13 research outputs found
UTILIZATION PATTERNS OF UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES AMONG THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT STUDENTS
No full textGhassan Hamadeh; Kassem Kassak; Mohamad AlameddineBackground: Worldwide, a large majority of universities provide primary health care services and eventual referral to more specialized care to their students. The presence of health services on campus can create an environment of safety and support for the students who, particularly at this age, need physical and mental stability to appropriately reach their academic and personal goals. Adequate University Health Services (UHS) can also reduce students’ dropout rates. Published data on utilization of UHS by students is limited. Some studies report under-utilization, and others describe a specific seasonal pattern for health seeking.
Objectives: This study aims to calculate the utilization ratios of UHS by university students over a period of three academic years, to identify prevalent conditions for which American University of Beirut (AUB) students consult, to assess monthly and daily trends in health services utilization, and to explore associations between student characteristics and utilization patterns.
Methods: This is a descriptive case-series that involved a cohort of AUB students who were beneficiaries of UHS over three academic years between 2015 and 2018. Anonymous data were obtained from the medical records of students on Filemaker.
Results: This study of UHS clinics found that the utilization ratio of students at AUB increases with students’ age over time. Each student visited UHS 1.3 times yearly on average. In general, most diagnoses were related to health maintenance, followed by dermatological complaints. Most of the referrals were made to psychiatry, followed by ophthalmology and orthopedics. A seasonal distribution was detected, marked by a higher peak in winter and a lower dip in summer. Medical students, and students of other health-related faculties, had significantly more visits to UHS than students from other faculties. Expenditures on laboratory tests increased over the three academic years. Older age, female gender, and actual number of completed visits were found to be predictors of higher expenditures.
Conclusion: A UHS center serves a basic and essential purpose for the health and well-being of students. Beyond its basic curative role, it can provide those students with knowledge and skill necessary to stay healthy in future life. The UHS is also a very important center for training of Primary Health Care (PHC) practitioners, especially Family Medicine (FM) residents. The rotation should be enhanced so that no opportunity for learning is wasted through easy referral or loss of information from data loops that are not well closed. Finally, data accumulated at Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) are important sources to be minded to address several research issues of importance regarding the health of adolescents and young adults
Effect of computer use on physician-patient communication using a validated instrument: Patient perspective
No full textBackground Physician-patient communication is essential in the physician-patient relationship. Concerns were raised about the impact of the computer on this relationship with the increase in use of electronic medical records (EMR). Most studies addressed the physician's perspective and only few explored the patient's perspective. Aim This study aims to assess the patient's perspective of the effect of the physician's computer use during the clinical encounter on the interpersonal and communication skills of the physician using a validated communication assessment tool (CAT). Design and settings This is a cross-sectional survey of three hundred eighty-two patients who visited the family medicine clinics (FMC) at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). Material and methods At the end of the visit with the physician, the patients were approached by the clinical assistant to fill a paper-based questionnaire privately in the waiting room to measure communication skills of physicians using CAT. Results Nearly two-thirds of the patients (62%) did not consider that using the computer by their physician during the visit would negatively affect the patient-doctor communication. Patients rated their physician with a higher communication score when there was an ongoing relationship between the physician and the patient. Higher communication scores were reported for extensive use of the computer by the physician to check results (p < 0.001), to retrieve patient record information (p < 0.001) and to educate patients (p < 0.001) as compared to less use. Conclusions Physician-patient communication was not negatively affected by the physician use of the computer as rated by patients. An ongoing relationship with the physician remains a significant predictor of better physician-patient communication even in the presence of the computer. © 2017 Elsevier B.V
Exploring Pesticide Knowledge, Practices, and Health Perceptions Among Farmers in Akkar, Lebanon
No full textBackground: The unregulated and widespread use of agricultural pesticides in Lebanon has led to critical health and environmental challenges. Small-scale farmers in Akkar, a key agricultural region, are particularly vulnerable due to limited knowledge, unsafe practices, and insufficient access to safety resources. Objectives: This study evaluates the knowledge, practices, and perceived health impacts of pesticide use among small-scale farmers in Akkar. It aims to identify gaps and provide targeted recommendations for interventions that enhance safety, sustainability, and environmental conservation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving 151 farmers was conducted from November 2022 to January 2023 using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests were used to assess knowledge and practice scores and identify predictors. Results: Farmers demonstrated moderate knowledge (mean score: 0.545) and practices (mean score: 0.607). However, environmental awareness was low, with only 9.3% recognizing water contamination risks. Alarmingly, 37.7% of farmers reported using no protective gear, while 67.5% experienced acute symptoms such as respiratory irritation and skin issues. Education was a significant predictor of knowledge (p < 0.01). Conclusions: This study underscores the pressing need for tailored educational programs, accessible protective equipment, stricter regulatory frameworks, and environmental conservation strategies to reduce health risks and promote sustainable pesticide use
Randomized controlled trial on improving pesticide label interpretation among farmers in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon: The impact of a whatsapp-delivered educational video.
