Socioeconomic determinants of infant and under - five mortality, in wad-madani pediatric teaching hospital- Gezira State, Sudan

Background: Infant and child mortality constitute the highest rate in the developing world, compared to the mortality of other age groups. Sudan is one of the countries were infant and children are under risk. This study was done in Wad-Madani Pediatric Teaching Hospital, to determine the association between the socio-economic factors and basic life services differences and high level of infant and under- five mortality.Methods: The study utilized cross sectional, hospital based study. The data were collected by using structured questionnaire addressed to 96 mothers in their reproductive age (15- 49 years), experienced infant and under- five death in the hospital in the study period. The data were analyzed descriptively and then by statistical test based on chi- squire conducted to determine the relationship between death of infant and children and socio- economic factors.Results: Our study revealed, differences in mortality levels are related to community differences and differences in living condition. Infant mortality was higher than child mortality. Indicators like birth order, birth interval, mother education, and distance for health services, have great impacts on infant and under- five mortality.Conclusions: The study recommended that there is a real need to continue sensitizing the public about dangers associated with early child bearing, short birth interval, and hence stress upon family planning. Increasing level of education of the parents was recommended for further utilization of health services, good antenatal care, and self learning about family planning, nutrition during pregnancy and breast feeding

Prevalence, knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in primary care centers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia: A crosssectional study

Purpose: To assess the prevalence, knowledge, attitude and practices of health care workers (HCWs) in Jazan Province regarding the annual influenza vaccination program.Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire-based study was conducted among HCWs (n = 368) at the primary 18 health care centers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia during the period January – April, 2016.Results: The overall vaccination coverage was 87.0 % in the previous year and 79.9 % in the last 5 years. In all, 97 % of males and 59.5 % of females considered influenza as a serious disease (p = 0.005). Regarding prevention of influenza infection, 91.2 % of respondents believed that HCWs were at risk of influenza infection, while 62.5 % considered vaccination as the best preventive measure (p = 0.003). The most common reasons for receiving vaccine were “to protect oneself or one’s family” (99.4 %), while the most common reason for not taking the vaccine was “fear of side effects” (49 %).Conclusion: HCWs exhibit positive attitudes toward influenza vaccine, and notwithstanding the high vaccine coverage in Jazan Province. However, influenza vaccine campaigns should include information to enhance the awareness of HCWs about the risk of exposure to influenza, and information about the adverse reactions to influenza vaccine.Keywords: Healthcare workers, Influenza vaccine, Risk of exposure, Adverse reactions

Self-medication practice among undergraduate medical students of a Saudi tertiary institution

Purpose: To assess the knowledge, attitude and magnitude of self-medication among medical students of Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire-based study was conducted among undergraduate medical students of Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A total of 300 students were selected by random sampling.Results: Self-medication practice was highly prevalent among the medical students, with 87 % reporting that they indulge in it. Self-medication was more prevalent among female students than male. Sedatives were the most common drugs used by students for self-medication (58 %). The most common reason adduced for self-medication practice was their belief that they have sufficient information, previous experience, and the experience of others, such as family members and colleagues, with regard to the drugs. A huge proportion (84.5 %) of the respondents agreed that selfmedication could be harmful and is associated with adverse effects, while 52.6 % stated that they would not advise other persons to indulge in self-medication.Conclusion: Self-medication is prevalent among third-year medical students of Jazan University in Saudi Arabia. Although the students exhibited sufficient awareness of self-medication, the findings highlight the need for intervention programmes regarding the practice of self-medication.Keywords: Self-medication, Prevalence, Awareness, Sedatives, Medical student

Socioeconomic determinants of infant and under - five mortality, in wad-madani pediatric teaching hospital- Gezira State, Sudan

Background: Infant and child mortality constitute the highest rate in the developing world, compared to the mortality of other age groups. Sudan is one of the countries were infant and children are under risk. This study was done in Wad-Madani Pediatric Teaching Hospital, to determine the association between the socio-economic factors and basic life services differences and high level of infant and under- five mortality.Methods: The study utilized cross sectional, hospital based study. The data were collected by using structured questionnaire addressed to 96 mothers in their reproductive age (15- 49 years), experienced infant and under- five death in the hospital in the study period. The data were analyzed descriptively and then by statistical test based on chi- squire conducted to determine the relationship between death of infant and children and socio- economic factors.Results: Our study revealed, differences in mortality levels are related to community differences and differences in living condition. Infant mortality was higher than child mortality. Indicators like birth order, birth interval, mother education, and distance for health services, have great impacts on infant and under- five mortality.Conclusions: The study recommended that there is a real need to continue sensitizing the public about dangers associated with early child bearing, short birth interval, and hence stress upon family planning. Increasing level of education of the parents was recommended for further utilization of health services, good antenatal care, and self learning about family planning, nutrition during pregnancy and breast feeding

