Assessment of Dietary and Lifestyle Responses After COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in Selected Arab Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has been consistently associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and dietary practices. This study aimed to assess the dietary and lifestyle behaviors of adults after COVID-19 vaccine availability and their attitude toward the vaccine in selected Arab countries. A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted between October 2021 and December 2021 using Google Forms (n = 2259). A multi-component questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine, and behavioral, dietary, and lifestyle responses after easing the restriction. Participants were given a score based on the sum of positive dietary and lifestyle changes. The generalized linear models were used to identify the association between positive dietary and lifestyle changes score and sociodemographic characteristics. Weight gain during the pandemic was reported by 39.5% of the participants, 36.1% reported ever getting infected with the COVID-19 virus, and 85% received at least one dose of the vaccine. The key adverse reactions of the COVID-19 vaccine were fatigue, headache, and joint pain, and the main reason for vaccination was protection against infection. Most participants were concerned about the vaccine side effects (45.8%) and inadequate testing (50.7%). After easing of restriction, 54.3% of the participants reduced the frequency of disinfecting objects, and 58.3% joined social events. Most dietary and lifestyle behaviors remained unchanged after vaccine availability but there was an increase in the time spent behind the screen for work (50.1%) and entertainment (42.9%). The results of the multivariate regression analyses revealed that older participants (p = 0.001), those with higher education (p = 0.010), and those working from home (p = 0.040) were more likely to have higher positive dietary and lifestyle changes scores. Although most participants were concerned about vaccine safety, low vaccine hesitancy rates were observed among the study sample. The availability of the COVID-19 vaccines resulted in loosening some of the safety social measures among Arab adults but the negative impact of the pandemic on dietary and lifestyle behaviors remained unaltered

Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) Lockdown on Mental Health and Well-Being in the United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken unprecedented precautionary measures including complete lockdowns against COVID-19 to control its spread and ensure the well-being of individuals. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 and societal lockdown measures on the mental health of adults in the UAE. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an English and Arabic online questionnaire between May and June 2020. The psychological impact was assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the social and family support impact was evaluated using questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). A total of 4,426 participants (3,325 females and 1,101 males) completed the questionnaire. The mean IES-R score was 28.0 ± 14.6, reflecting a mild stressful impact with 27.3% reporting severe psychological impact. Over 36% reported increased stress from work, home and financial matters. Also, 43–63% of the participants felt horrified, apprehensive or helpless due to COVID-19. Females, younger participants, part-timers, and college or University graduates were more likely to have a high IES-R score (p \u3c 0.05). The majority of participants reported receiving increased support from family members, paying more attention to their mental health, and spending more time to rest and relax. The results of this study demonstrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among the UAE residents and highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for the general population and vulnerable groups, such as females and younger adults

Eating habits and lifestyle during covid-19 lockdown in the united arab emirates: A cross-sectional study

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The coronavirus disease is still spreading in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with subsequent lockdowns and social distancing measures being enforced by the government. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the lockdown on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among residents of the UAE. A cross-sectional study among adults in the UAE was conducted using an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. A total of 1012 subjects participated in the study. During the pandemic, 31% reported weight gain and 72.2% had less than eight cups of water per day. Furthermore, the dietary habits of the participants were distanced from the Mediterranean diet principles and closer to “unhealthy” dietary patterns. Moreover, 38.5% did not engage in physical activity and 36.2% spent over five hours per day on screens for entertainment. A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, irritability, and tension “all the time” during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p \u3c 0.001). Sleep disturbances were prevalent among 60.8% of the participants during the pandemic. Although lockdowns are an important safety measure to protect public health, results indicate that they might cause a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity, and psychological problems among adults in the UAE

