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This study examines the moderation role of innovation and infrastructure on the relationship between covid-19 crisis and healthcare performance in Jordan. The methodology of this study includes a literature review to identify relevant studies and theories related to the topic and identify gaps in the existing research. Attention is paid to human behavior and personnel interaction in the hospitals that receive Covid-19 cases. The findings of this study will be used to identify areas where improvements can be made in healthcare infrastructure and innovative practices to support healthcare performance during future crises better. This paper identifies specific innovative and most effective infrastructure supporting healthcare performance during a crisis, such as telemedicine, remote monitoring, or emergency medical service (EMS) systems. Also, the paper informs policy-making by providing insights into the impact of innovative practices and infrastructure on healthcare performance and how these factors can mitigate future crises' impact on healthcare systems. The healthcare industry needs ideas and strategies as the Covid-19 pandemic grips the world. These strategies will help the industry deal with the unstable and continuously changing environment. © 2023 WITPress. All rights reserved.
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Purpose: To investigate public awareness and source of information regarding the management of the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic among Jordanians. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Jordan during the COVID-19 outbreak from March 25th to April 29th, 2020. A validated online questionnaire addressing participants ' current awareness about COVID-19 pandemics, source of information, and perspectives of their role. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Descriptive analysis data were reported as mean and standard deviations for continuous variables and percentages were used for qualitative variables. P-values <= 0.05 were considered significant. Results: This study involved 409 participants that had a mean age of 26.2 +/- 8.7 years and 76.3 % were females. Nearly 67.7 % of the participants obtained their information about COVID-19 from social media, and 16.6 % from governmental agencies. Furthermore, 70.7 % of participants believed that wearing a medical face mask is not necessary to protect against COVID-19, about 95.6 % of the participants agreed to take COVID-19 detection tests when they suffer from symptoms related to COVID-19 infection, and 98.8 % agreed to visit the hospital if they have the infection. Conclusion: This survey has shown the importance of public awareness in the prevention and control of pandemic diseases. Most Jordanian participants have good knowledge of COVID-19 as a deadly disease that spreads rapidly among the population in a community. Furthermore, the people have awareness of drugs that enhance the immune system. This public awareness made Jordan one of the countries with reduced number of weekly recorded cases of COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic.
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This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID -19 on unemployment in the tourism sector in Jordan. For the purpose of achieving the study objective, the researchers reviewed various previous articles that handled COVID -19 pandemic and its impact on unemployment in different countries in the world. The researchers reviewed all reports issued by the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Tourism, Central Bank of Jordan and Statistics Department. All gathered data was reviewed to make a comparison of unemployment with the years prior to COVID -19. The study concluded that COVID -19 affected and increased unemployment in the tourism sector in Jordan, since more than 46% of tourism workers lost their jobs. The impact increased the unemployment rate from %19 in the year 2018 to 24% at the end of 2020. The study recommended that tourism parties in Jordan have to develop internal tourism programs to maximize the benefits of tourism in all governorates, in true partnership with the private sector, in addition to developing special plans to promote tourism, such as promoting domestic tourism, improving the quality of the tourism product periodically and conducting vaccination in the touristic areas for those who did not receive the preventive vaccination. The study results may help those who are concerned with the tourism sector as well as future researchers. © 2023 DSR Publishers/The University of Jordan.
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With the recent global increase in fossil energy prices post Covid-19 and the drive to enhance sustainability towards NetZero, renewable energy is becoming one of the key global technologies to power societies at an affordable cost. This paper presents a novel study in relation to solar energy use in residential dwellings in Jordan, to discuss the benefits and challenges of using domestic solar energy systems within the current context of increasing energy prices. The Self-Determination Theory and Maslow's Hierarchical Theory are discussed in-line with the findings. This study, in addition to literature review, has utilised qualitative and quantitative data collected from an on-line survey with 366 participants to investigate Jordanian consumers' energy consumption behaviour, perception of renewables, and major factors influencing solar energy adoption. The novelty of this study that it provides a bench mark of affordability for future initiatives. The Jordan Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Fund is currently creating several initiatives to drive the society to adopt renewable energy. The results of this study will help to identify the crucial factors that could be hindering the adoption and expansion of renewables, particularly solar energy. This work has investigated awareness, motivation, difficulties, affordability and level of satisfaction in relation to solar energy in domestic dwellings. The results of this study have shown that Jordanians believe that financial affordability and awareness are both crucial for utilising renewables. For current users of solar systems, there is an increased satisfaction in their performance levels. However, energy storage is critical for enhancing the implementation of solar energy due to the complexity of grid-connected systems and the need for off-grid installations. Therefore, if renewable energy providers and governmental bodies aim to expand the implementation of solar energy technology and enhance public engagement, then it can be suggested that they should expand the promotion process of solar energy through platforms and further initiatives that engage with the public and subsidise the cost to provide more affordable solar energy systems for residential dwellings. The aim is to decrease carbon emission, reduce energy cost and enhance sustainability towards Net Zero Carbon emission.
