework within accepted deadlines, and 28.6% thought that their colleagues did not cheat during exams and homework. Around 31.3% of students believed that online-based learning had a role in directing them towards research, and 29.9% and 28.9%, respectively, believed that online learning had a role in developing analytical thinking and synthesis skills. Participants reported many suggestions to enhance the process of internet-based distance learning in the future. Conclusion: Our study suggests that online-based distance learning in Arab countries still needs more improvement as students still are more inclined toward face-to-face teaching. However, exploring the factors that influence students' perceptions of e-learning is vital for improving the quality of online-based distance learning. We recommend exploring the perceptions of educators regarding their experience towards online-based distance learning during COVID-19 lockdown.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare work force in the Middle East region C-S study.

Introduction: COVID-19, is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century (1). The pandemic outbreak as affected all human activities, starting with healthcare and medical service passing with economy and social relationships, as well as political, religious and cultural enactments (2). The healthcare workers were the most affected fighting in the frontline working longer hours under a high risk of being infected (3). This study aims to assess the depression, anxiety and stress levels of the healthcare workforce (physicians, nurses, pharmacists and dentists) in the Middle East and North Africa-MENA-region. Methods: We invited healthcare workers in the Middle East to participate in our cross-sectional survey by answering to the DASS-21 questionnaire. Results: A total of 4,845 healthcare workers participated in the study. The participants were from 11 countries as follows: 436 from Egypt, 430 from Algeria, 458 from Iraq, 453 from Jordan, 473 from Libya, 428 from Palestine, 419 from Saudi Arabia, 452 from Sudan, 451 from Syria, 424 from Tunisia, and 421 from Yemen. The doctors among the healthcare workers were 51.7%, 19.0% were from the nursing staff, 16.8% were pharmacists, and 12.5% were from dentists. The depression level among the healthcare workers was as follows: 29.1% were normal, 13.7% were mildly depressed, 26.9% were moderately depressed, 14.4% were suffering from severe depression, and the depression state was extremely severe for the last 15.9%. At the same time, 29.1% were suffering from no anxiety, while 6.9% were at a mild level, 22.3% were at a moderate level, 13.4% were at a severe level, and 28.3% were at an extremely severe level. For the stress levels, 38.6% were normal, 14.9% were suffering from mild stress, 20.3% were moderate, 17.4% were severe, and the stress level was extremely severe for the other 8.9%. Discussion: This study indicates that in the Middle East and North Africa-MENA-region, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic was 70.9, 70.9, 61.4, respectively.

Knowledge, practice and attitude toward anabolic hormones and nutritional supplements among people practicing sports in the MENA region before and during COVID-19 lockdown.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 lockdown, people's lifestyles have changed including their habits and physical activities. There has been an increase in anabolic hormones and nutritional supplement use among people who regularly do exercise in the MENA region. This study aims to assess knowledge, practice, and attitude toward the use of anabolic hormones and nutritional supplements among people who regularly exercise in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and to compare their exercise habits and hormones and supplements usage between before and during COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: A self-administrated online Google form survey was carried out between February 2021 and April 2021. Five thousand eight hundred forty-five participants who regularly exercise and aged ≥18 years responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms and included five sections: demographic, training characters, knowledge, practice, and attitude. Results: The participants mean age was 27.4 ± 8.6 years. Males represented 58.2 % of participants. 75.3% of the study participants had not used either hormones or supplements, and about 19% used supplements only. The mean percent score for knowledge, practice, and attitude were 39.3 ± 30.5, 1.1 ± 9.5, and 21.3 ± 23.8, respectively. Level of knowledge was higher among participants who worked in the medical field or as sports coaches. The practice was higher among male participants. The most commonly used anabolic hormones and nutritional supplements were steroids and proteins with bodybuilding being the most common purpose. Internet was the main source of information and pharmacy was the main source for procuring these substances. There was a significant decrease in proteins, carbohydrates, and sports drinks used during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to before the COVID-19 lockdown, while a statistically significant increase in vitamins used during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to before COVID-19 lockdown. Discussion: In the MENA region, there has been an increase in the use of anabolic hormones and nutritional supplements. Most of the population has low knowledge of the harmful effect of uncontrolled, uninformed and unmonitored use of these substances Therefore, increasing the awareness level of participants and sports coaches should be a priority to limit the unsupervised use of hormones and supplements.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers: cross-sectional analyses from 14 countries.

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been impacted psychologically due to their professional responsibilities over the prolonged era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to identify the predictors of psychological distress, fear, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among self-identified HCWs across 14 countries (12 from Asia and two from Africa). The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale were used to assess the psychological distress, fear, and coping of HCWs, respectively. Results: A total of 2447 HCWs participated; 36% were doctors, and 42% were nurses, with a mean age of 36 (±12) years, and 70% were females. Moderate to very-high psychological distress was prevalent in 67% of the HCWs; the lowest rate was reported in the United Arab Emirates (1%) and the highest in Indonesia (16%). The prevalence of high levels of fear was 20%; the lowest rate was reported in Libya (9%) and the highest in Egypt (32%). The prevalence of medium-to-high resilient coping was 63%; the lowest rate was reported in Libya (28%) and the highest in Syria (76%). Conclusion: COVID-19 has augmented the psychological distress among HCWs. Factors identified in this study should be considered in managing the wellbeing of HCWs, who had been serving as the frontline drivers in managing the crisis successfully across all participating countries. Furthermore, interventions to address their psychological distress should be considered.

