E-cigarette use among university students in Palestine: Prevalence, knowledge, and determinant factors.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports indicated accelerated rates of e-cigarette use, especially among youth in various Middle Eastern countries, including Palestine. Nevertheless, little is known about knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding this topic in Palestine. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of e-cigarette use among Palestinian university students, along with their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about e-cigarette use. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study, utilizing an online self-administered questionnaire, was conducted on Palestinian students from five universities between 17/04/2023 and 04/11/2023. RESULTS: A total of 1002 Palestinian university students completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of e-cigarette use among students was 18.1%. The mean knowledge score about e-cigarettes was significantly lower among the users of e-cigarettes compared to non-users. E-cigarette use was significantly associated with the participants' smoking status. Among e-cigarette users, 43.6% were also current traditional cigarette users, and 66.9% were current waterpipe users. E-cigarette use was significantly associated with having a friend who is a smoker and/ or a smoking mother. Binary logistic regression revealed a significant positive effect between the participant's smoking status, the mother's smoking status, knowledge about e-cigarettes, and the use of e-cigarettes (p-value < 0.05). Among e-cigarette users, 18.8% used them in indoor places at the university, and 25% reported using them daily in the past month. Affordability of e-cigarettes was the most reported reason for their use (47.5%). CONCLUSION: This study concluded that e-cigarette use is prevalent and rapidly rising among university students in Palestine. This is worrisome as it is significantly associated with insufficient knowledge about the adverse health effects of E-cigarette use, and its addictive nature. These findings focus on the importance of improving the students' knowledge about e-cigarette use by implementing educational campaigns and considering age regulations on e-cigarette availability and use.

Zoom dysmorphia in e-teaching: shifting the value from attributes to appearance.

The current study is motivated by Tory Higgins's self-discrepancy theory and the objectification theory. It aimed to investigate university staff members' perspectives towards zoom dysmorphia while involved in e-teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic in terms of its popularity, causes, and instructors' experiences with the healing or eliminating mechanisms. Put simply, the researchers meant to identify the impact of the pandemic on body image and the long-term repercussions of e-teaching on instructors' quality. A descriptive online questionnaire was compiled to explore the way (630) university staff members having academic and academic/administrative positions evaluate, perceive, and handle zoom dysmorphia while teaching online. The study results showed several associations between the variables studied. Gender was significant because females proved to have more features of dysmorphia; faculty members who serve in scientific faculties also proved to expect more features of dysmorphia as they tended not to turn on their cameras. The study results also showed that sufferers of zoom dysmorphia warranted that their appearances occasionally made them feel insecure and occupationally unstable. Therefore, they tried different healing mechanisms to eliminate or, at least, reduce its traits. The study concluded that the prevalence of zoom dysmorphia may result in shifting the value from good, effective attributes (e.g., professionalism, adaptability, collaboration, empathy, and patience) of instructors to merely outside physical appearances. The researchers recommend that educators should elicit the presence of zoom dysmorphia at an early stage. They should prepare courses to improve instructors' self-confidence, and provide them with proper technical experience.

An investigation into religious awareness as a crucial factor in adherence to COVID-19 medical directives in Palestine.

BACKGROUND: Coping with the pandemic caused by the SARS-COV- 2 has been a global challenge. To this end, several measures have been adopted to control the transmission of the disease and to ensure public safety. One factor that has greatly affected the community's behaviors, attitudes, and practices in Palestine has been religious beliefs. AIM: This study aims to investigate the role of religion as a factor in adherence to the COVID-19 medical directives in Palestine. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed from August to October 2021. In this study, 1,353 participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that consisted of 20 items that measured the impact of religious beliefs and the role played by religious scholars in the promotion and application of medically-approved health directives and the rectification of COVID-19 related information. The data were analyzed by using SPSS version 22 software. RESULTS: More than 50% of the participants agreed that religion has a positive impact on community adherence to the health instructions in the majority of studied items. The responses were significantly variable based on the age and place of residence in most of the questions (p-value < 0.05). However, gender and to a lesser extent, the level of education affected the responses to many research aspects less significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Religion could be an effective tool in dealing with challenging health issues such as COVID-19. Intervention programs can be developed based on the community's religious beliefs, attitudes, and practices, to dispel myths regarding the disease and to encourage community commitment and adherence to health directives.

Breaching the Bridge: An Investigation into Doctor-Patient Miscommunication as a Significant Factor in the Violence against Healthcare Workers in Palestine.

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence is a common issue worldwide that strikes all professions, and healthcare is one of the most susceptible ones. Verbal and nonverbal miscommunications between healthcare workers and patients are major inducers for violent attacks. AIM: To study the potential impact of verbal and nonverbal miscommunications between the patients and healthcare workers upon workplace violence from the patients' perspectives. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed from November to December 2020. Patients and previously hospitalized patients were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire that involved items of verbal and nonverbal miscommunication. With the use of a suitable available sample composed of 550 participants, 505 had completed the questionnaire and were included in the study. The data were analyzed by using SPSS version 22 software. RESULTS: 7.2% of the study population reported participating in nonverbal violence and 19.6% participated in verbal violence against healthcare workers. The nonverbal and verbal violence was characteristically displayed by the patients who are male, younger than 30 years old, and bachelor's degree holders. The results of the study demonstrated that the verbal and nonverbal miscommunications between the patients and healthcare workers were the major factors in provoking violent responses from patients. Factors, such as age, gender, and level of education, were significant indicators of the type of patients who were more likely to respond with violence. CONCLUSION: Workplace violence, either verbal or nonverbal, in the health sector is a public health concern in Palestine. The verbal and nonverbal communication skills of healthcare workers should be developed well enough to overcome the effect of miscommunication provoking violent acts from patients and their relatives as well.

Medical faculty members' perception of smartphones as an educational tool.

BACKGROUND: The rapid adoption of modern technology has changed many aspects of our life and communication; it has the power to influence and change the way we teach, learn and practice different types of professions mainly teaching and health care providing. Smartphone applications are increasingly becoming popular and widespread. Generally, these applications are likely to play a significant role in supporting education, in general, and medical education, in particular. This study aims at investigating how medical faculty members are using smartphones in medical education and practice, and how they perceive them as an educational tool at university level. METHODS: The researchers have distributed an online questionnaire - including three parts: a demographic part with five variables; a 15-item part of various applications of the smartphones; and a 14-item part measuring attitudes towards using these smartphones - among medical faculty members at two Palestinian universities. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Medical faculty members working at two Palestinian universities. Data have been collected from 30 participants out of 72 representing a response rate of 41.6%. RESULTS: The average skills score with smartphones usage is (3.18) which tells that faculty members use smartphones to support their teaching practices. In general, faculty members are positive towards smartphones as a prospective teaching tool since the average attitude towards using smartphones is (3.60). The study results show no significant differences among faculty members based on the five demographic variables, i.e. university, title, department affiliation, gender, and years of experience. CONCLUSION: It seems that the majority of faculty members believe that smartphones would be a significant instrument as well as addition to their teaching practices.