ABSTRACT
Background: Sleep problems in teenagers seriously disturb the active process of learning. Given the absence of sleep data from Lebanon, a study to determine sleep quality among adolescents is vital.
Aims: To understand sleep habits and patterns that affect sleep quality, and assess the amplitude of possible sleep problems in Lebanese adolescents, raising awareness of the effects of good sleep hygiene on general health in adolescents.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 500 high-school students in Beirut was conducted using a self-filled questionnaire inquiring about sociodemographics, health-risk behaviour and sleep quality. The effect of several factors related to sleep habits of the students was investigated using bivariate analysis and logistic regression.
Results: We found that 76.5% of teenagers were not satisfied with their sleep quality; 56% did not have the appropriate amount of sleep [< 8 hours]; and 82.4% used mobile phones and electronic devices in bed before falling asleep. Moreover, 3.2% faced a real problem with sleep initiation, 11.3% with sleep maintenance and 8.7% with early awakening.
Conclusions: A large proportion of high-school students in Beirut have poor sleep patterns. It is therefore necessary to increase awareness of the problem in education in order to prevent its escalation.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Sleep Hygiene , Sleep Wake Disorders , Students , Life Style , Schools , Pilot Projects , Cross-Sectional Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , AdolescentABSTRACT
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics contributes to a global spread of antimicrobial resistance. Previous studies showed an excessive consumption of antibiotics purchased without medical prescription from community pharmacies, mainly in developing countries. There is a shortage of studies revealing the role of community pharmacists in the overuse of antibiotics. Our objective is to study the dispensing policy of non-medical prescription antibiotics in community pharmacies, assessing the possible influence of the socio-economic level of the area over this practice. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and May 2011 among 100 pharmacists working in Beirut's pharmacies and its suburbs. Pharmacies were divided into 2 groups according to the socio-economic level of the population living in the pharmacy area. A self-administered questionnaire was filled by pharmacists. Over-the-counter antibiotic availability existed in both higher and lower socio-economic areas: on the whole, 32% of antibiotics were dispensed without medical prescription, with higher frequency in lower socio-economic areas [p = 0.003]. Dispensing injectable antibiotics without medical prescription was significantly higher in lower socio-economic areas [p = 0.021], as well as dispensing an association of 2 antibiotics without medical prescription [p = 0.001]. Pharmacists working in lower socio-economic areas recommended more frequent antibiotics to children and the elderly [p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively]. Dispensing antibiotics without medical prescription in Beirut community pharmacies is a common practice, particularly in lower socioeconomic areas. This public health problem should be addressed at the social, educational, and legislative levels