COVID-19: Factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies among community members across 17 countries.

BACKGROUND: The current pandemic of COVID-19 impacted the psychological wellbeing of populations globally. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the extent and identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study across 17 countries during Jun-2020 to Jan-2021. Levels of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale), and coping (Brief Resilient Coping Scale) were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 8,559 people participated; mean age (±SD) was 33(±13) years, 64% were females and 40% self-identified as frontline workers. More than two-thirds (69%) experienced moderate-to-very high levels of psychological distress, which was 46% in Thailand and 91% in Egypt. A quarter (24%) had high levels of fear of COVID-19, which was as low as 9% in Libya and as high as 38% in Bangladesh. More than half (57%) exhibited medium to high resilient coping; the lowest prevalence (3%) was reported in Australia and the highest (72%) in Syria. Being female (AOR 1.31 [95% CIs 1.09-1.57]), perceived distress due to change of employment status (1.56 [1.29-1.90]), comorbidity with mental health conditions (3.02 [1.20-7.60]) were associated with higher levels of psychological distress and fear. Doctors had higher psychological distress (1.43 [1.04-1.97]), but low levels of fear of COVID-19 (0.55 [0.41-0.76]); nurses had medium to high resilient coping (1.30 [1.03-1.65]). CONCLUSIONS: The extent of psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping varied by country; however, we identified few higher risk groups who were more vulnerable than others. There is an urgent need to prioritise health and well-being of those people through well-designed intervention that may need to be tailored to meet country specific requirements.

Awareness of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Egypt: A National Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: While the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Egypt is relatively high, data on the awareness of Egyptians about the cause of RHD are lacking. METHODS: Using a pre-tested questionnaire, we performed a multicenter survey of outpatients attending 15 university hospitals across Egypt. RESULTS: A total of 6958 participants were interviewed. Most subjects (81.7%) reported a previous experience of sore throat. Seeking treatment, most patients (69.3%) consulted a medical professional, while the others relied on self/peer medication. Individuals consulting a physician received antibiotics more frequently than those who did not (89.1 vs. 38.7%; OR: 12.4, 95% CI 10.8-14.1). The median RHD knowledge score in our sample was 4 (IQR = 6). While most subjects (56.3%) claimed knowledge of the complications of an untreated sore throat, only a third (34%) were aware of the association between sore throat and RHD. In a multivariate analysis, older age (Mean Difference [MD]: 1.58, 95% CI 1.37-1.79), female gender (MD: 0.89, 95% CI 0.75-1.04), higher education (MD: 1.10, 95% CI 0.90-1.30), and being interviewed outside Cairo (MD: 0.67, 95% CI 0.51-0.82) were significant predictors of knowledge about RHD. CONCLUSION: The current study showed low levels of awareness on the cause of RHD among Egyptians and highlights a pressing need for interventions to address this public knowledge gap.

Influence of COVID-19 on lifestyle behaviors in the Middle East and North Africa Region: a survey of 5896 individuals.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected health and lifestyle behaviors of people globally. This project aims to identify the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle behavior of individuals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during confinement. METHODS: We conducted an online survey in 17 countries (Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, and Sudan) from the MENA region on August and September 2020. The questionnaire included self-reported information on lifestyle behaviors, including physical activity, eating habits, smoking, watching television, social media use and sleep before and during the pandemic. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle behaviors. RESULTS: A total of 5896 participants were included in the final analysis and 62.8% were females. The BMI of the participants was 25.4 ± 5.8 kg/m2. Around 38.4% of the participants stopped practicing any physical activities during the confinement (P < 0.001), and 57.1% reported spending more than 2 h on social media (P < 0.001). There were no significant changes in smoking habits. Also, 30.9% reported an improvement in their eating habits compared with 24.8% reported worsening of their eating habits. Fast-food consumption decreased significantly in 48.8% of the study population. This direct/indirect exposure to COVID-19 was associated with an increased consumption of carbohydrates (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02-1.17; P = 0.01), egg (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.02-1.16; P = 0.01), sugar (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02-1.16; P = 0.02), meat, and poultry (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.06-1.20; P < 0.01). There was also associated increase in hours spent on watching television (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.02-1.12; P < 0.01) and social media (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.01-1.18; P = 0.03). However, our results showed a reduction in sleeping hours among those exposed to COVID-19 infection (OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.77-0.94; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in food consumption and sedentary life. Being exposed to COVID-19 by direct infection or through an infected household is a significant predictor of amplifying these changes. Public health interventions are needed to address healthy lifestyle behaviors during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.