Jordanian College Research Articles

Effect of stressors during COVID-19 lockdown on malnutrition and health-risk behaviors among Jordanian college students: A cross-sectional study.

A stressful condition such as the emergence of the coronavirus and its related lockdown measures might trigger alterations in college students' behaviors. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the changes in college students' dietary and lifestyle behaviors during the lockdown and the effect of lockdown-related stressors on health-risk behaviors. A web-based survey was conducted among undergraduate college students in Jordan. Weight and height were reported by the students. The students' dietary and lifestyle behaviors and their changes during 1 month of the countrywide lockdown were assessed. The Perceived Stress Scale-4 was utilized to assess stress levels. Results indicated that 77.2% of the students reported weight changes. Notably, 45.9% increased their intake of unhealthy food, while and 38% opted for healthier food choices. Most students experienced alterations in physical activity (80.0%), screen time (86.2%), smoking, and sleep patterns (85.4%), with a higher tendency toward adopting health-risk behaviors. Perceptions of curfew-related stress were associated with distance learning-related stress (OR = 2.73, CI: 1.08-6.90, P = .034), and a greater change in physical activity (OR = 3.59, CI: 1.36-9.48, P = .010). Additionally, weight changes were associated with perception of other types of stressors (OR = 3.39, CI: 1.39-8.28, P = .007). Overall, there was a considerable increase in malnutrition and health-risk behaviors among students during the lockdown. Understanding students' responses to these stressful conditions and the role of stress in driving behavioral changes are crucial for developing interventions that enhance college students' adaptation to such changes and maintaining healthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors in the future.

The impact of Using Twitter and Instagram to Promote Social Values among University Students

The research aims to explore the impacts of students' use of social media on values of citizenship and determine which of their needs are gratified: the need for personal identity, integration, and social interaction or feeling satisfaction. The other goal is to determine the university students' expectations in the Arab world when using social networks. The research investigates the impact of using Facebook and Instagram in promoting Citizenship values among Arab students at Jordanian universities. The study's findings indicate that social media promotes social ideals and enhances citizenship among Arab students at Jordanian colleges. The principal aim for students utilizing social media is social interaction, with a mean score of (4.20) and a standard deviation of (0.50), which is achieved by accessing information regarding university life, which has a mean of (4.10). The foremost citizenship value was respect for others and tolerance, with a mean of (4.30) and a standard deviation of (0.42). Meanwhile, active community involvement scored a high mean of 4.25. Social networks greatly contributed to values like citizenship with particular emphasis on respect for diversity - mean 4.40 and involvement in civic matters - mean 4.25. The encouragement of talks over social media about national issues scored 4.35. These findings show the positive influence of social media on enhancing the level of participation and community involvement among students.

Jordanian college students’ challenges and attitudes towards online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract As the COVID-19 pandemic strikes Jordan, many universities have implemented online education. However, effective use by students has been hindered by many challenges and attitudes. In this paper, we examine the experiences and attitudes of students during the COVID-19 pandemic in regards to online education, focusing on Al-Balqa Applied University and Jerash University. An online questionnaire was administered to 200 students from 2 different universities who took different online courses through Al-Balqa Applied University and Jerash University. The study found that students from Al-Balqa Applied University and Jerash University face similar challenges in e-learning. Moreover, female students suffered more than male students during the pandemic with regard to the challenges they faced in e-learning. In addition, Jerash University students are significantly more disposed to e-learning than students from other universities. In addition, male students are more likely than female students to be positive about e-learning. Keywords: Online education, learning technology, computer networking, undergraduate challenges attitudes, Pandemic, Jordan.