Risk of second primary cancer among breast cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to estimate the extra risk of second primary cancer among breast cancer patients.Methods and materialsThis is a systematic review. A comprehensive search of literature was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Scopus. The search included all published studies up to October 2022. This systematic review included studies published in the English language that reported the risk of second primary non-breast cancer [i.e., standardized incidence ratio (SIR)] among breast cancer patients older than 15 years. After evaluating the methodological quality of the selected studies, SIRs were pooled with consideration of heterogeneity among studies. The estimates were pooled by age and time since the diagnosis of primary breast cancer for both sexes (male and female). Age was categorized based on before 50 years and after 50 years, and time was categorized as duration of less than and more than 10 years, respectively.ResultsFrom 2,484 articles, 30 articles were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The studies varied in terms of population, number of cases, study design, setting, and year of implementation of the research. The estimated SIR for men and women was 1.28 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.38) and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.39), respectively. Women diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause [SIR: 1.52 (95% CI: 1.34, 1.71) vs. 1.21 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.34)] as well as women after 10 years since their breast cancer diagnosis [1.33 (95% CI: 1.22, 1.431) vs. 1.24 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.37)] were at a higher risk of developing second primary cancer. Among men, while there were no differences in risk based on age, with the increase of time, the risk of second primary cancer was reduced [SIR: 1.22 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.33) vs. 1.00 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.22)].ConclusionThere is an extra risk of second primary cancer among breast cancer patients. The extra risk should be considered for further screening and preventive measures among this population.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=336062, identifier (CRD42022336062)

Assessment of Eating Habits and Lifestyle during Coronavirus Pandemic in the MENA region: A Cross-Sectional Study

© The Authors 2020. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockdowns and strict social distancing measures. The aim of this study was to assess eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among residents of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study among adult residents of the MENA region was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms during April 2020. A total of 2970 participants from 18 countries participated in the current study. During the pandemic, over 30% reported weight gain, 6.2% consumed five or more meals per day compared to 2.2% before the pandemic (p\u3c0.001), and 48.8% did not consume fruits on daily basis. Moreover, 39.1% did not engage in physical activity, over 35% spent more than five hours per day on screens. A significant association between the frequency of training during the pandemic and the reported change in weight was found (p \u3c 0.001). A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical and emotional exhaustion, irritability, and tension either all the time or a large part of the time during the pandemic (p \u3c 0.001). Although a high percentage of participants reported sleeping more hours per night during the pandemic, 63% had sleep disturbances. The study highlights that the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity, and psychological problems among adults in the MENA region

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 patients in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The Coronavirus disease (a highly infectious viral disease) quickly swept across the globe in 2020, causing mortality and severe respiratory illnesses. It quickly affected businesses and publicly provided services in United Arab Emirates (UAE), imposing significant costs to society. The general population of UAE was jittery and unsure how to address the problem. The focus turned on government and Health Care Workers (HCW) to handle the pandemic. Thus, knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of HCW became critical for the treatment and isolation of COVID-19 patients. Thus, the KAP of the HCW came under scrutiny. This is study set out to answer the research question, by investigating the KAP of HCW related to COVID-19 in the UAE. Methods This was a cross-sectional study undertaken in UAE. The focus of was on HCWs as a population. Using convenience sampling with the help of Creative Research Software, the participants were identified, and an online questionnaire (Google Forms) distributed by the author. The questionnaire was adapted from the instrument developed by Bruce and Frey. It contained questions on demographic variables, knowledge, attitudes, and practice of HCW related to COVID-19. That instrument was contextualized to the UAE society and validated. Results Among the participants in the study, the majority, 90.7% (97) knew that the absence of fever did not mean there was no chance of transmission from an infected person. Further, 84.1% (90) agreed that wearing general medical face masks helps prevent one from contracting COVID-19. However, only 36.4% (39) strongly believed that wearing a well-fitting face mask was effective. In addition, only 15.9% (17) reported confidently managing patients with symptoms of COVID-19, while 54.2% (58) indicated they were afraid of contracting the virus from patients. Almost 50% of the participants noted that they avoided patients who had symptoms of the COVID-19. Conclusion This study revealed that the KAP for healthcare workers from UAE healthcare facilities related to COVID-19 was high. The healthcare workers were trained well and that positively affected awareness and the practice of HCW regarding the spread of the virus

Development of a telemedicine group educational program for patients with heart failure: A delphi study

