Evaluation of Food Safety Knowledge and Attitudes Among Adults in the United Arab Emirates.

Background Food is handled by many individuals in large food setups, therefore increasing the chance of contamination that leads to foodborne diseases (FBDs). This study was purposed to evaluate adults' understanding of food safety, FBDs, and hygiene practices across various demographic groups in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to explore the link between their knowledge of food safety and their corresponding attitudes. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 402 adults using a validated, self-administered questionnaire available in both printed and online formats. The study was carried out at Gulf Medical University and Thumbay hospitals and clinics over six months, beginning in December 2022 to June 2023. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). The chi-squared test was employed to examine the association between variables, and significant associations were further analyzed through logistic regression. Results Out of the 402 participants, the population was predominantly female 275 (67.9%), and from Southeast Asia 222 (55.4%), with students comprising the largest occupational group 186 (47%). Only 106 (26.36%) had received food safety training, and a mere 187 (46.51%) demonstrated adequate knowledge. Awareness levels varied, with the highest for raw food safety (64.02%) and the lowest for canned foods (40.79%). Demographic analysis revealed significant associations: males exhibited more inadequate knowledge 79 (62.2%) than females 136 (49.4%), and students showed higher inadequacy 104 (55.9%) compared to healthcare workers 31 (35.6%). Positive attitudes towards food safety were prevalent 226 (56.2%), and positive attitudes were found in women 157 (57.1%), individuals above 30 years of age 110 (50.5%), individuals working in healthcare 140 (62%), and married individuals 117 (60.9%). With a strong correlation (p<0.001), women were 1.68 times more likely to possess adequate knowledge than men (95% CI: 1.09, 2.59), and healthcare workers were 2.33 times more likely than students (95% CI: 1.37, 3.95). Conclusion The study reveals a low level of knowledge about food safety among adults in the UAE. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on increasing awareness of these concepts to reduce the burden of FBDs on the healthcare system.

Factors Associated With Urolithiasis: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Urolithiasis is a common preventable ailment. Previous studies showed that there are a lot of factors, such as dietary, health and environmental factors, which are likely to develop this condition. Only a few research have been conducted on urolithiasis in the UAE. Therefore, our study aimed to identify the factors associated with urolithiasis in the country, identify the symptoms of urolithiasis among the cases and identify the most common diagnostic methods. METHODOLOGY: It was a case-control study design. The study population was adults above 18 years attending a tertiary care centre. Those who have confirmed diagnosis of urolithiasis and gave informed consent were considered cases and those who have not confirmed diagnosis of urolithiasis as controls. Patients with renal, bladder or urinary tract impairment or anomaly were excluded from the study. Ethical approval was obtained for the study. RESULTS: Crude odds ratio (OR) showed that age, gender, past treatment for urinary stones, and lifestyle factors such as diet and smoking are risk factors while exercising is a protective factor. Age-adjusted OR found that past treatment for the urinary disease (OR=10.4), consumption of oily food (OR=11.5), consumption of fast food (OR=11.0) and consumption of energy drinks (OR=5.9) were the significant risk factors for urolithiasis. CONCLUSION: We found that past urinary disease treatment and diet are vital in developing urinary stones. Higher consumption of salty, oily, sugary and protein foods increases the odds of urinary diseases. Public awareness programs are essential to educating people about urolithiasis risk factors and preventive measures.

Faculty and Students' Perceptions About Online Teaching Styles of Faculty in Large Group Lectures.

Introduction: An unprecedented disruption in medical education worldwide was caused due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Online teaching has become one of the primary forms of education. In this paper, we aimed to understand the faculty and students' perceptions about the teaching styles adopted by the faculty during online large group teaching from two universities in the United Arab Emirates. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional opinion survey-based study. A pre-validated teaching style inventory in higher education (TSIHE) questionnaire was emailed to the students and faculty involved in large group online learning and teaching activities during the lock-down period of the COVID 19 pandemic from two different medical Universities in the United Arab Emirates. A total of 423 students and 57 faculty participated in the study. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: There was a significant difference between the faculty and students on the perception of faculty online teaching styles. The difference was significant in teacher-student interaction and teacher structuring styles. In contrast, faculty and students' perceptions were comparable for decision-making negotiation and behavioral control teaching styles. Conclusion: The study found that there was a significant perception differences between the faculty and students on the faculty teaching style during online large group teaching. Importantly, faculty perceived that they were more emotionally attached and more flexible in teacher-student interaction and teaching structuring during online teaching than the student perceived.

