Job satisfaction among expatriate nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To investigate the association between job resources, job satisfaction, and moderating effect of COVID-19 anxiety and practice setting among expatriate acute care nurses in Qatar. BACKGROUND: Expatriate nurses are more vulnerable to reduced job satisfaction. Increased COVID-19 anxiety and reduced perceived job resources among acute care nurses impact their job satisfaction more than that of general ward nurses. METHOD: An online survey was used to recruit 293 expatriate acute care nurses from four public hospitals in Qatar. Data were collected between June and October of 2021. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. We ensured to follow STROBE guidelines when doing this research. RESULTS: Job resources were a significant predictor of job satisfaction among expatriate acute care nurses (ß = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73-0.85, p < 0.001). There was no significant moderating effect of COVID-19 anxiety (ß = 0.055, 95% CI: -0.61 to 0.151, p = 0.329) or workplace setting on this relationship (χ2  = 0.077, df = 1, p = 0.781). DISCUSSION: Our study found that the relationship between job resources and acute care nurses' job satisfaction is consistent across different workplace settings regardless of the level of COVID-19 anxiety. This is in line with previous studies that have highlighted the importance of job resources in determining nurses' job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The study emphasizes the need for sufficient job resources for improved job satisfaction among expatriate acute care nurses in Qatar, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: Nursing leaders must prioritize adequate resources such as staffing, proper training, and policies that increase nurse autonomy to improve job satisfaction and reduce the negative effects of dissatisfaction.

Prevalence and determinants of health literacy among the adult population of Qatar.

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) is both a direct determinant and a mediator of health outcomes. Research on the prevalence and determinants of HL in terms of its functional, communicative, and critical domains is scarce in the state of Qatar and its surrounding regions. Thus, this study aims to fill the knowledge gap in this area, estimate the levels of functional, communicative, and critical health literacy among the general adult population, and identify its determinants in the state of Qatar. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study with a disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was conducted in 2022. A representative sample of phone numbers was obtained from the Cerner database at Hamad Medical Corporation and approached via well-trained data collectors. A socio-demographic and health-relevant factor questionnaire and the validated All Aspects of Health Literacy scale (AAHLS) were used to collect the data on functional, communicative, and critical HL and their determinants. Descriptive analysis, independent sample t-test, ANOVA, and linear regression were used and yielded the outcomes on HL levels as low, adequate, and high in percentages and the HL determinants. Results: A total of 770 participants were included. The study found that 41.5%, 29.3%, and 29.2% of them have adequate, high, and low overall HL levels consecutively. People who participated in the study are older adult, are of Arabic ethnicity, are of Qatari ethnicity, have a lower level of education, have close relatives with a lower level of education, have a lower income, are non-migrants, are not living within a family, sought medical care within the last week, and who do not know if they have a chronic disease or do not have lower overall HL levels compared to the other groups. After linear regression analysis, only the participant's level of education and "last time sought medical care within last week" variable predict the overall HL score. Conclusion: Almost half of Qatar's adult population has an adequate HL level, comparable to the HL levels in other regions, despite the limitation in comparison due to variation in context and the HL measurement tools used. The possible determinants are amenable factors to focus on while designing HL interventions and providing healthcare.

Utilization of the internet for physical activity and diet information and its influence on pregnant women's lifestyle habits in Qatar.

Background: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy is essential. With the increasing availability of the internet, pregnant women have access to a wealth of information related to physical activity (PA) and healthy diets. Objectives: The study aims to investigate the extent of internet usage by pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Qatar to obtain information about PA and healthy diets, identify associated factors, and evaluate the impact of this information on their lifestyle habits. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in six randomly selected public antenatal clinics in Qatar. Pregnant women aged ≥18 years in any trimester were recruited using a probability sampling technique. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive and analytic statistics were employed for data analysis. Results: A total of 327 pregnant women (mean age of 29.5 years ± 4.0) completed and returned the questionnaire (response rate: 87.5%). Among the participants, 54.5% used the internet to obtain information about PA, while 72% sought online diet-related information. Factors such as age (26-35 years), tertiary education, employment status, and being primigravidae were associated with a higher likelihood of using the internet for healthy lifestyles information. Participants who reported using the internet for PA information a great deal were more likely to increase their PA during pregnancy compared to those who used it somewhat or very little (57.6, 26.8, and 5.0%, p < 0.001; respectively). Similarly, those who used the internet for diet information a great deal were more likely to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption compared to those who used it somewhat, or very little (84.2, 68.5, and 63.6%, p = 0.038; respectively). Also, participants who used the internet for diet information a great deal were more likely to decrease the amount of sugary and fatty foods they ate compared to women who used the internet somewhat or very little (61.4, 45.2, and 18.2%, p < 0.001; respectively) and (50.9, 30.4, and 18.2%, p = 0.001; respectively). Conclusion: Many pregnant women use the internet to access information about PA and diet, and greater use is associated with more positive lifestyle changes. This study provides useful information to consider when designing intervention programs for pregnant women about adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyles.

