Coronavirus Disease Knowledge and Attitudes of Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Background: The prevalence of coronavirus disease is increasing rapidly all over the world therefore, this study aimed to understand the knowledge and attitudes among the nursing students about the coronavirus disease. Methods: The design of our study was cross-sectional in the period from January to March, 2020. A survey was conducted by Survey Monkey, the questionnaire link had been shared with the students, according to the inclusion criteria (nursing students in the third and fourth year), the questionnaire included two parts: (i) demographic characteristics of the students and (ii) knowledge and attitudes regarding the coronavirus disease. The number of participants in the study, who completed the questionnaire, was 350. Results: The findings revealed that the average score for their knowledge is good, (13/17 points) reaching 79%. Total 77% students showed a negative attitude about the coronavirus disease and 79.7% students used the website of Ministry of Health for medical information. Conclusion: This study showed that nursing students had a good knowledge about the coronavirus disease and a negative attitude. The Ministry of Health website was instrumental in imparting knowledge to the students about coronavirus

Prevalence of smoking cigarettes and beliefs regarding smoking habits among medical students: a cross-sectional study in Sudan

BackgroundSmoking is a common problem in university students worldwide. Smoking is one of the most dangerous social phenomena and has a significant impact on public health. This study investigated the beliefs and attitudes of medical students toward smoking in Sudan.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at Al Neelain University, Sudan, from March to June 2022 using a web-based questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of eight items on demographic characteristics and 13 on the beliefs and attitudes toward smoking. Other data included smoking status, smoking habits, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and smoking duration. Data analysis was performed descriptively, and chi-square test and logistic regression were conducted using SPSS version 24. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.ResultsA total of 336 students participated in this study, and the smoking prevalence was 48.8% (41.1% in men and 7.7% in women). In total, 76.8% reported smoking daily at a rate of 5–10 cigarettes per day. In terms of students’ beliefs about smoking, 86.8% disagreed with selling cigarettes at the university. Of the respondents, 68.4% did not approve smoking on campus. There was a relationship between smoking habits and the age group of 22–25 years, which was the highest smoking category among students (p-value = 0.01).ConclusionThe prevalence of cigarette smoking among medical students is disturbing, particularly as they are future doctors. There is a need to include plans to reduce smoking among students that can be incorporated into courses and special programs

Knowledge and Practice Regarding Hemodialysis Procedure Among Nurses Working at the Dialysis Centers, in Khartoum, Sudan: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background: Hemodialysis procedures is considered as a supportive management for kidney failure. Nurses play a major role in hemodialysis procedures, because most of the complications facing patients during dialysis as hypotension, cramped muscles, and weak pulse, need nurses with knowledge and practical experience. The current study aimed to assess nurses' knowledge and practice about hemodialysis procedures. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which included 103 nurses who worked in dialysis centers in Khartoum State in Sudan, from February to May 2022. A self-administered questionnaire and observational checklists were used to collect the data and was analyzed using the statistical program for social science (SPSS) version 23, the knowledge and practice score was calculated, and the mean was obtained. Results: The results of our study showed the mean scores of the participant knowledge 11.3, and practice 13.6, and also showed statistical significance regarding the relationship between the level of education and knowledge of nurses regarding hemodialysis procedure; p-value = 0.01. Conclusion: The study concluded that there is sufficient knowledge and practice of nurses in dialysis centers, and there is also a relationship between educational level and knowledge, so the study recommends conducting continuous training for nurses in dialysis centers

Perceived Social Stigma of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Hubuna, Saudi Arabia

Nahid K Elfaki,1 Mohammed Jamaan Alzahrani,2 Yahya Hussein Ahmed Abdalla,1 Abdullah I Adeh,3 Abdalla Mohammed Ahmed Osman Abdalla,1 Mugahed A Alkhadher,4 Samah R Elrefaey,1 Warga Hashim Hussein Abdelmagid,5 Faroq Alshameri,6 Ahmed Abdalla Jarelnape,7 Manal SA Hakami,7 Fahad Abdullah A Alghamdi,7 Yagoub Hamadt Allah Elhaj,8 Niemat MAA Dinar,7 Amal Abdelgadir Ali Mohamed,9 Elsadig Eltaher Hamed Abdulrahman,4 Duria Hassan Merghani Mohamed,10 Elwaleed Idris Sagiron,1 Maha Hamed Mohamed Ali,1,11 Waled AM Ahmed7 1Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 2Pediatric Department, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 3Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 4Medical- Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 5Maternity and Child Health Nursing Department, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 6Nursing Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Nursing, Alrayan Colleges, Almadina, Saudi Arabia; 7Faculty of Nursing, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia; 8Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Maternal and Child Nursing Sciences, College of Nursing, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; 10Faculty of Nursing, King Khalid University, Muhail Aseer, Saudi Arabia; 11Public Health Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Khamis Mushait Aseer, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Nahid K Elfaki, Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected] Waled AM Ahmed, Community Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966508245369, Email [email protected]: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne skin infection that remains prevalent in regions with poor socioeconomic conditions. Stigmatization occurs when individuals with physical or psychological disorders interact with societal stereotypes. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived social stigma surrounding CL among people residing in Hubuna, Saudi Arabia.Methods: This cross-sectional community-based survey recruited 618 individuals aged 18 years and above using the snowball sampling technique to reach hidden cases within the target population. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue for Perceived Social Stigma (EMIC-SS-12) was used to assess the level of perceived social stigma. It includes questions on demographic variables, behaviors, and experiences. The analysis was performed using SPSS.Results: The study included 618 participants, the majority of whom were women and girls (54.2%), with a mean age of 28 ± 12.7 years. The median score for perceived social stigma was 26.0. Only 2.1% (n = 13) of participants had the highest EMIC-SS-12 score of 36, while 7.6% (n = 47) scored zero. The mean score for overall perceived social stigma was 1.89 ± 0.91, while the mean score for experienced stigma was 1.99 ± 1.02. Univariate analysis showed that sex, employment, location of lesions, and number of lesions were insignificantly associated with stigmatization (P-value < 0.05), because these associations were uncertain because the CI includes or very close to 1.Conclusion: The study reveals insights into stigmatization associated with CL in the Habuna area of Saudi Arabia. It found that the median of perceived social stigma was 26. Factors such as sex, employment status, and location of the lesion are uncertainly associated with stigma. It is crucial to explore negative behaviors and perceptions and develop suitable health education programs.Keywords: social stigma, cutaneous leishmaniasis, Hubuna, Saudi Arabia, infectious disease