Knowledge and attitude of university students towards premarital screening program

The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and attitude of Sultan Qaboos University students towards premarital screening program. A cross-sectional study conducted at the students' clinic from January to April 2011. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 590 unmarried Omani students of both genders. The questionnaire consisted of 3 main parts; the first part was based on socio-demographic data, the second part dealt with the students' knowledge about the premarital screening program while the third part explored their attitudes towards the screening program. Most of the participants [n=469; 79%] were aware about the availability of premarital screening program in Oman. The main sources of information were: school/college [n=212; 36%], media [n=209; 35%], family and friends [n=197; 33%], and/or health services [n=181, 31%]. The vast majority of the participants [n=540; 92%] thought it is important to carry out premarital screening and agreed to do it. Around half of the participants [n=313; 53%] favored having premarital screening as an obligatory procedure before marriage and about one third [n=212; 36%] favored making laws and regulation to prevent marriage in case of positive results. Even though the majority of the participants thought it is important to carry out premarital screening; only half favored making it obligatory before marriage and one third favored making laws and regulations to prevent marriage in case of positive results. This reflects the importance of health education as a keystone in improving knowledge and attitude towards premarital screening program

Prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhoea among Omani high school students

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhoea in Omani high schoolgirls, its impact and the treatment used. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in May 2010 on 404 girls from two public high schools in the Muscat region. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire including information on demographics, prevalence of dysmenorrhoea, severity, its impact, and the treatment used. Overall, 94% [n = 380] of the participants had dysmenorrhoea. It was mild in 27% [n = 104], moderate in 41% [n = 155], and severe in 32% [n = 121]. Dysmenorrhoea was the cause of limited sports activities in 81%, decreased class concentration in 75%, restricted homework in 59%, school absenteeism in 45%, limited social activities in 25%, and decreased academic performance in 8% of the affected students. Only 3% [n = 10] had consulted a physician; 21% [n = 80] self-medicated, and 55% [n = 210] took no action. The commonest drugs used were paracetamol [n = 60, 16%], ibuprofen [n = 29, 8%] and mefenemic acid [n = 12, 3%]. There was no statistically significant correlation between dysmenorrhoea, demographics and menstrual characteristics. Dysmenorrhoea is a prevalent and yet undertreated menstrual disorder among Omani adolescent schoolgirls. The pain suffered can be severe and disabling. Doctors should therefore be prepared to discuss this more freely with schoolgirls. In addition, there is a need for education regarding dysmenorrhoea and treatment options to minimize the impact on school, sports, social and daily activities

Prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Oman

To study the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with gender, academic year, and college among university students in Oman. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Omani students attending the students' clinic of the Sultan Qaboos University [SQU]. A systematic sampling of students, males and females, from different colleges, who visited the clinic during the study period, was carried out. The self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] was used to screen for propensity to depression. A total of 481 students participated in the study [243 males and 238 females]. Overall, 133 [27.7%] of the participants [66 males and 67 females] had depression of various grades based on the PHQ-9 diagnostic criteria using a cut point of more than 11. Depression score at the cut point of 11 was not statistically associated with gender, college and the academic year. Tendency for depression might be a common health problem among college students in Oman attending primary health care facilities. Further research on socio-demographic characteristics and the effect of depression on the academic performance is needed