The Triple "S" Impact of COVID-19: Nationwide Evidence of the Impact of the Stress Associated With Restrictive Measures on Substance Use, Sleep, and Social Connectedness in Qatar.

OBJECTIVES: Countries worldwide implemented social and movement restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Unfortunately, such restrictions have adversely impacted people's lifestyles. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19-related restrictive measures on substance use, sleep, and social connectedness in Qatar's population. METHODS: A web-based survey was conducted between January 2021 and February 2021 targeting adults ≥18 years of age who were residing in Qatar between March and August 2020. RESULTS: A total of 1408 participants completed the survey. Of tobacco users in our sample, 36% reported increased tobacco use since the start of home confinement, while 41.6% of alcohol users reported decreased alcohol use. Concerning sleep, 46.1% reported an increase in average sleep duration per day (0.77 h mean increase, 95% CI: 0.66-0.88, P<0.001), and a third of participants reported poorer sleep quality. Of the participants, 39.6% felt socially disconnected. Perceived stress was found to be an independent predictor for increased use of tobacco, deterioration in sleep quality, and increased sleep duration during home confinement. CONCLUSIONS: Restrictive measures related to COVID-19 resulted in both positive and negative impacts on the lifestyle of Qatar's population. Emphasis should be placed on encouraging people to adopt healthy strategies for coping with various stressors that arise during future home confinement measures. It is also necessary to address the persistence of adverse consequences in the postpandemic era.

Fear and stress related to COVID-19 and associated factors among undergraduate nursing students in Qatar.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had an impact on nearly every human being with millions of related infections and deaths. The negative impact of the pandemic on individuals' mental health such as fear and stress, particularly among university students, have been reported. While the switch to online teaching and learning played an important mitigating role, it also had presented additional challenges to students' mental health. AIM: To examine the prevalence of fear and stress among undergraduate nursing students in Qatar and the factors associated with fear of COVID-19. METHOD: A cross-sectional design. An online survey was sent to students at the University of Calgary in Qatar. RESULTS: 135 participants completed the survey. The findings showed differences in fear of COVID-19 and stress and satisfaction with the measures proposed by the academic institution based on participants' demographic and COVID-19 profiles. Furthermore, fear of COVID-19 was associated with the age group (26-35), academic year level, and satisfaction with the measures proposed by the academic institution. CONCLUSION: The study found that switching teaching and learning online had a negative impact on participants' fear and stress. Several strategies were suggested to alleviate students' fear and stress and support them during future pandemics.

Scope and Predictors of Travel Medicine Practice among Primary Care Physicians in Qatar.

In an era of globalization, travel-related illnesses have become a focus of public health concern. Pretravel consultation is an effective measure to promote healthy travel. This study aimed to assess the scope of primary care physicians' (PCPs) practice of travel medicine (TM) in Qatar and its associated predictors. This was a cross-sectional study design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from all PCPs working in the 27 primary healthcare centers in Qatar. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used as appropriate, and a multivariable logistic regression model was constructed. Three hundred sixty-four PCPs participated in the study (response rate of 89.2%). Most PCPs (91.1%) provided pretravel consultations of which 72.7% provided less than 10 consultations per month. Overall, pretravel advice content and frequency including vaccine and malaria chemoprophylaxis recommendations were inadequate. Significant predictors of high frequency of pretravel consultations (≥10/month) included male PCPs (AOR 1.78, 95% CI: 1.01, 3.18), PCPs who had postgraduate training or experience in TM (AOR 2.74, 95% CI: 1.59, 4.72), and multilingual (speaking ≥3 languages) physicians (AOR 1.96, 95% CI: 1.12, 3.45). Frequently encountered post-travel illnesses included travelers' diarrhea, respiratory diseases, and fever. While, most PCPs provided pretravel consultations, the frequency and content of consultations were inadequate. Male PCPs, past training or experience in TM, and multilingual physicians were important predictors of providing a high frequency of pretravel consultation. The findings of this study identified several gaps in PCPs' TM practice. Specific measures should be designed and implemented to reduce the burden of travel-related illnesses and promote healthy travel.

