ABSTRACT
On March 2, 2020, the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was dedicated in Saudi Arabia. The government established partial quarantine, and all precautions were mandatory on March 23, 2020. This in turn forced people to spend more time at home, leading to changes in the physical activity and dietary habits of individuals. In this study, we aimed to assess the behavioral changes of Saudi diabetic individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and measure the effectiveness of the behavioral changes of Saudi diabetic individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic on the control of the glucose level. A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire sent to diabetic patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants ranging from 18 years old and above of both genders were selected. Diabetic patients (type 1 and 2) were included. All collected data for this study were analyzed using Stata 17 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, Texas, USA). A total of 223 people responded. For 45% of individuals, doctor visits significantly decreased (p<0.05), and the percentage of doctor visits also decreased for individuals who previously visited their doctor more regularly. Furthermore, the number of hours spent on tablets increased significantly during COVID-19 (p<0.05). Our findings demonstrate that there are no significant changes in lifestyle factors or glycemic control during the pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic year in individuals with diabetes. However, the rate of patient visits to the doctor was lower than pre-pandemic, with an increase in the rate of physical activity.
ABSTRACT
Background Vaccines are largely regarded as one of medicine's greatest breakthroughs, yet vaccination rates have been declining in many parts of the world in recent years. Although there are numerous contributing variables to decreased vaccination rates, it is critical to evaluate the impact of the relevant factors. Also, because we are in the midst of a sad epidemic and vaccination for COVID-19 is critical to maintaining public health and limiting the virus's spread, there is a risk of vaccine rejection on the horizon. Methods Five hundred and fourteen married Riyadh inhabitants aged 18 years and over were issued an online Web-based survey. The research took place from June to October 2020. The study calculates the percentage of vaccination apprehension and analyzes immunization attitudes and knowledge. It also contrasts the participants' attitudes regarding vaccines before and during the COVID-19 global pandemic, as well as the associated causes for vaccine reluctance and rejection. Result The majority of the respondents (48.1%) were between 37–47 and 26–36 years of age (37.5%). Females (80%) made up the majority of the group. Around 66.3% of participants have a bachelor's degree, and 80.8% have an average monthly income. During the pandemic, 38.5% of participants said they do not want to be vaccinated. When comparing vaccine-hesitant participants' sociodemographic characteristics, it was discovered that the percentage of vaccine-hesitant participants was significantly higher in the younger age-group (<36 years), those who had been married for more than 10 years, those with 1–3 children (p < 0.001), and those who did not work (p = 0.002). Conclusion The percentage of people who are hesitant to get vaccinated has grown by 5.2% from the previous level, and the level of reluctance has increased by 2.3%.