Implications of introducing case based radiological images in anatomy on teaching, learning and assessment of medical students: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Introducing radiological anatomy in the preclinical curriculum can increase the understanding of Anatomy. Regardless of the integration when teaching anatomy, it is essential to maintain oversight as to what and how much is being taught. In addition, the knowledge requirements for preclinical students should be considered. The purpose of this kind of integration is that the student should be able to apply the knowledge which can help them better understand anatomy and not to make the course more challenging. This study aimed to understand whether adding radiological images would increase the difficulty level of the questions. METHODS: We introduced radiological images, including X Rays, CT scans and MRIs, when teaching anatomy in the preclinical curriculum. A class of 99 students were tested using A-type MCQs (n = 84). All 84 questions were categorized on whether they were case-based with or without a radiological image. The item analysis of both groups of test questions was then compared based on their difficulty and discrimination index. A qualitative student perception regarding the inclusion of radiological images in anatomy was also measured using a questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The results showed that the performance level of the students was similar when comparing the test questions in both groups. The item analysis of the MCQs in the two groups revealed that by integrating radiological images when teaching anatomy, the various parameters in both groups of test questions were in the same range. More than 80% of the students felt that radiological images facilitate the achievement of learning outcomes and help to apply their knowledge in clinical contexts. The study's findings reported that the rate of satisfaction by including radiological images when teaching anatomy is high. CONCLUSION: Recognition and interpretation of images are essential in an undergraduate medical program. Students found it helpful when radiological images were introduced to them when teaching anatomy. Since the students' performance in summative exams in both groups of questions was in the same range, the findings also point out that adding radiological images when teaching anatomy does not increase the difficulty of the subject.

Vaccination Rate and Incidence of COVID-19 and Case Fatality Rate (CFR): A Correlational Study Using Data From 2019 to 2021.

INTRODUCTION:  COVID-19 has infected over 300 million people and killed almost five million people worldwide. The rapid development and deployment of vaccines almost a year after the initial outbreak was poised to contain the pandemic and enable the mobilization of the people and the economy. Vaccine deployment and containment of the pandemic have been far from uniform across the world. There is a lack of a clear understanding of the correlation between the COVID-19 vaccination rates and the incidence of the COVID-19 disease and COVID-19 mortality. AIM:  The study aims to determine the correlation between the COVID-19 vaccination rate and the bi-weekly incidence rate of the COVID-19 disease to better understand the correlation between the vaccination rate and the COVID-19-related fatality in various countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Data from vaccination and the case fatality rate were abstracted until September 15, 2021, and from October 15 to October 31, respectively, for the various countries categorized based on their income levels. The bi-weekly COVID-19 incidence rate per million population and the case fatality rate was analyzed using SPSS version 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), followed by frequencies and percentages. Spearman rank correlation was used to determine the relationship between the variables. RESULTS:  A total of 191 countries were included in the study. The vaccination rate ranged from 0.03% to 82.1%, CFR from 0.14% to 32.1%, and the bi-weekly incidence rate ranged from zero to 1,283 per million population. A positive correlation was observed between vaccination rate and bi-weekly incidence rate (+0.57), whereas a negative correlation was observed between vaccination rate and CFR (-0.34). The results indicate a moderate positive correlation between vaccination rate and bi-weekly incidence rate and a weak negative correlation between vaccination rate and case fatality rate. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:  Our study is interesting for the observation that the bi-weekly incidence rate of COVID-19 positively correlated with the rate of vaccination. In contrast, the vaccination rate correlated negatively with the case fatality rate. Although several factors may have contributed to the increased incidence rates for COVID-19, these observations refute the myth that COVID-19 vaccination offers complete protection from reinfection, especially in the backdrop of easing pandemic containment measures by some countries. An increase in the vaccination rate is certainly a positive contributor to the decreasing case fatality observed.