Study and investigate perceptions of Jordanian college students on the golden ratio proportions

We concentrate on the importance of the golden ratio in the implications of interior design in this paper. The current study aimed to evaluate college students' perspectives toward employing interior designs based on golden ratio proportions. We adopted a quantitative research methodology to identify Jordanian university students' perceptions toward using interior designs based on the golden ratio. Perceived pleasure and comfort are two quantitative indicators utilized in research and development. The outcomes indicated that the participants' reactions were significant because they judged the golden ratio-based forms to be more appealing and comfortable than the normal ones. We employed statistical techniques to analyze the data, and based on the results, we evaluated the influence of golden ratio proportions on the perceptions of Jordanian college students. Based on the findings, the researcher suggests that the golden ratio be given more attention in interior design and higher education applications.

The Effect of Wearing Eyeglasses on the Perception of Attractiveness, Confidence, and Intelligence.

IntroductionSeveral studies investigated the effect of wearing eyeglasses on self-esteem measures; however, most of these studies were conducted on western populations. We aim to assess the perception of attractiveness, confidence, and intelligence of young people of college-going age with and without glasses among university students.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in five main Jordanian universities. We designed a survey with photos of four people with and without glasses (a total of eight photos). Participants rated the photos on a scale of 10 regarding attractiveness, confidence, and intelligence.ResultsA total of 517 participants were included in this study. We found significantly higher ratings for all domains of pictures without glasses compared to the same pictures with glasses. Moreover, participants not wearing glasses provided significantly higher attractiveness scores for most pictures not wearing glasses.ConclusionIn our study on Jordanian college students of Arabian ethnicity, we found that eyeglasses may have a negative impact on a person’s image in regard to attractiveness, confidence, and intelligence.

Examining Tourism and Hospitality Curriculum Based on the Business Employers’ Needs

This study examines approval levels of tourism and hospitality industry employers with regard to the curriculum offered by tourism and hospitality colleges in the Diploma Programs. The investigation involves two objectives: the characteristics of teaching methodology in tourism and hospitality programs and the essential skills and knowledge required by the industry. In this study, a sample of 58 tourism industry establishments listed with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities active database in Jordan have taken the questionnaire. Throughout this process, descriptive statistic was used to analyze the data. Results concerning the characteristics of teaching methodology and course content by the industry employers show poor approval level. It was significant that the personal qualities set are of great importance to hospitality and tourism employers. This, the researcher suggests, could be a source of input to curricula for future improvements. The results of the study also show that Jordanian colleges have to ensure that new graduates have adequate practical knowledge and skills. The study recommends that colleges should give more priority to enhancing their programs quality through more involvement of the industry in the design of curricula.

Gender Inequity in Jordanian Higher Education Leadership: Analysis and Recommendations

Gender Inequity in Jordanian Higher Education Leadership:Analysis and Recommendations Richard Savior (bio) Introduction The higher education system in Jordan has experienced significant growth over the past 25 years as a series of government-led reforms have sought to help the country transform from a predominantly agrarian to an industrialized nation. The focus of these changes was to bring the country's educational policies and programs in line with the demands of a 21st century knowledge-based economy.1 These reforms strengthened the institutional [End Page 1] capacity of the country's Ministry of Higher Education in terms of policy formation, strategic planning, quality of curriculum, and student assessment but failed to address the goal of gender equity in the country's higher education leadership.2 Women in Jordan have made great gains in higher education and are now earning more degrees than men. According to UNESCO, women now make up 54 percent of the total enrollments at Jordanian colleges and universities.3 While advancements in educational attainment are important, women continue to face significant barriers in higher education employment and advancement: women hold a small fraction of senior leadership positions and are also underrepresented in tenured and full professorships, which in turn limits opportunities to advance into formal leadership positions at colleges and universities.4 Barriers to women's advancement are complex as women are not simply denied top leadership opportunities but lack the critically needed institutional and government support required to build a pipeline to such advancement.5 Even when women do all the right things to prepare for such opportunities, they face challenges embedded within institutional structures and cultural systems that require transformative change. Women often must balance the responsibilities of life with their educational and career aspirations that men may not be aware of or acknowledge.6 These imbalances in equity and opportunity have consequence not only to emerging female leaders in higher education but as role models to their students. The purpose of this study was to assess the demographics of Jordanian college and university faculty and senior leadership and examine how gender specifically influences perceptions related to gender inequity in higher education leadership. The study follows a quantitative research design that incorporated data collected from surveys with senior Jordanian higher education leaders. The findings of this study reveal differences in how the issue is perceived, the factors that contribute to those inequities and offer recommendations for progressive measures and serve to highlight [End Page 2] the strategic implications for higher education policy and practice. The research is however limited by the absence of longitudinal data to review longer-term outcomes. Literature Review A review of the existing literature determined that while there have been ample studies on the factors that limit employment opportunity and advancement of women in the Jordanian labor market,7 studies focused on the higher education space were quite limited8 and did not examine potential measures that might serve to address the underlying inequities. Gender inequities in Jordanian higher education are manifested on multiple levels. The country has never had a female minister of education, women make up less than a fifth of its workforce, and women hold just 4 percent of board of trustee seats.9 What is perplexing is that while in school, Jordanian females outperform their male counterparts in just about every subject and at every age level. To cite one example, at the University of Jordan, the country's largest university, women outnumber men by a ratio of two to one and earn higher grades in science, technology, engineering, and math as well in a range of other subjects.10 Although Jordan has achieved parity in access to education in both primary and secondary schools, Jordanian women's educational achievements are not being reflected in their participation in the economy. Despite earning higher grades and more degrees than men, women in Jordan are unlikely to put their degrees to paid use for very long-only one in five workers in Jordan are female.11 In general, women do not go on to have long professional careers after graduating, but rather spend much of their lives working at home as wives and mothers. Specific to employment in...