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This research study compared the perceived performance of interior design students participating in Classroom Learning Versus Online Learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Jordan. The survey results suggest that first-year students had higher satisfaction ratings than third-year students. Second-year students had a medium level of expectations and perceptions regarding both online and classroom learning. The reasons for this difference in perceived performance could be attributed to a variety of factors, such as the novelty of online learning, the more complex coursework of third-year students, and the difficulty of conveying concepts in an online learning environment. In order to ensure that all students are receiving an equitable education, regardless of their year level, it is important to understand the root causes of the difference in satisfaction between first-and third-year students and to develop strategies to address any issues that arise. The findings of this study provide insight into the factors affecting student satisfaction with online learning and can inform the development of strategies to support students in their learning during the pandemic.
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OBJECTIVES: To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthodontic clinical services in Jordan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Google Forms electronic questionnaires were distributed between March and June 2021 using the WhatsApp platform of the Jordanian Orthodontic Society and via direct WhatsApp messages. The survey was identical and contemporaneous to that used in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: The survey yielded 127 unique responses, giving a response rate of 53.1%. The factors that had the greatest impact on service delivery were government guidance (78%), patients' fear of attending (70.1%), and increased cross-infection measures (65.4%). The survey revealed that there had been a perceived deterioration in oral hygiene (60.3%) and levels of compliance (61.9%) in patients in active treatment even though patients in treatment were prioritized during the pandemic. Also, 56.8% of respondents felt clinical staff should be vaccinated and undergo regular testing for COVID-19. Orthodontists within Jordan were optimistic regarding the speed at which clinical services would return to pre-pandemic levels of activity with 32.5% anticipating this would take less than 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in active orthodontic treatment, during COVID-19, have been prioritized but at the expense of new and review patients. Respondents in Jordan felt COVID-19 would have ongoing effects on clinical care, professional practice, and society. Most respondents supported the vaccination of orthodontic staff and were optimistic about the effect of a vaccination program on restoring clinical services. © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
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Objectives Although an emergency approval for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine was given for 5- to 15-year-old children, there is a public hesitancy to give it for children. This study aimed to investigate parental willingness to COVID-19 vaccine among 5- to 11-year-old children. Methods A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to parents from Jordan through social media and at the paediatric clinics. Key findings Six hundred and sixty-two parents participated. The mean age was 42.3 +/- 2.9 years old and 67% of them were mothers. Around 60% of parents had 5- to 11-year-old children, 56% had children under 5 years, and 49.5% had 12- to 18-year-old children. About 89% of parents and 20% of their 12-18 years children had received COVID-19 vaccine. Only 37% of parents thought that COVID-19 vaccines are safe in children. Only 36/399 parents accepted the vaccine for their 5-11 years children and 232/339 rejected it. The acceptance number increased to 171 if the vaccine was a condition for school admission. Potential long-term unknown side effect was the most reported concern. Independent factors correlated with parental willingness to 5-11 years children vaccination were having a high income, having had children vaccinated to influenza vaccine, and trusting information from the government. Whereas concern of side effects was associated with vaccine rejection. Conclusion Vaccine acceptance for 5- to 11-year-old children is a major issue among parents. The current study could assist the policymakers in Jordan to undertake strategies to encourage children vaccination to confine the spread of the pandemic.
