Causes of Stress and Coping Strategies Adopted by Undergraduate Health Professions Students in a University in the United Arab Emirates

Objectives: This study aimed to compare causes of stress and coping strategies adopted by a sample of undergraduate health-profession students at the Gulf Medical University, United Arab Emirates. Methods: An anonymous voluntary questionnaire-based survey was conducted, from January to July 2011, among first- and second-year medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and physiotherapy students (N = 212) to identify causes of stress. Coping strategies were studied using the Brief COPE Inventory. Results: Worries regarding the future (54.2%) and parental expectations (40.1%) were the major stressors. Poor diet (36.8%) and a lack of exercise (36.3%) were also reported to cause stress. Students used multiple strategies, mainly religion/praying (74.5%), planning (70.5%) and taking action (70.5%) to cope with stress. There were no significant differences observed in the stressors or coping strategies between genders or programmes. First-year students (62.5%) relied on emotional support significantly more (P <0.05) than second-year students (48.5%). Conclusion: The main causes of stress were worries regarding future and parental expectations. The majority of the students used positive coping strategies, with religion/praying found to be the most frequently used strategy

Is More Nutrition Education Needed in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum? : Perceptions of graduates from a medical university in the United Arab Emirates

Objectives: The rise in lifestyle diseases has resulted in primary physicians advising more patients on the benefits of nutritional modifications. However, nutrition education has remained more or less unchanged in the undergraduate medical curriculum. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of medical graduates regarding nutrition education in their undergraduate curriculum. Methods: A total of 125 medical graduates from the Gulf Medical University in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey from May to October 2012. The validated pilot-tested questionnaire was designed to assess perceptions regarding nutrition education in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Results:A total of 65 medical graduates responded to the survey, of which 55% were female. Of the respondents, 32% were general physicians and 68% were specialists in various disciplines. Nutrition education was perceived to be very important by 80% of the respondents; however, 78.5% felt that they had not received adequate instruction in this field during their undergraduate medical curriculum. The major areas of deficit identified were in the categories of clinical nutrition, nutrition in primary care and evidence-based nutrition. Conclusion: In this study, Gulf Medical University graduates perceived a need for more nutrition-related instruction in their undergraduate medical curriculum. The areas of deficit identified in this study could help in future curricular improvements.Keywords:

Currently Available Tools and Teaching Strategies for the Interprofessional Education of Students in Health Professions : Literature review

Interprofessional education (IPE) is designed to provide students from different health sectors with opportunities to work together to enhance future collaboration. The implementation of IPE activities is a current trend in various countries. This review exclusively targets IPE issues involving undergraduate health profession students and highlights various approaches in different regions. A total of 28 articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2012 and July 2015 were assessed to determine recent trends in IPE implementation. Nine main strategies were identified: simulation-based education programmes; rotations in rural and community settings; interprofessional training wards; patient-centred case studies; theme-centred workshops; student seminars; student-delivered lectures; health promotion activities; and interactive lectures in a common setting. Many of these institutions had not restricted themselves to a single strategy and supplemented these activities with additional teaching or learning methods. Recommendations gathered from these diverse approaches may assist the development of sustainable strategies for implementing IPE in undergraduate medical curricula

Diabetes Mellitus-Related Knowledge among University Students in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

The aim of this study was to assess diabetes mellitus (DM)-related knowledge and practices among university students enrolled in non-health care related professional courses in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: A pre-tested questionnaire assessing the knowledge of DM was administered to the above-mentioned students. Data collected were transferred to PASW Statistics (Chicago, IL, USA, Version 18) and analysed. Results: Data on 168 university students (47 males and 121 females) were included in the analysis. Of the participants, 25% were overweight or obese and only 27% exercised regularly. Regarding their knowledge of DM, 70% knew that it is characterised by high blood sugar levels and identified family history as a major risk factor. Surprisingly, only just over half could link obesity and physical inactivity as risk factors for developing DM, or could identify an excessive feeling of thirst, frequent urination, and weight loss as symptoms. Knowledge of the complications of diabetes, including gangrene, loss of sensation in limbs, oral and dental complications, recurrent infections, and risk for cardiovascular disease got a moderate response. Knowledge of diabetes was found to be higher in females compared to males. No significant differences were observed in the health behaviour of participants with or without a family history of DM. Conclusion: Our study revealed that in spite of exposure to various sources of information, the participants’ level of DM-related knowledge was not adequate. We recommend the engagement of health professionals in educational settings in order to enhance health-related knowledge and inculcate healthy lifestyle practices in students.

Psychological Health of First-Year Health Professional Students in a Medical University in the United Arab Emirates

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the psychological health of first-year health professional students and to study sources of student stress. Methods: All first-year students (N = 125) of the Gulf Medical University (GMU) in Ajman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were invited to participate in a voluntary, anonymous, self-administered, questionnaire-based survey in January 2011. Psychological health was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. A 24-item questionnaire, with items related to academic, psychosocial and health domains was used to identify sources of stress. Pearson’s chi-squared test and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used for testing the association between psychological morbidity and sources of stress. Results: A total of 112 students (89.6%) completed the survey and the overall prevalence of psychological morbidity was found to be 33.6%. The main academic-related sources of stress were ‘frequency of exams’, ‘academic workload’, and ‘time management’. Major psychosocial stressors were ‘worries regarding future’, ‘high parental expectations’, ‘anxiety’, and ‘dealing with members of the opposite sex’. Health-related issues were ‘irregular eating habits’, ‘lack of exercise’, and ‘sleep-related problems’. Psychological morbidity was not significantly associated with any of the demographic factors studied. However, total stress scores and academics-related domain scores were significantly associated with psychological morbidity. Conclusion: Psychological morbidity was seen in one in three first-year students attending GMU. While worries regarding the future and parental expectations were sources of stress for many students, psychological morbidity was found to be significantly associated with only the total stress and the academic-related domain scores

Faculty and Students’ Perceptions of Student Experiences in a Medical School Undergoing Curricular Transition in the United Arab Emirates

Objectives: In 2008, the Gulf Medical College in the United Arab Emirates underwent a curricular change from a discipline-based to an organ-system-based integrated curriculum. In this context, this study aimed to compare the faculty and students’ perceptions of the student experiences with the new curriculum. Methods: Data were collected from faculty and second-year students in the integrated curriculum using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Data collected were transferred to Predictive Analytics Software, Version 18. Global and domain scores were assessed with the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test. Percentage agreement, disagreement and uncertainty were assessed by the z-test for proportion. Results: There were no significant differences between the total DREEM scores of faculty (139/200) and students (135/200). The faculty perceived that the students were experiencing significantly more positive learning as indicated by the domain score of “Students' Perceptions of Learning”. Proportions of agreement between faculty and students showed that more faculty members than students perceived the need for increased feedback to students and a greater emphasis on long term learning. Conclusion: The study showed that the faculty and students had similar perceptions about the student experiences in the integrated curriculum. Areas necessitating remedial measures were the need for faculty to learn constructive feedback techniques and an emphasis on long term learning in the new curriculum