Fears and misconceptions toward COVID-19 vaccination among Syrian population: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Despite the significant milestone of vaccine discovery, the spread of misinformation and pseudoscientific claims has resulted in an increasing number of people refusing vaccination in Syria. In this study, we aimed to explore fears and misconceptions towards COVID-19 vaccines among the Syrian population. Methods: We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study between January and May 2022, using a convenience sample of 10,006 participants aged at least 18 years and living in Syria. We administered a validated online/paper questionnaire and conducted face-to-face interviews. We used SPSS software (version 26) for statistical analysis, assessing our data using frequency and χ 2 tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of the participants were female 6048 (60.4%), university degree holders 7304 (73%), and from urban areas 8015 (80.1%). Approximately half of the participants 5021 (50.2%) belonged to the medical sector (49% had concerns about the vaccine). Females, university degree holders, and participants with a history of symptomatic COVID-19 were more likely to have fears about the vaccines. The main concerns about the vaccines were the rapid development, fears of blood clots, and common side effects. The prevalence of some misconceptions was relatively high, such as the belief that the vaccine is an experiment or a secret plan to reduce the population. Reliable sources are crucial to fight misleading information on social media. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine is key to controlling the spread, but acceptance rate is critical. High variability in vaccine acceptance and high vaccine hesitancy can affect the efforts to terminate the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the barriers associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination will be the cornerstone to achieving maximum vaccination coverage. It is important to consider the reasons for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine when interpreting the results of any study on vaccine attitudes among the Syrian population.

Prevalence of childhood obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its role in daytime sleepiness in Syria: a large-scale school-based cross-sectional study.

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) has become vastly conceded in the last decade as a possible reason for significant morbidity in childhood. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of OSAS among school children and to assess the interrelationship between OSAS and daytime sleepiness. Methods and materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 1029 children and adolescents aged 6-15 years attending elementary and secondary schools in Damascus, Syria. The questions involved 19 sleep problems items using the children sleep habits questionnaire, and 4 sleep disorder items (loud snoring, having snorts or gasps, breathing pauses, daytime sleepiness). Total sleep time (TST) was determined by sleep habits. Severe possible OSAS (p-OSAS) was addressed as having all OSA symptoms "frequently", and mild p-OSAS was defined as having any of the symptoms "sometimes". Severe and mild daytime sleepiness were rated as being very sleepy during the day "frequently", and "sometimes", respectively. Logistic regression was applied to predict risk factors of severe and mild daytime sleepiness. Results: The prevalence of p-OSAS was 22.2%, of them 15.8% were mild, and 6.3% were severe. p-OSAS was more recognized in males 15.2% children (P<0.05). Most p-OSAS children sleep less than 6 h of TST; however; the mean TST was significantly lower at the secondary school level (P≤0.001). Predicted risk factors for severe and mild daytime sleepiness were students' grade level (P<0.05), severe and mild p-OSAS (P≤0.001), and TST less than 6 h (P≤0.001). Conclusions: A significant number of children have p-OSAS, affecting daytime sleepiness in school age. Physicians should consider loud snoring, and breathing pauses as marked symptoms of severe daytime sleepiness. Moreover, raising parents awareness about OSAS and daytime sleepiness is essential to ensure early access to primary care.

Prevalence of Ménière's Disease in Syrian Patients with hypothyroidism: Cross-sectional study.

Background: Ménière's Disease, a long-term debilitating disorder has been increasingly found among patients with hypothyroidism. Our study aims to evaluate the prevalence of ménière's disease among hypothyroid patients and assess the interrelationship between patients' symptomology and ménière's disease. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was performed at the endocrinology clinics at Damascus Hospital and Syrian Red Crescent Hospital, Damascus, Syria between September 2021 and January 2022. Patients with hypothyroidism were interviewed using a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions about socio-demographic information, hypothyroid history, diagnostic criteria of ménière's disease, chief complaint, medical history, and lab test results. Patients, who reported ménière's disease symptoms, were referred to the otorhinolaryngology clinic for confirmation or exclusion of ménière's disease. At the clinic, patients underwent an otoscopy and a pure tone audiometry, probable and definite ménière's disease was diagnosed accordingly. Results: Of 217 hypothyroid patients included in the sample, 17 (7.8%) were diagnosed with definite ménière's disease and 31 (14.3%) were diagnosed with probable ménière's disease. Hypothyroid symptoms reported among patients diagnosed with definite ménière's disease compared to no diagnosis differed by feeling low (χ2 (1, 217) = 4.014, p = 0.045), and depressive appearance (χ2 (1, 217) = 8.887, p = 0.003). Patients diagnosed with definite ménière's disease, probable ménière's disease, and both definite and probable ménière's disease were more likely to report that their symptoms affected their lifestyle compared to those that reported no effect (χ2 (3, 217) = 62.565, p < 0.001), (χ2 (3, 217) = 31.380, p < 0.001), and (χ2 (3, 217) = 35.542, p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: A high number of hypothyroid patients were diagnosed with MD. Clinicians should consider clinically screening for MD among hypothyroid patients presenting to clinics.