The Prevalence of Dietary and Lifestyle Risk Factors Among Jordanian Youth: The Cornerstone of Diabetes Prevention

Abstract Objectives Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder related to a complicated interplay between genetics, obesity, and modifiable lifestyle factors. This study aimed to identify the major modifiable risk factors for developing overweight, obesity, and Type 2 DM (T2DM) among Jordanian college students. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was given to students at two large universities in Jordan, in order to collect data about the sociodemographic background, physical activity (PA), screen use, and smoking behavior. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the intake of fruits, vegetables, fast food, sweets, and salted snacks. A chi-square test was used to identify the differences between males and females; statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results The final sample consisted of 327 males and 433 females, and 54.0% of them were ≤20 years old. Among these students, 23.6% were overweight and 12.8% were obese, with more males being overweight (26.3% vs. 21.5%) and obese (16.4% vs. 10.0%) (P = 0.004). Most students failed to meet PA (69.7%) and screen use (87.0%) recommendations, with more females failing to meet PA recommendations (P < 0.001). The sample included 38.6% smokers, with a higher prevalence in males (P < 0.001). Moreover, most students were below the recommended intake of fruits (81.2%) and vegetables (94.7%); more females were below the recommendation for fruit intake (P < 0.001). Fast food intake one or more times a day was seen in 85.8% of students, and 45.8% consumed sweets 1–3 times a week. About 42% of respondents reported salted snack intake of 1–3 times a week, while 40.7% reported intake at less than once per week. Males had more frequent intake of fast food (P = 0.002), sweets (P < 0.001), and salted snacks (P = 0.057). Conclusions There was a considerable prevalence of obesity, overweight, and risky behaviors among Jordanian college students that may increase their future risk of developing T2DM. Future intervention is needed to reduce these behaviors, which could be the first step in preventing diabetes among this young population. Funding Sources Deanship of Scientific Research at Jordan University of Science and Technology.

Health-Risk Behaviors and Dietary Patterns Among Jordanian College Students: A Pilot Study.

