Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Deception, Disinformation and Social Media

Reinventing the Sheikhdom: Clan, Power and Patronage in Mohammed bin Zayed’s UAE

Digital health technology use among people aged 55years and over: Findings from the 45 and up study.

Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and accounts for one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac disturbances. The majority of data on management of AF patients are from western countries, with limited information available from the Middle East region. The objective of this study was to characterize treatment patterns and health resource utilization among AF patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: A retrospective chart review was undertaken at three hospitals in UAE and three in KSA, to identify AF patients diagnosed between January 2005 and June 2010. Patient charts were sampled consecutively backwards by diagnosis date, from June 2010 until the target sample was reached. AF was identified based on ICD-9 code (427.31), from a sample of patients defined by any history of anticoagulant use. Data on demographic and disease-related characteristics, treatment patterns, health resource utilization, and international normalized ratio (INR) control were abstracted from diagnosis until June 2012. AF was categorized as chronic (persistent, long-standing or permanent) or paroxysmal. RESULTS: Among eligible AF patients (UAE, n=157, KSA, n=152), the mean age at diagnosis was 69 years in UAE and 66 years in KSA. Male patients comprised 52.9% of the UAE sample and 48.7% of the KSA sample. The majority were diagnosed with chronic AF (80.9% in UAE, 63.7% in KSA) and had a CHADS 2 score ≥2 at diagnosis (77.1% in UAE, 71.1% in KSA). Treatments prescribed to AF patients differed between countries: warfarin monotherapy was widely used in UAE (59.9%); while a variety of warfarin- and aspirin-based combination therapies were used in KSA, with no single dominant regimen. Warfarin + bisoprolol (12.5%) and aspirin + bisoprolol (10.5%) combination therapies were the most common regimens in KSA. Patterns of health care utilization also varied. In KSA, 29.6% of patients were hospitalized, and 30.9% visited the emergency room, compared to 8.9% and 11.5%, respectively, in UAE. Outpatient visits were more frequent in UAE, with a mean of 1.0 visits per patient per year, compared to 0.3 visits per patient per year in KSA. In both regions, the most common clinical outcome was ischemic/unspecified stroke, with an incidence of 7.0% in UAE and 5.3% in KSA. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AF in UAE and KSA were relatively young compared to age distributions reported in other regions. Treatments and health resources used by AF patients varied between KSA and UAE. Warfarin monotherapy was widely used in UAE, while a variety of monotherapy and combination therapy regimens were used in KSA. Health care resource utilization was high in this population, particularly hospitalization rates in KSA. While some differences may result from differences in patient and disease characteristics, they likely also reflect variation in management strategies across the regions.

Technology, education and Arab youth in the 21st century: A study of the UAE

An Introduction to the ASPAN Position Statement on Social Media and Perianesthesia Practice

Associations between digital technology and substance use among U.S. adolescents: Results from the 2018 Monitoring the Future survey

Arab Gulf States’ naval procurement strategies: A three-level approach

Digital Technology Use in US Community-Dwelling Seniors With and Without Homebound Status

The study investigates how digital media use, parental supervision, and attitudes towards physical activity influence young Chinese individuals' physical health and exercise levels. Concerns over the health impacts of increasing digital technology use among teenagers have spurred extensive research. However, the specific roles of parental supervision and personal attitudes towards physical activity in mitigating or exacerbating these effects remain unclear. The study sample comprises 827 Chinese youth from diverse geographical locations. Regression analyses highlight significant predictors of physical health and exercise levels, including digital technology use (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), social media use (β = 0.22, p = 0.003), online gaming (β = 0.19, p = 0.011), educational technology use (β = 0.29, p = 0.003), parental monitoring (β = 0.47, p < 0.001), and attitudes towards physical activity (β = 0.50, p < 0.001). Additionally, the result illustrates that attitudes towards physical activity moderate the relationship between digital technology usage and physical health and exercise levels (Indirect Effect = 0.12, p = 0.003). The moderation analysis shows that digital technology use, social media use, online gaming, and educational technology use exhibit significant interactions with parental monitoring, indicating that parental supervision can mitigate the health risks associated with digital device usage.These findings underscore the crucial role of parental involvement in mitigating the health risks associated with adolescent technology use.