Social and psychosocial factors affecting eating habits among students studying at the Syrian Private University: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study.

Syrian eating habits are trending towards westernized patterns that are high in carbohydrates, fats, and meat. This accompanied by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has affected young adults' dietary habits. As a consequence, obesity and overweight young adults are significantly increasing in prevalence. This study aims to assess the pattern of eating habits and their relation with psychosocial factors among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Syrian Private University students using a self-administrated questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 3 sections: socio-demographic characteristics, eating habits, and psychosocial factors. Each item from the eating habits questionnaire was scored "1" if the response was healthy or "0" if the response was unhealthy. All items were summed and the total score was obtained for each student. Students' scores were summed and divided by the total number of students to deduce the total mean of eating habits. Hierarchical multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate factors associated significantly with eating habit score and psychological factors. Of 728 students included in the study 398 (54.7%) were females. Overweight and obese participants represented 154 (21.4%) and 49 (6.8%) respectively. Around 316 (43.4%) were smokers and 135 (18.5%) drank alcohol. Only 259 (36.0%) students reported they adopted healthy eating habits. Of them, 233 (32%) and 306 (42%) ate meals and breakfast regularly respectively. Participants' had a moderate eating habits score; the mean total was 5.96 (SD ± 1.95). Multivariate analysis revealed that non-smokers (p < 0.001), exercising (p = 0.002), living with family (p < 0.001), and eating because of feeling happy (p = 0.014) were factors significantly associated with eating habits score and psychological factors. While R2 adjusted were 0.109 and 0.117 in the first and second model, the total model accounted for 13.2% of variance. Half of the students demonstrated unhealthy eating habits. The identified socio-demographic and psychological factors were significantly affecting students' eating habits. These findings can be used to provide targeted lifestyle modification advice via health promotion programs towards these specific groups.

Oral cancer knowledge and practice among medical students: A cross-sectional study during the Syrian crisis.

Background: lack of medical practitioners' knowledge about oral cancer has contributed to delays in referral and treatment. Oral cancer is amenable to treatment when detected early, which leads to better prognosis and survival rates. In this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge of the Syrian medical students about the risk factors of oral cancer, oral cavity changes associated with oral cancer, and the relation between the relation with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and oral cancer. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Syrian Private University. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires, which targeted social demographic information, general knowledge, risk factors, oral changes and HPV knowledge associated with oral cancer. Data was categorized and analyzed to assess and compare the levels of knowledge between clinical and preclinical students. Results: 301 out of 401 medical students responded to the questionnaires bringing the response rate to 75.25%. The study revealed adequate knowledge about oral cancer, general information, clinical features, risk factors and relation to HPV. Clinical students showed higher levels of awareness compared to pre-clinical students. No significance in knowledge was found between the genders. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that there is a need to reinforce the medical curriculum concerning oral cancer education, particularly in prevention and early detection to improve practices.

Prevalence and behavior regarding cigarette and water pipe smoking among Syrian undergraduates.

BACKGROUND: The devastating Syrian crisis has raised concern regarding the social acceptance of smoking especially with water pipe use becoming a growing epidemic. We aim to determine the prevalence of cigarette and water pipe smoking among university students, along with identifying the addictive behavior among university students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Syrian Private University during World No-Tobacco Day, in Damascus, Syria during the war crisis. The survey consists of 4 sections: socio-demographic information, Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence, attitude towards water pipes, and perspective about smoking. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Sciences version 25.0 (SPSS Inc., United States.). RESULTS: Of the 622 participants, 429 (69%) were males with a mean age of 21.3 ± 3.1 years. The prevalence of tobacco smoking was 320 (51.4%), 208 (23.8%) for cigarettes, and 112 (18.0%) for water pipe. Smoking was significantly higher among male non-medical university students. The majority were low to moderate dependent when assessed by the Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a very high prevalence of smoking indicating the need for smoking cessation programs, access to effective quitting treatments, and mass media campaigns to diminish smoking among the youth.