Internet addiction among school adolescents in Jeddah-Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Internet addiction is increasing among adolescents worldwide. There is a lack of research assessing internet addiction and factors contributing to it among adolescents in Jeddah city. The current study aimed to assess the rate of internet addiction among adolescents in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the potential factors associated with it. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey, hosted by SurveyMonkey, was used to capture data on internet use from 462 adolescents aged 12-18 years between March and May 2022. Young's Internet Addiction Scale was used to assess the degree of internet addiction as perceived by adolescents. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify possible predictors of internet addiction among adolescents in Jeddah. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 15.5 ± 1.9 years. The majority were females (75%) from public schools (63%), spent an average of six hours on the internet daily, owned smartphones (98%), accessed the internet via a smartphone (94%), and used the internet for socializing (82%). Internet addiction mean score was 39.20 ± 15.20 out of 100. More than two-thirds of the participants had mild to moderate levels of internet addiction (68%). Significant predictors contributing to internet addiction were using the internet for socialization and playing online games. The more hours spent on the internet daily, the more the internet addiction was (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The internet addiction rate is high among school adolescents in Jeddah. The majority of high school adolescents had mild to moderate levels of internet addiction. Interventional multidisciplinary programs are needed to mitigate the factors that influence internet addiction.

The protective roles of affectionate behaviors and communication on mental quality of life of couples living with fibromyalgia: movement toward a dyadic perspective.

This study assessed the impact of affectionate behaviors and communication problems on the mental quality of life (mQoL) in couples with fibromyalgia. Dyadic multilevel modeling in 204 fibromyalgia couples found that people with fibromyalgia (PwFM) who engaged in high levels of affectionate behaviors with their partner had improved mQoL. There was no significant association between affectionate behaviors and mQoL for their partners. Similarly, when PwFM and their partners had more communication problems within the couple, they had poor mQoL. Both models found that higher levels of pain interference for PwFM were significantly associated with poorer mQoL for both members of the couple. Young partners were significantly more likely to report poorer mQoL. Findings highlight the importance of the interpersonal context of fibromyalgia and the protective roles that affectionate behaviors and positive communication can play. Clinicians should include the partner in the care plan and treat the couple as one unit to better optimize the health of both members.

Factors Associated With Depression in Breast Cancer Patients in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms in Arab women with breast cancer (AWBC) in Saudi Arabia can be influenced by spirituality, religiosity, social support, and breast cancer's stigma. Understanding the role of these factors can raise awareness and help create policies to improve care for breast cancer patients. Yet, there is limited research addressing the impact of these factors on depressive symptoms in AWBC. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing depressive symptoms in AWBC in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional design and convenience sampling were used to recruit 59 AWBC from oncology departments in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who were receiving active treatment to participate in this study. Participants completed an online survey or paper-based survey including questions on sociodemographics, social support, spirituality, religiosity, depressive symptoms, and breast cancer's stigma. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the influence of numerous factors on depressive symptoms in AWBC; Student t test statistic was used to distinguish the depressive symptom scores between online and paper-based survey. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 49 years (SD = 8.31). The mean (SD) of depressive symptoms was 20.52 (12.36). Pearson correlation analyses indicated that cancer patients with high levels of depressive symptoms were associated with low levels of spiritualty and religiosity, and high levels of breast cancer stigma. CONCLUSIONS: Religiosity and spirituality work as protective factors against depressive symptoms in AWBC. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Including religiosity and spirituality in the intervention plan should be considered when caring for AWBC.

Open Communication and Physical Intimacy in Young and Midlife Couples Surviving Cancer Beyond the First Year of Diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between levels of dyadic coping (e.g., collaboration, communication) and sexual satisfaction in young and midlife couples surviving cancer beyond the first year of diagnosis. SAMPLE & SETTING: This cross-sectional study included 49 young and midlife couples (aged 21-57 years) beyond the first year of diagnosis. Couples were from rural and urban areas. METHODS & VARIABLES: A mailed survey was used to gather data from cancer survivors and their partners. RESULTS: Controlling for cancer survivor sex and age, open communication was significantly associated with greater involvement in affectionate and sexual behaviors of the couple. Protective buffering behaviors (i.e., concealing worries and avoiding communication) were not significantly associated with engagement in physical intimacy. Perception of how much a partner openly communicates was more salient for engaging in physical intimacy than one's own open communication. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses should include partners in planned care, assess the concerns of the partner, and treat the couple as the unit of care.

Development of the Breast Cancer Stigma Scale for Arab Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Health-related stigma is associated with depression, but there is a lack of studies examining the stigma of cancer in Arab patients. The purpose of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of a newly developed, culturally sensitive measure of stigma among Arab women with breast cancer. METHODS: The sample consisted of 59 Arab women with breast cancer who were Muslim, on active oncology treatment. The mean age of women was 49 years (standard deviation = 8.31). Content validity was assessed by calculating a Content Validity Index (CVI) based on ratings from seven oncology experts. Convergent validity was assessed by examining the association with a measure of depressive symptoms. Reliability was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: The measure demonstrated strong content validity (item-CVIs ranged from 0.85 to 1.0 and the scale-CVI was 1.0) and good convergent validity (higher levels of stigma were significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms). Finally, the reliability of the measure was also found to be adequate (alpha = 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: The initial examination of the Breast Cancer Stigma Scale for Arab Patients indicated that the scale is both valid and reliable to be used in Arab women with breast cancer.