Utilisation of the health belief model to study the behavioural intentions relating to obesity management among university students: a cross-sectional study

Background Overweight and obesity are excessive fat accumulations linked with many health problems, including heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Multiple studies have demonstrated that beliefs about overweight, obesity and self-efficacy play essential roles in the success of interventions for obesity management.Objectives This study aimed to identify the perceptions of university students of overweight and obesity using the health belief model (HBM) and to analyse their association with the body mass index (BMI) categories of the students.Design A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study and a multistage sampling technique were used to ensure the recruitment of students from selected colleges of Jazan University—Saudi Arabia.Setting Six colleges of Jazan University were randomly selected to ensure equal representation of health sciences, sciences and humanities colleges.Participants A total of 579 students completed an online survey between January and April 2023.Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome measures were demographic characteristics and HBM constructs. Secondary outcome measures were behavioural intentions relating to obesity management.Results This study demonstrated that gender and self-reported family history of obesity were significantly correlated with the BMI categories of the students (p <0.001). Students in the underweight category showed the highest mean score for perceived severity (3.62 ±0.08). Perceived self-efficacy in exercise and diet was significantly associated with BMI categories, with adjusted ORs of 2.82 (2.10 to 3.79) and 1.51 (1.09 to 2.09), respectively. Perceived barriers to healthy eating and regular physical activity were significantly related to the behavioural intentions of obesity management. Multivariate logistic regression showed that perceived severity, perceived cues to action, perceived barriers and self-efficacy in dieting and exercise were significant predictors of behavioural intentions for the management of obesity.Conclusion This study underscores the need for tailored health promotion strategies that consider the perceptions and beliefs of people about the management of obesity

Prevalence of insomnia and relationship with depression, anxiety and stress among Jazan University students: A cross-sectional study

Insomnia, a common sleep disorder, is a public health concern, as it can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of insomnia and the common associated risk factors among students at Jazan University, in the Jazan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 712 students. A pre-designed, structured questionnaire was used to collect the relevant information pertaining to the study variables. The overall prevalence of insomnia in the study was 19.3%. There was no significant difference in prevalence between males and females (p-value = 0.5). Participants from health colleges had greater prevalence of insomnia than those from art and Islamic colleges and science colleges (p-value = 0.03). Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were significant risk factors for insomnia (p-value = 0.005, 0.000, 0.000, respectively). Insomnia is widely prevalent among Jazan University students. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, together with a noisy environment around the sleeping area, are important correlates. Screening for mental illnesses among university students is highly recommended

Satisfaction Paradoxes in Health Behaviors: Contrasting Patterns across Weight, Physical Activity and Dietary Habits

(1) Background: Obesity, a poor diet, and inactivity are major health issues among Saudi youth. However, satisfaction with unhealthy lifestyles could impede change. This study assessed lifestyle factors and related satisfaction among Saudi university students. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1957 students at Jazan University completed surveys on demographics, physical activity, dietary habits, and 10-point satisfaction scales for weight, activity, and diet. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression were used to analyze the associations between behaviors and satisfaction. (3) Results: Overweight/obesity prevalence was 25.45%, and only 26.67% of the subjects met activity guidelines. Many of them exhibited poor dietary habits. Despite unhealthy behaviors, some expressed high satisfaction, especially regarding their diets. Subjects with a normal BMI had the highest weight satisfaction. Activity satisfaction increased with higher activity levels. Dietary satisfaction was minimally impacted by healthfulness. Males and higher incomes were correlated with greater satisfaction. (4) Conclusions: A concerning paradox exists between unhealthy lifestyles and satisfaction among Saudi university students, particularly regarding their diets. Multicomponent interventions informed by behavior change theories and employing motivational techniques are urgently needed to address this disconnect and facilitate positive behavior change

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study

Background: Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods: The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18-49, 50-69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results: NNVs were more favourable in surgical patients than the general population. The most favourable NNVs were in patients aged 70 years or more needing cancer surgery (351; best case 196, worst case 816) or non-cancer surgery (733; best case 407, worst case 1664). Both exceeded the NNV in the general population (1840; best case 1196, worst case 3066). NNVs for surgical patients remained favourable at a range of SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates in sensitivity analysis modelling. Globally, prioritizing preoperative vaccination of patients needing elective surgery ahead of the general population could prevent an additional 58 687 (best case 115 007, worst case 20 177) COVID-19-related deaths in 1 year. Conclusion: As global roll out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination proceeds, patients needing elective surgery should be prioritized ahead of the general population