Background/Aims: Health promotion and the incorporation of health-protective behaviors in people's lifestyles have a great role in enhancing individuals' overall health and well-being. College students are at increased risk of developing unhealthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted to assess the health-risk behaviors among undergraduate college students at Jordan University of Science and Technology.Methods: The final sample included 136 students, with a mean age of 21.1 ± 2.37 years, mostly females (69%). A self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection about dietary and lifestyle behaviors among college students. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: sociodemographic characteristics, body weight classifications, lifestyle behaviors, and dietary patterns and intake, and eating behaviors.Results: Most of the students did not meet the daily recommendations for fruit (76%) and vegetable (82%) intake. Males were significantly consuming fast food more frequently (p = 0.019), and smoked cigarettes (p < 0.001) or hookah (p = 0.015) more frequently than did females. Further, the majority met the recommendations for physical activity (81%), but exceeded recommendations for sedentary behavior. Females were more likely to have normal weight or be underweight (OR = 4.865), to have a fear of weight gain (OR = 3.387), and to have the recommended sleeping hours (OR = 7.685) than were males.Conclusion: The results indicate the health-risk behaviors and the gender-related differences among college students.

Development of Theoretical Framework for Management Departments' Ranking Systems in Jordanian Universities

Numerous specialists and associations have invested energy into building managerial positioning frameworks by concentrating on various rules and different strategies. These frameworks produce various positions for establishment because of methodological contrasts that emerge from the determination of markers, loads, information assortment, and examination. This paper reports on the calculated and methodological contrasts in college positioning frameworks and focuses on the circumstance in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.The writing audit exhibits a bigger than anticipated requirement for a national positioning framework for Jordan to recognize the situation of a particular college contrasted with others. In a vital administration setting, policymakers need to create and send techniques related to the advanced education framework.The instance of the positioning of the executive’s divisions was analyzed to develop an establishment for a national field-based positioning framework. Therefore, a structure for positioning of the executive’s divisions in Jordanian colleges is proposed.

Impact of Internet Pornography Use by Jordanian University students on perceiving its effects on self and others

This survey provides important insight into the usage of the Internet in general, and pornographic sites in particular, by Jordanian college students. Students were found to use the Internet regularly for many reasons – both instrumental and habitual. Use of the Internet to view pornography was relatively high – perhaps higher than might be expected in a conservative Muslim society. As for Predictors of Internet addiction and pornography use, It was found that three Internet habitual use levels, the specific university that one attends, and using pornographic sites were all valid predictors of Internet addiction. Four predictors were found regarding pornography use on the Internet: whether or not their mother worked, student gender, logging into pornographic sites, and Internet addiction. It seems clear that several key factors come into play with both Internet addiction and pornography use – and that they may be interrelated. Regarding uses of and gratifications from the Internet, it seems consistent with prior research that Internet addiction is a challenge for people of all stripes – both genders and people from different backgrounds. Specifically in relation to pornography addiction, results of Kraus and Rosenberg (2014) seem to be supported in that people seem to become addicted to pornography, especially men (as noted by Tsitsika et al., 2009). Of course, as Tsitsika et al. state, it cannot be determined if lesser use of pornographic sites by women is a real effect or the result of reporting bias. Although the current study does not address pornography in the West, it certainly bears some witness to pornography use in the more conservative Middle East. As in the West, and also in previous studies of the Middle East, despite cultural expectations, use of pornography seems to be quite prevalent. Again, as noted by Hald and Mulya (2013), men tend to consume significantly more pornography then women

Physical violence in college women: Psychometric evaluation of the safe dates-physical violence victimization scale

Researchers examined psychometric characteristics of the Safe Dates-Physical Violence Victimization scale in 97 Jordanian college women. Reliability coefficient and Principal Components Analysis were used. Construct validity was examined using independent samples t-test. Cronbach’s alpha of 0.80 was yielded. Two dimensions (injury-causing tactics and threatening tactics) were identified. Using construct validity analysis, researchers indicated significant differences in the mean depression, anxiety, stress, and childhood victimization scores among women reporting physical violence, compared to their counterparts. College women possess psychological stressors due to academic and social responsibilities. Such stressors influence their decision to leave the partner which adversely impacts their psychological health.