A Sociodemographic Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19-Related Schools' Closure on the Diet and Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents in Qatar.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of the COVID-19-related closure of government schools in Qatar on children and adolescents' dietary habits and physical activities and associated sociodemographic factors. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2022 utilizing the national electronic health records system in Qatar to extract a sampling frame of students enrolled in governmental schools, specifically targeting students in 3rd to 9th grades, stratified by sex and developmental stage. A stratified sampling technique was employed to randomly select a proportionate number of students from each stratum, and data were collected through telephone interviews with the parents of selected students. RESULTS: A total of 1546 interviews were completed by the end of the study. Of the included sample, 845 (54.7%) were between 8 and 11 years of age (middle childhood), while the rest were 12-15 years old (young teens and teenagers). Male to female ratio was almost 1:1. We found a significant decrease in the intake of vegetables, increases in the intake of soft drinks, fried food, fast food, and sweets, and a reduction in physical activity during schools' closure compared to before. Higher parental educational levels, maternal employment, and having a positive family history of obesity and/or overweight in first-degree relatives were significantly associated with adverse lifestyle changes during schools' closure. CONCLUSION: The trends of lifestyle changes reported in this study during the periods of COVID-19-related schools' closure were found to be going in a health-compromising direction. These results underscore the importance of implementing targeted interventions to promote healthy lifestyles during such disruptions and emphasize the need to address lifestyle changes beyond emergencies and outbreaks to mitigate potential long-term health consequences, including the increased risk of non-communicable diseases.

COVID-19 perceived stigma among survivors: A cross-sectional study of prevalence and predictors

Background and objectivesPerceived stigma related to infectious diseases is of public health importance and can adversely impact patients' physical and mental health. This study aims to identify the level of perceived stigma among COVID-19 survivors in Qatar and investigate its predictors.MethodsAn analytical cross-sectional design was employed. Four hundred and four participants who had a positive COVID-19 PCR test were randomly selected from medical records. The selected participants were interviewed to collect sociodemographic and health-related information. Perceived stigma was assessed using the COVID-19 perceived stigma scale-22 (CPSS-22) that was developed by the researchers. A descriptive analysis followed by a bivariate analysis investigated possible associations between the perceived stigma levels and independent variables. A multivariable analysis was performed using logistic regression to identify any significant associations with perceived stigma. The validity and reliability of the developed tool were also tested.ResultsThe prevalence of COVID-19 perceived stigma was twenty-six percent (n = 107, 26.4%) at 95% CI [22.4–30.4]. Factors associated with higher COVID-19 perceived stigma were male gender, being a manual worker, non-Arabic ethnicity, low educational level, living alone, and being isolated outside the home. However, only occupation, ethnicity, and low educational level predicted COVID-19 perceived stigma in multivariable analysis. The CPSS-22 showed excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.92).ConclusionPerceived stigma was relatively common among participants. Designing programs and interventions targeting male manual workers and those of low-educational levels may assist policymakers in mitigating the stigma related to COVID-19. (AU)

Psychometric evaluation of the acute care nurses' job satisfaction scale-revised.

AIM: The aim of this study was to validate a job satisfaction scale among acute care nurses in the context of Qatar. DESIGN: Cross-sectional correlational survey. METHODS: A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 295 acute care nurses between June 2021-September 2021. Exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis was used for item reduction and convergent and discriminant validity evaluation. Pearson's correlations were conducted to evaluate the concurrent and convergent validity of the revised scale. Reliability was tested using several internal consistency indicators. RESULTS: A revised scale was proposed, the Acute Care Nurses Job Satisfaction Scale-Revised (ACNJSS-R) scale; it is composed of 13 items loaded on five factors. The composite reliability and the maximal reliability were >.7 for all factors. The study provides empirical support for the validity and reliability of the ACNJSS-R scale.

COVID-19 perceived stigma among survivors: A cross-sectional study of prevalence and predictors.

