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Background: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines have been developed to tackle the disease. However, many people worldwide were not confident enough to take the vaccines. Developing a questionnaire to measure COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will give the health authorities and policymakers a clear picture to establish appropriate interventions addressing vaccine hesitancy among the community. Methods: In this study, we used a mixed-method design over two phases. Phase 1 entailed a qualitative approach to developing the questionnaire, including a literature search, expert panel review, and focus group discussion. Phase 2 used a quantitative method for establishing the content and construct validity of the questionnaire via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA & CFA). Internal consistency was checked using Cronbach's Alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: We developed a 50-item instrument designed to measure COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in the state of Qatar. The study involved 545 adult participants. In terms of content validity, our study showed a value of 0.92 for the scale-level content validity index based on the average and a value of 0.76 for the scale-level content validity index - universal agreement. In the EFA, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was calculated at 0.78, with statistical significance (P = 0.001). Regarding model fit indices of the seven-factor model, our findings showed an acceptable model-data-fit, with a relative chi-square: 1.7 (<3), Root mean square error of approximation: 0.05 (<0.08), PCLOSE = 0.41, Comparative fit index: 0.909, Tucker-Lewis index: 0.902, Incremental Fit Index: 0.910 and, Standardized Root mean square residual: 0.067 (<0.08). The seven-factor model of the questionnaire met the criterion of good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.73). Conclusion: This tool is deemed of methodological merits in terms of validity, reliability, and determining the underlying conceptual structure of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its associating factors.
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The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has turned into one of the most serious public health crises of the last few decades. Although the disease can result in diverse and multiorgan pathologies, very few studies have addressed the postmortem pathological findings of COVID-19 cases. Active autopsy findings amid this pandemic could be an essential tool for diagnosis, surveillance, and research. We aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) histopathological features of different body organs through a systematic review of the published literature. A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, medRxiv, and bioRxiv) for journal articles of different study designs reporting postmortem pathological findings in COVID-19 cases was performed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used for conducting the review. A total of 50 articles reporting 430 cases were included in our analysis. Postmortem pathological findings were reported for different body organs: pulmonary system (42 articles), cardiovascular system (23 articles), hepatobiliary system (22 articles), kidney (16 articles), spleen and lymph nodes (12 articles), and central nervous system (seven articles). In lung samples, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) was the most commonly reported finding in 239 cases (84.4%). Myocardial hypertrophy (87 cases, 51.2%), arteriosclerosis (121 cases, 62%), and steatosis (118 cases, 59.3%) were the most commonly reported pathological findings in the heart, kidney, and the hepatobiliary system respectively. Autopsy examination as an investigation tool could lead to a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management, subsequently improving patient care.
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BACKGROUND: The concept of Mental Health Literacy (MHL) relies on our capacity to understand and recognize mental illnesses and the ability to maintain and promote a positive mentality for ourselves and others. In our review, we aim to examine the level of MHL among healthcare providers in the Arab Gulf States. METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, Medline were searched till August 2019. Studies were included if at least one of the main components of mental health literacy was reported, including (a) knowledge of mental illnesses, (b) stigma toward mental illnesses, (c) confidence in helping patients, and (d) behavior of helping patients, regardless of study design. The risk of bias was rated according to the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the review; all of them were cross-sectional, with a total of 3516 participants from the healthcare system. Overall most of the studies claimed limited knowledge, negative attitudes, behavior and/or confidence among nurses, pharmacists, and physicians, especially juniors. However, the overall quality of all outcomes was relatively very low. CONCLUSION: More high-quality evidence and in-depth qualitative studies are required to bridge the gap between mental health needs and services delivered by healthcare providers in the Gulf Arab region.
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Health Literacy , Mental Health , Arabs , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Personnel , Humans , Middle EastABSTRACT
Introduction: Vaccination is considered one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions of the 20th century. In 2017, Qatar's Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) provided vaccination services against a comprehensive list of 15 vaccine-preventable diseases. Objectives: To assess the performance of Qatar's national immunization system, identify possible gaps by determining the national vaccination coverage rates, and benchmark these rates against regional and global figures. Methods: The data utilized herein were retrieved from the vaccination coverage estimates generated by the World Health Organization and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. Relevant local, regional, and global vaccination coverage figures were manually extracted and then analyzed for six vaccines (DTP3, Pol3, MCV2, HepB, PCV3, and RotaC) in 2017. Percentages and proportions were compared using the Chi-squared test. Results: Vaccination coverage levels in Qatar have surpassed the optimal level of 90% for all vaccines. Compared with international figures, the national coverage exceeds the relevant benchmarks. For DTP3 and Pol3, Qatar achieved 97% coverage compared with 99% coverage in Jordan and 85% coverage globally. For MCV2, Qatar achieved 93% coverage compared with 99% coverage in Jordan and 67% coverage globally. For RotaC, Qatar achieved 97% coverage compared with 96% coverage in Jordan and 28% coverage globally. For HepB, Qatar achieved 97% coverage compared with 43% coverage globally. Conclusions: Compared with the international benchmarks of major vaccines, the vaccination coverage rates in Qatar are high. However, challenges for maintaining high coverage, such as cultural and language barriers, should be addressed.