Rapid digitisation of health occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. In October 2020, we conducted a survey on digital health technology use in Germany. This study aimed to conduct a second survey to investigate in more detail the internet use in health context and digital technology use for health promotion and disease prevention in Germany. A cross-sectional, nationwide telephone survey was conducted in November 2022. Anonymous data on internet and digital technology use, digital health literacy, and sociodemographic characteristics were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regressions. The 1020 participants were aged 18-92 years, 53% were male, 62% completed primary or secondary education, 71% resided in large cities, and 45% reported a country-average net household income. Overall, 61% reported internet use in health context via 1-4 devices. Among those, more than 50% used the internet and apps to obtain general health information and less than 50% used digital technologies for physical activity promotion or cancer prevention. Overall, 34% were confident in using the internet for health decisions and 71% preferred to receive health information non-digitally (e.g. on paper). Internet, app, and digital technology use were associated with higher digital health literacy and income, and residence in larger cities. Digital technologies were used for physical activity promotion by younger and for cancer prevention by older participants. The internet and digital technologies were predominantly used to obtain health information, but less often for health promotion and disease prevention in 2022 in Germany. While health app and digital technology use for physical activity promotion increased, the confidence in using online information for health decisions decreased in 2022 relative to 2020. Factors that promote confidence in online health information and digital technology use for health promotion and disease prevention need to be investigated in future studies.

BackgroundDigital technology and media use is integral to adolescents’ lives and has been associated with both positive and negative health consequences. Previous studies have largely focused on understanding technology behaviors and outcomes within adolescent populations, which can promote assumptions about adolescent technology use as homogeneous. Furthermore, many studies on adolescent technology use have focused on risks and negative outcomes. To better understand adolescent digital technology use, we need new approaches that can assess distinct profiles within study populations and take a balanced approach to understanding the risks and benefits of digital technology use.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify profiles of adolescent technology use within a large study population focusing on four evidence-based constructs: technology ownership and use, parental involvement, health outcomes, and well-being indicators.MethodsAdolescent-parent dyads were recruited for a cross-sectional web-based survey using the Qualtrics (Qualtrics International, Inc) platform and panels. Technology use measures included ownership of devices, social media use frequency, and the Adolescents’ Digital Technology Interactions and Importance scale. Parent involvement measures included household media rules, technology-related parenting practices, parent social media use frequency, and the parent-child relationship. Health outcome measures included physical activity, sleep, problematic internet use, and mental health assessments. Well-being indicators included mental wellness, communication, and empathy. We used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify distinct profile groups across the aforementioned 4 critical constructs.ResultsAmong the 3981 adolescent-parent dyads recruited, adolescent participants had a mean age of 15.0 (SD 1.43) years; a total of 46.3% (1842/3981) were female, 67.8% (2701/3981) were White, and 75% (2986/3981) lived in a household with an income above the poverty line. The LCA identified 2 discrete classes. Class 1 was made up of 62.8% (2501/3981) of the participants. Class 1 participants were more likely than Class 2 participants to report family-owned devices, have lower technology importance scores, have household technology rules often centered on content, have positive parent relationships and lower parent social media use, and report better health outcomes and well-being indicators.ConclusionsFindings from this national cross-sectional survey using LCA led to 2 distinct profile groups of adolescent media use and their association with technology use and parent involvement as well as health and well-being outcomes. The two classes included a larger Class 1 (Family-Engaged Adolescents) and a smaller Class 2 (At-Risk Adolescents). The findings of this study can inform interventions to reinforce positive technology use and family support.

First Confirmed Cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Infection in the United States, Updated Information on the Epidemiology of MERS-CoV Infection, and Guidance for the Public, Clinicians, and Public Health Authorities—May 2014