Background and objectives: Perceived stigma related to infectious diseases is of public health importance and can adversely impact patients' physical and mental health. This study aims to identify the level of perceived stigma among COVID-19 survivors in Qatar and investigate its predictors. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional design was employed. Four hundred and four participants who had a positive COVID-19 PCR test were randomly selected from medical records. The selected participants were interviewed to collect sociodemographic and health-related information. Perceived stigma was assessed using the COVID-19 perceived stigma scale-22 (CPSS-22) that was developed by the researchers. A descriptive analysis followed by a bivariate analysis investigated possible associations between the perceived stigma levels and independent variables. A multivariable analysis was performed using logistic regression to identify any significant associations with perceived stigma. The validity and reliability of the developed tool were also tested. Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 perceived stigma was twenty-six percent (n = 107, 26.4%) at 95% CI [22.4-30.4]. Factors associated with higher COVID-19 perceived stigma were male gender, being a manual worker, non-Arabic ethnicity, low educational level, living alone, and being isolated outside the home. However, only occupation, ethnicity, and low educational level predicted COVID-19 perceived stigma in multivariable analysis. The CPSS-22 showed excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.92). Conclusion: Perceived stigma was relatively common among participants. Designing programs and interventions targeting male manual workers and those of low-educational levels may assist policymakers in mitigating the stigma related to COVID-19.

The impact of COVID-19 on nurses' job satisfaction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The global healthcare landscape was profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic placing nurses squarely at the heart of this emergency. This review aimed to identify the factors correlated with nurses' job satisfaction, the impact of their job satisfaction on both themselves and their patients, and to explore strategies that might have counteracted their job dissatisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for systematic reviews of prevalence and incidence was used in this review. The electronic databases of CINAHL, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, PsycINFO and Academic Search Complete were searched between January 2020 to February 2023. Results: The literature review identified 23 studies from 20 countries on nurses' job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. A pooled prevalence of 69.6% of nurses were satisfied with personal, environmental, and psychological factors influencing their job satisfaction. Job satisfaction improved psychological wellbeing and quality of life, while dissatisfaction was linked to turnover and mental health issues. Conclusion: This systematic review elucidates key factors impacting nurses' job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects on healthcare provision, and the potential countermeasures for job dissatisfaction. Core influences include working conditions, staff relationships, and career opportunities. High job satisfaction correlates with improved patient care, reduced burnout, and greater staff retention. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023405947, the review title has been registered in PROSPERO and the registration number is CRD42023405947.

Healthcare Professionals' Attitudes Toward Patients With Mental Illness: A Cross-Sectional Study in Qatar.

Background: Negative attitudes toward mental illness by Health Care Professionals (HCP) have been reported in many countries across the world. Stigmatizing attitudes by HCP can have adverse consequences on people with mental illness from delays in seeking help to decreased quality of care provided. Assessing such attitudes is an essential step in understanding such stigma and, if needed, developing and testing appropriate and culturally adapted interventions to reduce it. Aims: To assess physicians and nurses attitudes toward mental illness and to determine associated factors with different levels of stigma. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Physicians and Nurses. The Mental Illness Clinician's Attitudes (MICA) scale was used to assess attitudes toward mental illness. MICA scores range between 1 and 6 with higher values indicating higher stigmatizing attitudes. Demographic and work related information were also gathered. Descriptive statistics along with multivariate linear and multivariate logistic regression models were used. Results: A total of 406 nurses and 92 doctors participated in the study. The nurses' mean MICA score was significantly higher than that of the physicians. Among nurses, being Asian and working in a geriatric, rehabilitation and long-term care facility were associated with lower MICA scores. Among physicians, being female or graduating more than 1 year ago were also associated with lower MICA scores. Conclusion: Stigmatizing attitudes toward people with mental illness by healthcare workers are present in Qatar. They are higher among nurses as compared to physicians. Factors associated with higher stigmatizing attitudes could be used in creating appropriate intervention to reduce the magnitude of the problem.

Primary care physicians' knowledge of travel vaccine and malaria chemoprophylaxis and associated predictors in Qatar.