No full textBackgroundPesticide misuse poses significant health and environmental risks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Lebanon, improper pesticide handling and a lack of understanding of pesticide labels among farmers are major concerns. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a WhatsApp-delivered educational video compared to traditional in-person educational sessions in improving farmers' pesticide safety knowledge, label interpretation, and handling practices.DesignThis study employed a parallel-group, three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) with three groups: a traditional educational session group, a WhatsApp-delivered educational video group, and a control group receiving no intervention.Setting/participantsThe study was conducted in the coastal villages of Akkar Governorate, northern Lebanon, from June to August 2024. One hundred thirty- three agricultural farmers were recruited through systematic sampling from a list of registered farmers, based on their pesticide use and access to WhatsApp.InterventionsParticipants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the control group received no intervention; the traditional education group participated in an in-person training session focused on pesticide safety, health risks, and label interpretation; the digital video group received a 4-minute educational video via WhatsApp, covering the same topics as the traditional session.Main outcome measuresPrimary outcomes included the ability to interpret Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) pictograms, knowledge of pesticide health risks, and understanding the environmental impacts of pesticide misuse. Secondary outcomes assessed the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and changes in pesticide handling practices.ResultsThe video-based group showed the most significant improvement in pesticide handling, knowledge, and awareness of health and environmental risks, outperforming the traditional education group. The control group showed minimal changes. The video-based intervention was especially effective in enhancing the interpretation of pesticide labels, including complex pictograms and color codes.ConclusionThe results demonstrate that WhatsApp-delivered video interventions are superior in improving pesticide safety knowledge and practices compared to traditional methods. This cost-effective, scalable approach provides a viable solution for disseminating agricultural safety education, particularly in resource-limited areas. The study highlights the potential of digital learning tools to reach a wide audience with fewer resources, contributing to safer pesticide use and reducing health and environmental risks.Trial registrationInternational Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN12809193
Widgetry basics for i-Book
No full textThis teaching and learning series book provide guidance to create interactive book by using iBook Author. The emphasize of this book is to create the interactive book by adding text, graphics, movie, galleries, 3D objects and so on through widgets in the iBook Author
Adoption of positive health behaviour among primary care physicians: a cross-sectional pilot study from Lebanon
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Association between social media use and cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study
No full textCyberchondria is defined as an excessive or repeated online health-related information-seeking behavior exacerbated by information overload and quarantine, resulting in amplified health anxiety. A total of 406 Lebanese participants, residing in Lebanon, participated in this cross-sectional study conducted between February and March 2022 to investigate the association between social media use and cyberchondria severity. Participants filled an online questionnaire assessing the severity of cyberchondria (via short Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12)), fear of COVID-19 (via the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV–19S)), and social media use. The majority of recruited participants were females (76.6 %) with an average age of 30.87 ± 12.68 years. The average time spent on social media per day was 4.19 ± 2.86 h, and the mean scores per item were 2.27 ± 0.73 and 2 ± 0.71 of CSS-12 and Fear of COVID-19, respectively. Social media use for health-related information and considering health-related information from social media, google, and medical websites reliable, were found to be significantly associated with cyberchondria. The developed multiple linear regression model justified 23.3 % of the variation of cyberchondria severity score. Besides, social media use for health-related information (p-value < 0.001), Fear of COVID-19 (p-value < 0.001), and age (p-value = 0.046) were significantly associated with cyberchondria severity. This implies the importance of social media implementation in the health care field in the forms of e-medicine and telehealth
HYPERTENSION AMONG REFUGEES: A DISEASE OF RISINGPUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN
No full textAfter the war in Syria, Lebanon became among the top countries hosting for refugees. Many public health issues started to be raised with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) being high on the list. Providing health care for refugees is not easy since it requires huge resources, continuous follow-up encounters, and an extensive financial support. Reports show that NCDs are a health priority in Syrian refugees, and hypertension is the most prevalent one affecting more than half of the older Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This creates an enormous burden on the host community health system that needs effective interventions. While Lebanese citizens favor the private sector for seeking health care, better attention and support is to be given to the public sector for better coping with the needs of both refugees and host community, including the implementation of the new guidelines developed by the Lebanese Ministry of Public health in order to decrease the cost of care for NCDs and limit the rate of complications. However, there are barriers encountered when attempting at fulfilling the refugees’ health needs. A multisectoral approach involving different stakeholders is essential to ensure the readiness of the host health system and enhance the solidarity of the host community towards refugee
The Effect of Co-solvent on the Solubility of a Sparingly Soluble Crystal of Benzoic Acid
No full textAbstractThe Benzoic acid is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, plasticizers and food preservative which show low aqueous solubility and dissolution rate. The investigation has been made to improve the solubility of benzoic acid by using co-solvent. The co-solvent solution is prepared by using glycerol in water by volume ratio. The result shows the relation between solubility in different co-solvent and temperature whereby as the percentage of glycerol increase, the solubility of benzoic acid increase. A similartrend was depicted in term of solubility relation with temperature as the temperature increase amount of benzoic acid dissolved also increase. Thermodynamics dissociation constant, pKa are directly proportional totemperature between 30oC and 90oC. Enthalpy and entropy change of the dissociation process are 2.907kJ/mole and -24.09J/mole respectively. Gibbs free energy of dissociation at 30oC, 60oC and 90oC are -4.390 KJ/mole, -5.114 KJ/mole and 5.837 KJ/mole respectively depicted that the solubility increased with temperature