Stage of change toward “9-a-day” not “5-a-day” is associated with lower body weight

PurposeThis study aims to assess the students’ stage of change (SOC) for fruits and vegetables (FV) consumption using the 5-a-day and 9-a-day patterns; to validate a tool to measure SOC for consuming 5-a-day and 9-a-day of FV; and to investigate the relationship between SOC for FV consumption and body weight among Jordanian college students.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted and included a convenient sample of 788 college students (47.7 per cent men and 52.2 per cent women) who completed validated questionnaires which included socio-demographic data, readiness to consume 5-a-day and 9-a-day servings of FV daily and FV consumption behaviors. Students’ heights and weights were measured. SOC for participants was examined using reparation, contemplation, pre-contemplation, action and maintenance stages.FindingsA majority (69.9 per cent) of college students were in the pre-contemplation stage with regard to 9-a-day behavior. Females tended to be classified in the action stage more than males (P < 0.001). After controlling for age, gender and energy consumption, a significant (P < 0.05) inverse relationship was found between maintenance or action SOC for consuming 9-a-day behavior and body mass index (BMI). A large proportion of college students were in a pre-action stage for either consuming 5-a-day or 9-a-day of FV. Those students who followed the 9-a-day recommendations had significantly (P < 0.05) lower BMI values that those students in the pre-action stages.Originality/valueThe current study is genuine and original, and valuable in designing new strategies in lowering obesity and its comorbidities.

The Dense Use of Lexicalization in Dialogues by EFL Students at Jordan University-Aqaba

This qualitative and quantitative analysis, researching language and social interaction, is one of its kinds, to examine the current ESL pedagogical strategies in native and residential Jordanian college students. It uses lexicalization in spoken dialogues produced by English language and literature students at the Department of English Language and Literature at Jordan University/Aqaba branch. It includes 30 participants selected randomly. The study uses Hoey’s (1991) Matrix of Lexical Cohesion and a Semi-structured Interview to collect data from the participants. The findings indicated that the density of lexicalization has a significant contribution in the creation of cohesion of the spoken dialogues. This research recommends that further research be conducted to investigate other types of spoken dialogues

ADDICTION OF DIGITAL GAMES

Computer and mobile games playing is the most well known wellspring of excitement for individuals of all ages, however overabundance playing in these amusements causes negative results spoke to by computer games dependence. Computer games enslavement is considered as a standout amongst the most critical research field which got much consideration these days and pulled in numerous columnist and specialists to expound on and think about it top to bottom. Albeit numerous observational reviews had been drafted in this field so as to gather and investigate information identified with that field, the issue is there is a missing of clear conclusions and results in this field. The fundamental target of this exploration is to build up a poll that aiding in measuring the level of computer games enslavement for understudies in Jordanian colleges. The survey, which utilized as a part of this exploration expects to discover the relationship between each of social issue, troubles in time administration, issues in organizing life`s exercises, and radical play with computer game addiction. 780 polls were appropriated to understudies from Jordanian college’s understudies’ general public. The information gathered from the respondents demonstrated the accompanying there is a huge relationship between each of the accompanying of social issue, troubles in time administration, issues in organizing life`s exercises, and unbalanced play with computer games fixation. At long last the specialist proposes methodology for understudies for battling computer game habit.

Predictors of breast self-examination performance among Jordanian university female students.

Breast cancer is considered one of the main types of cancer among female worldwide and in Jordan also. Early detection of it will improve the prognosis and decrease the mortality rate also. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the predictors of breast self-examination performance among Jordanian university female students. Across-sectional design was utilised in this study. A sample of 100 participants was completed the study survey (The Champion's Health Belief Model Scale). The main results or regression analysis showed that confidence (β=.71, p<.0001) and perceived barriers (β=-.061, p=.0004) were significant predictors of breast self-examination performance. In summary, other variables of Health belief model were found not be significant indicators of BSE performance in this study. However, the HBM is considered a valid framework to assess the predictors of breast self-examination knowledge, attitude, beliefs and barriers among Jordanian college female students.

Depressive Symptoms in College Women: Examining the Cumulative Effect of Childhood and Adulthood Domestic Violence.