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Background: The One Health concept (OHC) seeks to improve the health of plants, animals, and humans because improving animal and plant health will increase the capacity for improving human health. Many risks such as plant and animal biotechnology applications have the potential to generate new diseases that can be transmitted to humans. In this way, the health of humans, animals, and plants is interrelated and depends on one another. However, it has been difficult to apply the OHC in some countries, such as those in the Middle East. The absence of financial support in the region is a major hindrance to applying this concept in the region. The application of the OHC requires the support of specialists who can advocate the government for support in launching OHC-related projects. Here, we discuss the OHC in the context of antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, and biosafety/biosecurity, which are important public health issues. Furthermore, we describe the current status of the OHC in the Middle East and recent research conducted related to this concept. There has been recent international solidarity in the application of the OHC to reduce risks that threaten the health of organisms. Several countries jointly launched the Global Health Security Agenda in 2014 with the aim of realizing a world that is free of infectious disease-related health risks. However, no previous review articles have examined the applications of the OHC in the Middle East region. This article discusses the OHC in terms of its needs and current applications in the Middle East. Methodology: The following keywords were used in the search: "One Health," "Middle East," "medicinal plants," "viruses," "rabies," "MERS," and "antimicrobial resistance." Related papers were obtained by searching for these keywords using available search engines, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google search, as well as international organization websites. Conclusion(s): The concept of One Health is relatively new and has not been applied in most countries, possibly because the value of this concept for improving human health is not well understood. The key principle defining this concept and its importance is the interdependency of plants, animals, and human health. By applying the OHC, humans can benefit from healthy plants and animals by enhancing their growing conditions, medications, and environments. This would in turn improve general human health by allowing the safe extraction of therapeutics and food resources.Copyright © 2023
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on global mental health including anxiety and depression rates, many factors affected the vulnerability to these psychological conditions amongst university students. Aim: To explore the level of anxiety and depression of university students living in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted in which an electronic survey was created and distributed, university students residing in Jordan participated in the study. Results: A total of 1241 students were enrolled in the study. The mean anxiety score among males and females was (9.68 (SD = 4.10)) and (10.46 (SD = 4.14)), respectively. 42.1% of males had "abnormal" anxiety score compared to 48.4% females. The mean depression score among males (7.77 (SD = 4.31)) was similar to that for the females (7.64 (SD = 4.14)), and 26.0% of the males had "abnormal" depression score compared to 22.6% of the females. Factors affecting anxiety scores included younger age, being a female, taking medication/s, or drinking two cups of coffee or more a day. Conclusion: With 46% and 24% of students suffering from abnormal anxiety and depression respectively, it is important for education policy makers to take immediate measures to allocate students in need of psychological assessment and help to deliver suitable interventions.
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BACKGROUND: The use of telehealth in the management of care and care delivery has been increasing significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth is an emerging technology used to manage care for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Jordan. However, implementing this approach in Jordan faces many challenges that need to be explored to identify practical solutions. PURPOSE: To explore the perceived challenges and barriers to using telehealth in managing acute and chronic CVDs among healthcare professionals. METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted by interviewing 24 health professionals at two hospitals in different clinical areas in Jordan. RESULTS: Several barriers were reported by participants that affected the utilization of telehealth services. The barriers were categorized into the following four themes: Drawbacks related to patients, Health providers' concerns, Procedural faults, and telehealth To complement the service only. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that telehealth can be instrumental in supporting care management for patients with CVD. It means that understanding the advantages and barriers to implementing telehealth by the healthcare providers in Jordan can improve many aspects of the healthcare services for patients with CVD within the healthcare settings in Jordan.
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COVID-19 , Cardiovascular Diseases , Telemedicine , Humans , Cardiovascular Diseases/therapy , Jordan , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Health PersonnelABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study assesses misconceptions about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine and the factors associated with misconception among Jordanians. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. The survey was formulated on Google Forms, and was hosted on an online platform. These questions were created based on extensive review of online information about the vaccines. Frequencies and percentages (%) were used for categorical variables, while means and standard deviations (SDs) were used for continuous variables. Stepwise binary logistic regression was conducted to evaluate variables associated with participant's misconception questions. RESULTS: Of 1195 survey respondents who participated in the study, 41.3% had received the COVID-19 vaccine. The mean misconception score was (60.0 ± 19.1). The statement with the highest mean was "The vaccine hasn't been tested on enough people" (3.6 ± 1.0). The statement with the lowest mean was "The COVID-19 vaccine includes a microchip to control us" (2.2 ± 1.1) in the conspiracy theory portion. Females, 18- to 29-age group, higher educational level, living in a city, the participants who took lectures about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccinated participants had higher odds of being in the low misconception level group. CONCLUSION: Targeted campaigns and vaccine safety information should be part of a broader health education campaign to alleviate vaccination safety concerns.
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OBJECTIVE: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), individuals' compliance with protective behaviors was the most effective strategy to break the infection chain and prevent disease spread, even with vaccine availability and use. Understanding protective behaviors within the Jordanian context will shape health promotion campaigns and guide decision-makers to facilitate required resources and support Jordanian citizens. The objective of this study was to identify personal protective (preventive and avoidant) measures used by the Jordanian population during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect themselves from infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with an exploratory, descriptive design was used to collect data using an online self-reported questionnaire from Jordanian people. The survey included the Protection from Infection Scale and the Infection Avoidance Scale. RESULTS: A total sample of 1053 Jordanian citizens was included in the study. The participants exhibited a moderate level of self-care behaviors and high levels of protective and infection avoidance behaviors. Their most common behaviors were getting enough sleep, wearing masks, washing hands, and avoiding travel to infected areas. Contrariwise, the least adopted behaviors were exercising, wearing gloves, and leaving their jobs or schools. CONCLUSIONS: During pandemics, policy-makers must understand public concerns and protective behaviors, then provide them with tailored education through health promotion campaigns to enhance healthy behaviors.