A Retrospective Chart Review Evaluating Changes in 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels among Patients Attending the University Healthcare Centre during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19-pandemic-related home confinement aids in limiting the spread of the virus but restricts exposure to sunlight, thereby possibly affecting 25(OH)D concentrations. This study aimed to investigate the effect of lockdown measures on 25(OH)D levels in outpatients visiting the healthcare centre over a period of two years. In this retrospective chart review, outpatients who visited a university healthcare centre for a health check-up over a period of two years were included. The patients' 25(OH)D serum levels and status were compared before, during, and after the lockdown periods. A total of 7234 patients were included in this study, with a mean age of 34.66 ± 16.78. The overall prevalence of 25(OH)D insufficiency, deficiency and sufficiency was 33.8%, 30.7% and 35.4%, respectively. The proportion of individuals with 25-(OH) D deficiency prior to lockdown was 29% and this proportion increased in the lockdown and post-lockdown periods to 31.1% and 32%, respectively. Although gender was less likely to have an impact on the 25 (OH) D level during the lockdown period (p = 0.630), we found an association between gender and 25 (OH) D status in the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown periods (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Another association between nationality and 25 (OH)D levels was found before, during and after the lockdown periods (p < 0.001). In addition, the youngest population, aged between 1 and 14, was strongly affected by the home confinement. Age had a positive and significant (p < 0.05) effect on 25 (OH) D status regardless of the different periods. Moreover, in the pre-lockdown period, male outpatients had 1.56 chance of having a sufficient level of 25 (OH)D. However, during the lockdown period, this chance decreased to 0.85 and then increased to 0.99 after the lockdown period. We found no statistically significant difference in the mean serum concentrations or in the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency when we compared values from before, during and immediately after the COVID-19 lockdown period. However, there was a generally increased prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in our study population. Another association between gender, nationality and age groups with 25(OH) D was found. Regular exposure to UVR is recommended for maintaining adequate vitamin D levels and to prevent vitamin D deficiency. Further research is needed to determine the best indications for vitamin D supplementation if confinement periods are extended and to consider the potential health consequences of prolonged confinement periods not only on vitamin D status but also on overall public health. The findings of this study may be considered by stakeholders for a targeted supplementation approach for risk groups.

Predicting factors of public awareness and perception about the quality, safety of drinking water, and pollution incidents.

Public perception of drinking water quality and safety results from the interaction of multiple factors, including the public engagement, which requires sufficient knowledge and awareness. This issue has yet to be addressed in Algeria. This study investigated the residents' perception and awareness about the drinking water quality, safety, and water pollution events. A survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted amongst citizens living in the province of Biskra. Multinomial regression analysis was used to identify the predicted public perception factors about drinking water-related issues. Regardless of the degree of public trust in the drinking water sources, the main drinking water source reported by the participants was tank water (43.3%) followed by tap water (32%). Water quality standards are a measure of the condition of water relative to the contaminants. Water consumption profiles gave priority attention to taste (48.7%), odour (35%), appearance (34.7%), and colour (32%), reflecting a low level of knowledge about the water quality standards. Most of the residents (55.7%) reported a deficient communication about the preventive measures to protect public health. The higher level of education showed a statistically significant impact in discriminating between those who felt very satisfied and dissatisfied participants with the drinking water quality and those who felt between satisfied and dissatisfied (P = 0.023, P = 0.034, respectively). Additionally, education level had a statistically significant role in differentiating trust levels in drinking water quality between two groups, those belonging to either confident or relatively confident and the group of extremely worried respondents, with P = 0.000 and P = 0.000, respectively. Interviewed respondents with certain education levels showed higher trust in the safety of drinking water when compared to those with lower education levels. Gender had a significant role in differentiating the group of respondents who were relatively confident from those who were extremely worried (P = 0.016). The public knowledge about the standards of water quality, safety, and the pollution-related issues remains relatively low. This study is of interest to policy makers and public health authorities who implement actions for water contamination prevention and public health protection. These findings could have national implications and are also applicable, in general context, particularly in low and middle-income countries.

Knowledge, attitude, behaviour of the future healthcare professionals towards the self-medication practice with antibiotics.

INTRODUCTION: Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) is a major health problem in the developing world including the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This practice remains an emerging challenge for the healthcare providers. A few previous studies have estimated the prevalence of SMA among the general population of KSA, but there had been no such studies on healthcare students. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of SMA among medical, non-medical students and to evaluate its determinants. METHODOLOGY: A survey-based cross-sectional study using validated questionnaire was conducted amongst students at King Faisal University in KSA. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were applied to identify the determinants of SMA. RESULTS: The prevalence of SMA was 58.4% with significantly lower proportion among medical students. Tonsillitis was the most common symptom for which SMA was used and was reported by a significantly higher proportion of medical (54.1%) students. Despite, the awareness of medical students about SMA is unsafe and mal-practice (79.9%), the prevalence of SMA practice remains high. Logistic regression analysis showed that students who incorrectly, identified the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating bacterial infections, the reasons of the antibiotics discontinuation had a higher likelihood to SMA. (OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.52-4.503, P = 0.001), (OR = 1.575, 95% CI: 0.923-2.686, P = 0.09), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: SMA remains noticeably high among the medical students. To overcome this problem, we highly recommend improving the health education to better address this malpractice and improve the students' knowledge, attitudes and awareness towards the antibiotics use and prescription pattern.