BACKGROUND: In an era of globalization, travel-related illnesses have become a focus of public health concern, especially in the Arab region where travel health services are insufficient and not well-established. This study was conducted to assess travel vaccine and malaria chemoprophylaxis knowledge and associated predictors among primary care physicians (PCPs) in Qatar. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from all physicians working at all 27 primary healthcare centers from March 1st to May 31st 2020. Knowledge scores were computed and a multivariable linear regression model was built to identify predictors of higher knowledge. RESULTS: A total of 364 PCPs participated (response rate of 89.2%). Participants' mean age was 44.5 (±7.8) with 59.1% being males. Their overall mean knowledge score was 9.54/16 (±3.24). Significant predictors of higher knowledge included: aged 40-49 years (1.072; 95% CI: 0.230, 1.915) , had medical degree from non-Arab countries (0.748; 95% CI: 0.065, 1.432) , had training in TM (1.405; 95% CI: 0.407, 2.403), and provided ≥10 consultations/ month (2.585; 95% CI:1.294, 3.876) . Online information was the main reported resource of travel medicine consultation. CONCLUSIONS: The overall PCPs' mean percentage knowledge score of travel medicine was 59.6% (±20.3). A high volume of pretravel consultation, prior training, middle age group, and medical degree from non-Arab countries were significant predictors of higher knowledge. Continuing education and training provided by recognised international institutions for all PCPs is highly recommended to narrow the gap in travel medicine knowledge.

The Impact of Changes in Work Arrangements During COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lifestyle of Qatar's Working Population.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of changing work arrangements during COVID-19 on diet, physical activity, body weight, and sleep of Qatar's working population. METHODS: A web-based survey targeting working adults who were residing in Qatar during the period of home confinement was conducted. RESULTS: About 47% of 1061 participants reported weight gain. Higher proportions of participants reported consuming more fatty foods (P = 0.007), more sugary foods (P = 0.001), and greater increase in screen and sitting/reclining times (P < 0.001) among the work from home (WFH) group. Participants with higher adverse dietary changes score were more likely to report weight gain in both the WFH (adjusted OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.49), and working regularly groups (adjusted OR, 1.31, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.43) with P < 0.001. CONCLUSION: Qatar's working population experienced adverse lifestyle changes which were more prominent among those who shifted to WFH.

Death certification status in Eastern Mediterranean Region: A systematic review.

A death certificate is an important public health surveillance tool that affects the quality of morbidity and mortality statistics. This systematic review examines death certification in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, uncovers the methodological qualities of published studies, the common errors committed by certifiers, and physicians' knowledge in filling out death certificates. We searched three databases, finding 19 studies, the majority of which reported errors in the underlying cause of death. Fewer than 25% of physicians reported training on filling out death certificates. Complexity of the cases and lack of training were reported as common difficulties facing physicians leading to errors.

Impact of COVID-19 related home confinement measures on the lifestyle, body weight, and perceived glycemic control of diabetics.

BACKGROUND: People with Diabetes Mellitus are at high risk of encountering COVID-19 infection and are more vulnerable to the negative repercussions of this infection. In this study we aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 related home confinement measures on physical activity, dietary habits, body weight and perceived glycemic control of adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Qatar. METHODS: A cross sectional web-based survey was conducted between January and February 2021 targeting adults ≥18 years with T2DM. RESULTS: Over 40% of the participants reported unhealthy dietary changes. We found a significant increase in the sitting/reclining, and screen times. One third of the participants reported weight gain, while one fifth reported poorer glycemic control since the start of home confinement measures. We found that reporting at least one unhealthy dietary change (p < 0.001) and being a female (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with reporting greater weight gain. Participants who reported five unhealthy dietary behaviours were more than seven times more likely to perceive poorer glycemic control during home confinement measures compared to those who did not report any unhealthy changes (OR: 7.27, 95%CI 1.60-33.5, p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Adults with T2DM experienced adverse lifestyle changes during COVID-19 related home confinement measures. Further research is needed to investigate the persistence of such changes in the post pandemic era.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Training of Health-Care Workers and Preparedness of Hospital Emergency Departments for the Threat of Communicable Diseases at Mass Gathering Events in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and training of health-care workers (HCW), and their perception of the preparedness of hospitals for communicable disease (CD) threats during mass gathering (MG) events. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from June 1 to July 31, 2019, of doctors and registered nurses working in the emergency departments (EDs) of 5 main hospitals in Qatar. A self-administered online survey was used for data collection. RESULTS: The overall mean knowledge score about CD threat among study participants was 75.0% (SD ± 18.1). The majority of the participants had a favorable attitude toward CD preparedness during MG events. The participants achieved high scores in attending workshops on triaging, first aid, and infection control. Study participants as well had favorable perceptions about the current preparedness of their respective hospitals to respond to CD outbreaks in MG events. CONCLUSIONS: The participants were knowledgeable about the risk of CD outbreaks during MG events (eg, Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup games 2022) and had a favorable attitude and necessary training to respond to such outbreaks. Regular practice drills are necessary to ensure that all members of the workforce are knowledgeable of the necessary actions to take in emergent high-risk situations.