The purpose of this study was to examine the cumulative effect of childhood and adulthood violence on depressive symptoms in a sample of Jordanian college women. Snowball sampling technique was used to recruit the participants. The participants were heterosexual college-aged women between the ages of 18 and 25. The participants were asked about their experiences of childhood violence (including physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and witnessing parental violence), partner violence (including physical partner violence and sexual partner violence), experiences of depressive symptoms, and about other demographic and familial factors as possible predictors for their complaints of depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression analysis was implemented to identify demographic- and violence-related predictors of their complainants of depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis was further performed to identify possible type(s) of violence associated with the increased risk of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in this sample was 47.4%. For the violence experience, witnessing parental violence was the most common during childhood, experienced by 40 (41.2%) women, and physical partner violence was the most common in adulthood, experienced by 35 (36.1%) women. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that experiencing two types of violence (regardless of the time of occurrence) was significant in predicting depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 3.45, p < .05). Among college women's demographic characteristics, marital status (single vs. engaged), mothers' level of education, income, and smoking were significant in predicting depressive symptoms. Assessment of physical violence and depressive symptoms including the cumulative impact of longer periods of violence on depressive symptoms is recommended to be explored in future studies.

The Use of Hybrid Terms and Expressions in Colloquial Arabic among Jordanian College Students: A Sociolinguistic Study

&lt;p&gt;Languages tend to be modified to accommodate for the speakers needs, such as, discussing or dealing with certain topics and domains. An example, university students, in Jordan, modify their own language, being colloquial Arabic, with terms and expressions from the English language in order to interact and adapt to everyday college life. Due to this, college students have fabricated new hybrid terms and expressions; a mixture of English and colloquial Arabic words merged together to make one. This study attempts to explain the attitudes towards these terms and expressions and to what extent they are used amongst the students at Yarmouk University, during Arabic discourse. This was achieved by means of questionnaires and interview. The findings revealed that these colloquial hybrid terms and expressions are highly used by all college students. Results also show that the use of colloquial hybrid terms and expressions is tightly related to social factors, like, age and gender. Thus, these terms and expressions are used mostly by students aged between 18 and 20 years of age. Moreover, these terms and expressions are used more by females than males.&lt;/p&gt;

Health Risk Behaviors and Physical Symptom Reporting Among Jordanian Youths: Personality and Sociodemographic Correlates

ABSTRACT Sociodemographic (gender and socioeconomic status) and personality (dispositional self-consciousness) correlates of risk behavior (smoking, seatbelt nonuse, vehicular speeding) and physical symptom reporting were assessed in a sample of Jordanian college students. Statistically significant correlations were found between gender and both risk behavior and physical symptom reporting. Female participants were more likely to complain of physical symptoms, but less likely to engage in risk behavior than males. Socioeconomic status was negatively related to physical symptom reporting, but variably related to risk behavior. Private self-consciousness was not related to risk behavior or to complaints of physical symptoms. Public self-consciousness was negatively associated with seatbelt use. Multiple regression analyses showed that, overall, socioeconomic status and gender were better predictors of risk behaviors and physical symptom reporting than any aspect of dispositional self-consciousness. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The US and UK in the Eyes of English Majors in the Arab World

The current study examines the attitudes of Jordanian female college students whose major is English language and literature towards the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It also looks into the reasons for their held beliefs about the West, the US and UK, in particular. A survey and semi- structured interviews were conducted with forty Muslim female students from various cities and villages in Jordan for this purpose. The selected students are in their final semester in the English program and have completed various courses in language and literature. In these courses, students have been mostly exposed to British and American literature throughout the four year period of their study. The study also examines whether student attitudes towards the West resemble those of the general Arab public. The findings certainly challenge the theory of the “Clash of civilizations.” In fact, the results demonstrate that students have a more favourable opinion of the UK than the US and that this has everything to do with their dissatisfaction with the current American foreign policies and nothing to do with the “American way of life.”