Impact of vaccination on morbidity and mortality in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 during the omicron wave in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccination on morbidity and mortality in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 during the omicron wave in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A 6-month record-based historical prospective study enrolled COVID-19 adult patients admitted between January and June 2022. Individuals were classified into 3 groups according to their immunity status (immunized, partially immunized, and not immunized). Death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mechanical ventilation were identified as the primary outcomes, collectively referred to as "serious outcomes". On the other hand, the length of hospital stays longer than 5 days was categorized as a secondary outcome. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent factors and the relationship between the outcomes and vaccination status. RESULTS: Among the 634 COVID-19 patients admitted to Jazan hospitals, 46.4% were fully immunized, 19.7% were partially immunized, and 33.9% were not immunized. Not being immunized was significantly associated with ICU admission (odds ratio [OR]=1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.17-3.11]; p=0.009), mechanical ventilation (OR=2.11, 95% CI: [1.25-3.56]; p=0.005), increased length of hospital stays (OR=1.79, 95% CI: [1.24-2.59]; p=0.002), and death (OR=3.03, 95% CI: [1.85-4.98]; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach for managing COVID-19 patients that includes vaccination against the disease.

Real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines: A retrospective cohort study of vaccinated individuals in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) vaccinations are a critical control measure for the coronavirus pandemic that began in 2019. Several COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, and their effectiveness will almost certainly vary. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess how effective two doses of the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines were in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection six months after administration. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of adult individuals from the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia who received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine [Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca (ASZ)] between April and June 2021. The monitoring and follow-up period continued until the end of January 2022. Data were retrieved from the Health Electronic Surveillance Network and National Vaccination Records. Logistic regression was performed to assess the risk of COVID-19 infection among the vaccinated subjects. RESULTS: This study included randomly enrolled 4458 participants in Jazan who received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during the research period. The majority of them received the Pfizer vaccine (3136/4458; 70.3%), while the remaining received the ASZ vaccine (1322/4458; 29.7%). The study participants' mean age was 59.7 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.9:1.0 (2920:1538). The results showed that the Pfizer and ASZ vaccines' protection against infection decreased from 93.2% and 90.2%, respectively, during the first three months, to 68.5% and 68.1% after a six-month interval. In the current study population, being Saudi Arabian, younger as well as having longer intervals between vaccines or crossing a 6-month period after the second vaccine dose were factors linked to higher rates of breakthrough infections. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed variations in the efficacy of different COVID-19 vaccine types against COVID-19 breakthrough infections. The Pfizer (mRNA-based) vaccine was found to be relatively more effective than the ASZ (DNA-based) vaccine.

Assessing Continuity of Adherence to Precautionary Measures for COVID-19 among Vaccinated People in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to behavioral respiratory hygiene practices is essential in preventing the transmission of COVID-19, especially given the appearance of new variants of the COVID-19 virus. This study estimated the pre- and post-vaccination levels of adherence to COVID-19 preventive behavioral measures among vaccinated people. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed the sociodemographics and preventive behavioral measures, and pre- and post-vaccination data, via a questionnaire. Paired t-tests and Chi-squared tests were used to assess the variation in adherence levels. RESULTS: Of the 480 participants, 57.9% were male, and 30.4% were aged between 30 and 39 years of age. After vaccination, there was a statistically significant decline in adherence to all the assessed behavioral protective measures (p < 0.05). Being 50 years old or older, female, a healthcare worker, and a smoker were associated with higher adherence levels compared with other groups in the same categories. CONCLUSIONS: A change in the behavior of the community members regarding COVID-19 after receiving the vaccination and a reduction in adherence to respiratory hygiene practices was observed. This indicates the importance of raising awareness about the possibility of reinfection with COVID-19 despite the vaccination, and the importance of behavioral respiratory hygiene for the prevention and control of COVID-19.

Effect of Health Education on Female Teachers' Knowledge and Practices Regarding Early Breast Cancer Detection and Screening in the Jazan Area: a Quasi-Experimental Study.

Educational programs are important tools for breast cancer prevention. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of health education in improving the knowledge and practices of female teachers regarding screening tools and the early detection of breast cancer. A two-group quasi-experimental design was conducted among 150 female teachers, who were selected from 75 schools of the Jazan General Administration of Education. Schools were chosen by a simple cluster randomization method and non-randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Eligible participants were recruited by a simple randomization method, proportional to the total number of teachers at each school. Those in the intervention group (n = 75) were compared to the control group (n = 75) at baseline, as well as at 6 weeks and 3 months post-intervention. Knowledge of breast cancer screening tools was measured using a modified version of the Breast Cancer Knowledge test. Breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography practices were also measured. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed a statistically significant increase in knowledge and practice levels at both 6 weeks and 3 months post-intervention. Thus, the results of this study provide evidence that group health education programs are effective in improving breast cancer knowledge and practices in female teachers. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03398057 .

Assessment of sleep quality and its predictors among patients with diabetes in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Poor sleep quality is common among patients with diabetes. It is associated with negative physical, psychological, and functional consequences. However, the implicated risk factors of poor sleep quality remain uncertain. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of poor sleep quality among patients with diabetes and to investigate the factors associated with the poor sleep quality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study of 307 diabetic patients in Jazan, Saudi Arabia was conducted in 2018. A multistage cluster random sampling was used to select the study participants. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data on patient's characteristics were gathered via patients' interviews, and medical data were collected based on the patients' files. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of poor sleep quality. RESULTS: The mean score of PSQI was 5.29±2.73. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 55.4% (95% CI 49.7-60.8). Sociodemographic and clinical factors were significantly associated with poor sleep quality, such as being elderly, female, illiterate, smoker, complications of diabetes, comorbidity, or psychological symptoms. However, female gender was the strongest predictor of reporting poor quality of sleep, OR= 3.69, 95% CI 1.65-8.28 (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Poor sleep quality among diabetic patients is a prevalent health problem. Many factors can affect sleep quality. Health care providers may consider routine screening for and address sleep problems among diabetic patients.