Eye and adnexa hospitalization in Australia: An ecological study.

To investigate the trends of hospital admissions concerning diseases of the eye and adnexa in Australia in the past 2 decades. This is a descriptive ecological study on the population level that examined hospitalization data for the duration between 1998 and 2021 in Australia. Hospitalization data were extracted from the National Hospital Morbidity Database. The chi-squared test was utilized to assess the difference in admission rates between the years 1998 and 2021. Hospital admission rate for diseases of the eye and adnexa increased by 1.20-fold (from 852.32 [95% confidence interval [CI] 848.16-856.47] in 1998 to 1873.72 [95% CI 1868.48-1878.96] in 2021 per 100,000 persons, P < .01). The most common cause of hospitalization for diseases of the eye and adnexa was disorders of the lens (65.7%), followed by disorders of the choroid and retina (15.6%), followed by disorders of the eyelid, lacrimal system, and orbit (7.7%). Hospital admission rate among males increased by 1.25-fold (from 737.67 [95% CI 732.18-743.16] in 1998 to 1657.19 [95% CI 1650.19-1664.20] in 2021 per 100,000 persons). Hospital admission rate among females increased less sharply by 1.03-fold (from 965.37 [95% CI 959.14-971.59] in 1998 to 1964.35 [95% CI 1956.80-1971.90] in 2021 per 100,000 persons). There are clear gender and age roles in the epidemiology of hospital admissions related to eye and adnexa disorders. Lens disorders were the most common cause of hospital admission. The admission rate increase during the past decades could be due to increases in life expectancy, lifestyle changes, and improvements in screening protocols.

Correction: Naser et al. Knowledge and Practices during the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Middle East: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 4699.

The authors would like to make the following corrections about the published paper [...].

Trends in Hospital Admission Due to Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa in the Past Two Decades in England and Wales: An Ecological Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the trends of hospital admissions concerning diseases of the eye and adnexa in the United Kingdom in the past 20 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ecological study was conducted using hospital admission data taken from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database for Wales. Hospital admissions data for diseases of the eye and adnexa were extracted for the period between April 1999 and March 2019. The trend in hospital admissions was assessed using a Poisson model. RESULTS: Hospital admission rate for diseases of the eye and adnexa increased by 73.8% [from 7.48 (95% CI 7.45-7.50) in 1999 to 13.00 (95% CI 12.97-13.02) in 2019 per 1000 persons, trend test, p < 0.001]. The most common cause of hospitalisation for diseases of the eye and adnexa was disorders of the lens (62.3%), followed by disorders of the choroid and retina (14.2%), followed by disorders of the eyelid, lacrimal system and orbit (11.5%). Hospital admission rate among males increased by 91.2% [from 6.19 (95% CI 6.16-6.22) in 1999 to 11.83 (95% CI 11.80-11.87) in 2019 per 1000 persons]. Hospital admission rate among females increased less sharply by 63.2% [from 8.71 (95% CI 8.68-8.75) in 1999 to 14.22 (95% CI 14.18-14.26) in 2019 per 1000 persons]. CONCLUSION: There are clear gender and age trends in the epidemiology of hospital admissions related to eye and adnexa disorders. Further observational studies are warranted to identify other risk factors for these important causes of hospitalisation and understanding of differential trends.

Knowledge and Practices during the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Middle East: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of the general public in the Middle Eastern countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted between the 19th of March and the 6th of April 2020 in three Middle Eastern countries (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait) to explore the knowledge and practices of the Middle Eastern population regarding COVID-19. A previously developed questionnaire was adapted and used for this study. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors of COVID-19 knowledge. Results: A total of 1208 participants (members of the public) participated from the three countries (Jordan = 389, Saudi Arabia = 433, and Kuwait = 386). The majority of participants (n = 810, 67.2%) were females aged 30 to 49 years (n = 501, 41.5%). Participants had moderate overall COVID-19 knowledge, with a mean (SD) score of 7.93 (±1.72) out of 12 (66.1%). Participants had better knowledge about disease prevention and control (83.0%), whereas the lowest sub-scale scores were for questions about disease transmission routes (43.3%). High education level was an important predictor of greater COVID-19 knowledge scores (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Further public education is needed to address the relatively low level of education regarding the transmission of COVID-19 in the Middle Eastern countries. Policymakers are recommended to develop informative COVID-19 related campaigns that specifically target young people (university students), unemployed individuals, and those with lower levels of education.