This study is a qualitative research project aimed at examining preschool children's perceptions and views of their parents' use of digital technology. The study employs a phenomenological design, allowing an in-depth understanding of how individuals perceive a specific phenomenon. The research participants comprised a total of 27 children, 15 of whom were girls and 12 boys. The ages of the children in the study group ranged from 48 to 72 months. Specifically, nine children aged 48-60 months and 18 children aged 61-72 months were included in the study. A snowball sampling method was used to recruit participants. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview consisting of questions about parents' use of digital technology. To ensure content validity, the interview form was reviewed by two experts in early childhood education, and necessary revisions were made based on their suggestions. A language expert also reviewed the form and finalized it after a pilot study involving three children. The interviews were conducted face-to-face; verbal consent was obtained from the children, and written consent was obtained from their parents before the interviews. During the interviews, audio recordings were taken to document the data, which were later transcribed into written texts for analysis. The collected data were analysed using the content analysis method. The study's findings indicate that parents' use of digital technology can influence children's perceptions, emotions, and behaviours. Children often perceived their parents' prolonged engagement with digital technology as neglect, which evoked emotional responses such as loneliness, jealousy, and anger. Furthermore, excessive parental use of digital technology was found to reduce family interactions, lower the quality of face-to-face communication, and desensitize parents to their children's behavioural cues. The findings also revealed how parental digital behaviours shape children's media habits. Some children imitate their parents' behaviours, which supports the social learning theory. The study highlights the negative effects of parents' use of digital technology on children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. Children frequently expressed feelings of loneliness, neglect, and insecurity as their parents spent more time on digital devices. Additionally, children observed that their parents' focus on devices during family interactions led to communication breakdowns. For example, parental engagement with digital technology during mealtimes, playtime, or bedtime was identified as a factor that increased children's attempts to gain attention. In addition to the negative effects, some children mentioned the positive outcomes of using digital technology with their parents for educational purposes. They noted that spending time with parents on educational apps or creative activities on digital devices was enjoyable. However, for such positive effects to emerge, it is critical for parents to manage their use of digital technology consciously. Setting boundaries on digital technology use and spending quality time with children is essential for supporting their social and emotional development. In this context, avoiding using digital devices during family moments such as mealtimes, bedtime, and playtime can effectively meet children's emotional needs. Furthermore, educational programs should be organized to raise parents' awareness of the effects of digital technology use on children. These programs should guide parents to be role models for their children, control screen time, and consciously use devices. In conclusion, this study sheds light on parents' digital technology usage habits from children's perspective. It demonstrates that these habits can significantly affect children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. The findings underscore the importance of parents consciously managing their relationship with digital technology to support their children's healthy development and strengthen family bonds.

This paper argues that disability activism and politics can be seen as paradigmatic for the wider debates on the philosophies, forms, and formats embedded in technologies. Firstly, the paper discusses disability activism movements that use digital technology to intervene into digital technology, especially in the social media area. In both cases, activists seek to use the platforms themselves to argue for, and obtain, greater accessibility, customisability, and configurability, of the platform for users with disabilities. Yet there is a clear clash between philosophies embedded within these social media platforms, and the aspirations and values of many of the activist strands of disability. Secondly, the paper explores the use of digital technologies by disability activism movements in relation to welfare and work reforms—notably the UK struggles in the 2010–2014 periods. Here disability activists have made extensive use of digital media technologies, and we discuss their innovations, and the lessons they offer.

The effective use of digital technologies in the organization of distance education plays an important role in the rapid assimilation of new information introduced into science. It will also be possible to quickly enter additional information within the virtual subject being studied. Therefore, the study of methods for introducing digital technologies and their effective use in distance learning processes, the creation of distance learning courses belongs to the group of topical scientific and technical problems. At present, the importance of using digital technologies in improving the quality of education is very high. The purpose of the research work is the effective use of digital technologies in distance education and the theoretical basis for testing its effectiveness. The article mentions the possibilities of the Moodle system, the advantages of course elements, effective methods of teaching science. The use of modern digital technologies and means of communication in distance education will also be discussed. The article outlines the stages of development of digital technologies, defines the meaning and content of the concepts “Digital technologies”, “Digital educational technologies”. Description of information about the Kahoot and Quizizz software platforms for an interesting organization of the educational process. The advantages of this platform in developing the intellectual and creative abilities of students and increasing their enthusiasm for learning are emphasized. Regardless of whether the educational process is traditional or distance learning, it is necessary to increase students’ interest in the lesson, encourage them to work on themselves, and form independent learning skills. Organization of the educational process on gaming platforms, creation of a set of electronic tests and its use in teaching, increasing the effectiveness of the lesson and increasing the independence of thinking of students, interest in the lesson, and a high level of mastery of the subject being taught. It is advisable to use digital technologies in the educational process to develop students’ interest, to develop the skills and abilities to use additional literature outside the textbook, to direct students to scientific research, as well as to constantly transfer knowledge to students.