Aims: Evidence regarding the most effective and feasible videoconferencing group educational program for patients with heart failure is still equivocal. This study aimed to reach consensus about the structure, acceptability, and feasibility of videoconferencing for people with heart failure in Jordan that improves access to healthcare and clinical outcomes. Methods: There were two Delphi survey studies of three rounds each. Delphi one survey involved 32 healthcare staff, experienced in heart failure clinical practice and telehealth, to obtain a consensus of opinion on a proposed group videoconferencing program for patients with heart failure. Delphi two involved seven staff of the information technology center, experienced in videoconferencing and using supporting applications, to obtain their consensus on the current capabilities of the healthcare system and patients about information technology. Descriptive statistics were used for each item to determine whether consensus was achieved or not. Items that received 80% disagreement or 80% agreement of participants were not presented for re-rating in the third round, while the items that scored varying degrees of agreement were presented for experts for re-rating. Results: In Delphi one a group of items reached consensus regarding structure, factors influencing, and effectiveness of the videoconferencing program. In Delphi two, the findings indicated that videoconferencing modality is applicable and feasible in Jordan. Conclusion: This is the first study that addresses the equivocal evidence for the design and implementation of heart failure videoconferencing programs. The framework of the current proposed program can be utilized as a guideline to test or develop a future videoconference program

Estimating the Risk of Acute Gastrointestinal Disease Attributed to E. coli O157:H7 in Irrigation Water and Agricultural Soil: A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

Introduction: The occurrence of E. coli O157:H7 in the agricultural environment poses a serious threat to public health. The primary aim was to estimate the probability of illness caused by E. coli O157:H7 in irrigation water and agricultural soil niches. Methods: The Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment was used and the risks were characterized using the Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations. Results: The mean levels of E. coli O157:H7 in the irrigation water and agricultural soil samples was 1.328 × 103 CFU/100 mL (Range: 0.00 to 13.000 × 103 CFU/100 mL) and 2.482 × 103 CFU/g (Range: 0.167 × 103 to 16.333 × 103 CFU/g), respectively. The risk of infection in humans exposed to this water and soil was 100%. In addition, a high risk of acute diarrheal disease was estimated at 25.0 × 10−2 for humans exposed to contaminated water and/or soil. Summary: These results exceeded the WHO diarrheal disease risk standard of 1.0 × 10−3. These findings demonstrated a high probability of acute gastrointestinal disease among humans exposed to E. coli O157:H7 in irrigation water and agricultural soil samples collected from the study sites representing a huge public health threat

COVID-19 Fear and Anxiety among Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Cross Sectional Study

Although the current management of COVID-19 is mainly focused on efficacious vaccine and infection control, the most common psychological reactions (such as fear and anxiety) associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have not been investigated and even neglected in patients with heart failure who are at greater risk for morbidity and mortality. We assessed COVID-19 related fear and anxiety among patients with heart failure and determined their associated factors. A cross sectional survey was conducted among 300 consecutive patients with heart failure during the period of March 2021–June 2021. Almost 50.7% of patients had fear of COVID-19 and 36.3% had coronavirus anxiety. Age > 55 was significantly associated with increased odds of fear (OR = 2.6) and anxiety (OR = 4.3). Patients with angina were more likely to have fear (OR = 3.0) and anxiety (OR = 2.2) and patients with chronic lung disease were more likely to have fear (OR = 3.0) and anxiety (OR = 3.3). Increased age, having angina, and having chronic lung disease were associated with increased odds of fear of COVID-19 and coronavirus anxiety. Psychological support needs to be integrated in patient care with special attention to physiological risk factors that are associated with COVID-19 comorbidities

Eating Habits and Lifestyle during COVID-19 Lockdown in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study

The coronavirus disease is still spreading in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with subsequent lockdowns and social distancing measures being enforced by the government. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the lockdown on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among residents of the UAE. A cross-sectional study among adults in the UAE was conducted using an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. A total of 1012 subjects participated in the study. During the pandemic, 31% reported weight gain and 72.2% had less than eight cups of water per day. Furthermore, the dietary habits of the participants were distanced from the Mediterranean diet principles and closer to “unhealthy” dietary patterns. Moreover, 38.5% did not engage in physical activity and 36.2% spent over five hours per day on screens for entertainment. A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, irritability, and tension “all the time” during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were prevalent among 60.8% of the participants during the pandemic. Although lockdowns are an important safety measure to protect public health, results indicate that they might cause a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity, and psychological problems among adults in the UAE