Impact of staying at home measures during COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle of Qatar's population: Perceived changes in diet, physical activity, and body weight.

Countries worldwide imposed different swift protective measures such as movement restrictions and staying at home measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Despite the benefits gained from such measures in containing the spread of the infection, adverse lifestyle consequences happened. In this study we aimed to assess the impact of staying at home measures imposed during COVID-19 pandemic on dietary behaviors, physical activity, and body weight in Qatar's population. A population based cross sectional survey was conducted between December 2020 and February 2021 targeting adults ≥18 years. A total of 1408 participants completed the survey in four languages. Concerning the overall diet perception, 27.8%, and 33.2% perceived that their overall diet has become less healthy, or healthier respectively, since the start of staying at home measures. Almost half of all participants reported weight gain. Participants reported increased sitting/reclining time (1.94 h/day mean increase), screen times (2.05 h/day mean increase) with p < 0.001, and decreased exercise time (0.11 h/day mean reduction) with p < 0.001. The ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that the numbers of unhealthy dietary behaviors adopted by participants, and adverse changes in exercise, setting/reclining and screen times were significantly associated with weight gain. The results of this study indicate that peoples in Qatar have experienced adverse lifestyle changes with regard to their diet, physical activity, and body weight. More emphasis should be put on encouraging people to maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors during home confinement measures that might be imposed during any public health crises or any potential future outbreaks.

Internalized Stigma in Persons With Mental Illness in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Stigma impacts persons with mental illness (PWMI), their families and network of friends, the public and health care professionals. Stigma is a major barrier for PWMI to seeking treatment, which contributes to the burden of disease, disability, and mortality. Research on stigma is relatively scant in the Middle East region and particularly in Qatar. To address stigma effectively in each culture, it is essential to study its nature in the context where the PWMI experience stigma. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of internalized stigma in PWMI in Qatar. A cross-sectional study of PWMI receiving outpatient mental health services in Qatar was done. We interviewed 417 PWMI using a modified 18-item version of the short form of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale. Descriptive and regression models were used to analyze the data. The Cronbach alpha for the modified 18-items ISMI was 0.87. Participants' average score on this scale was 2.07 ± 0.38 with 41 (9.8%) of them scoring more than 2.5 which is considered "high" stigma score. In multivariate logistic regression, high stigma (modified ISMI score >2.5) was significantly higher among PWMI with no formal education and among those who reported lower levels of social support. The reported levels of internalized stigma in this vulnerable population of Qatar fall at the lower spectrum reported worldwide. An anti-stigma education program designed for the context of Qatar emphasizing on education and support for PWMI may be conducive to creating an all-inclusive society.

Perceived Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening among Eligible Adults in Qatar and the Associated Factors: A Cross- Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: In Qatar, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer and is projected to be more than triple by 2035. Therefore, CRC periodic screening is vitally important because early detection will improve the success of treatment. In 2016, Qatar established a population-based screening program for CRC targetting average-risk adults. This study aimed to determine the perceived barriers to undergo CRC screening in eligible adults in Qatar and the associated factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of individuals aged 50-74 years who have been never screened, across six primary health centers between September 2018 and January 2019. A non-probability sampling method was used to recruit participants. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and analytic statistics were applied. RESULTS: A total of 188 individuals participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 58.3 (SD ±6.4) years. Most participants were females (54.5%) and non-Qatari Arabs (54.3%). The top five reported barriers to CRC screening were: not at risk due to absence of symptoms (60.6%), not at risk due to absence of family history (55.1%), not at risk due to adopting a healthy lifestyle (52.7%), lack of time (41%), and lack of reminders by healthcare workers (39.4%). Bivariate analyses identified statistically significant associations between certain barriers and female gender, nationality, and educational level (primary school and below). CONCLUSION: The present study identified several barriers to undergoing CRC screening among eligible adults in Qatar. Such results provide a basis for tailoring of future educational campaigns that are relevant, specific, and appealing to such a cohort.
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