Kuwait University Students Research Articles

Informal Learning and Aspiration: A Study of Motivational Factors Among University Students in Kuwait

Informal Learning and Aspiration: A Study of Motivational Factors Among University Students in Kuwait

Knowledge and attitudes toward food sustainability among Kuwait University students

Transitioning toward sustainable food systems and sustainable diets is critical in reducing environmental impact and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly. This transition requires collaborative efforts across multiple stakeholders, including the general public’s knowledge and attitudes. To assess the knowledge and attitudes toward food sustainability, we carried out a cross-sectional study among Kuwait University students with a total of 278 participants aged ≥18 years (78% women and 22% men). A validated questionnaire was used for this study. Most respondents (>70%) recognized the concept of “local food” and “environmental impact.” The concept “green water-blue water” was least recognized among respondents (75%). Participants perceived that a sustainable diet was rich in vegetables, included plenty of fresh products, and was affordable. Participants (>66%) perceived a positive impact of meat and its derivatives toward sustainability, a misconception most common among men. Overall, participants with more knowledge about environmental concepts showed favorable attitudes toward a sustainable diet. Women showed more interest in changing their current dietary habits toward food sustainability. In conclusion, despite participants’ positive attitude toward food sustainability, lack of understanding persists, necessitating public health interventions aimed at educating consumers about sustainable diets and their impact on the environment.

Factors affecting Kuwait University students’ adoption of social media

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore how social media is diffused among Kuwait University students in light of the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI). Method: A convenience sample of Kuwait University students (N=2000, males= 89 and females= 1171) who used social media tools was selected. A questionnaire was administered to measure frequencies of using Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. In addition, 15 statements that explained reasons for using certain social media tools in terms of the five DOI factors, that is, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability, and relative advantage were presented to the participants. Results: The results showed that new social media applications were more advantageous and easier to use than old social media networks. These new social media applications were also compatible with the user’s lifestyle, were typically available to try before adoption, and offered benefits to the user. The reasons for adoption varied by gender. For males, relative advantages superseded other reasons. Females, on the other hand, found observability to be the dominant factor. Conclusion: The study results might be utilized for brand or product promotion, publicity, or organizational objectives. The results of this study might assist in determining which subjects can be skillfully employed in political or social media news releases. The findings reveal how communication messages, public service announcements, news, and other targeted communications might be tailored to the desired audience.

The Psychometric Properties of the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form Objective (SRM-SFO) in Kuwait

This study aimed to validate the psychometric properties of the Sociomoral Reflection Measure - Short Form Objective (SRM-SFO) in Kuwait. The participants were 218 Kuwait University students, 64 males, and 154 females, with an average age 23.70 years and a standard deviation of 6.01. The researchers validated the psychometric efficiency of the study scale. This study showed a high internal consistency stability coefficient using Cronbach's alpha method (0.89). It also appeared that the correlation coefficients Between each item and the total score of the scale were mostly high and significant. There were significant differences in the average’s degrees of apparent aggression due to the two levels of moral thinking (mature and immature) in the direction of the level of immature moral thinking. The results also showed significant differences between males and females in the percentage of individuals at the fourth level of moral thinking for females. This indicates the psychometric efficiency of the Measure (SRM-SFO) in Kuwaiti society.

Factors influencing the evaluation of information on social media by Kuwait University students: College of Social Sciences

Factors influencing the evaluation of information on social media by Kuwait University students: College of Social Sciences

Psychological Disorders and Coping among Undergraduate College Students: Advocating for Students' Counselling Services at Kuwait University.

Objectives: The objectives of the current study are twofold. First, it aimed to explore the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms (i.e., psychological disorders) among Kuwait University students. Second, it sought to identify and quantify the associated risk factors as well as the students' coping strategies utilized to address these psychological disorders. Methods: We used a cross-sectional study at Kuwait University and selected students using a multistage stratified cluster sampling design among the 15 faculties of Kuwait University. To serve the study purposes, two cross-cultural and validated instruments were used, including the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) and the Brief-COPE scale. Descriptive statistics, as well as logistic regression analysis, were used to analyze the study findings. Results: A sample of 1142 students from various faculties participated in this study. We found that 681 (59.6%), 791 (69.3%) and 588 (51.5%) of the participants had depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, respectively. The highest coping strategies for stressors and challenges faced were moderate and high emotion-based coping strategies (n = 1063, 93.1%). Students from the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences as well as students from the Faculty of Engineering had significantly higher stress levels compared with students from other faculties (p < 0.05). Our results demonstrated that family problems were consistently a significant predictor of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among Kuwait University students (p < 0.05). We further found that students who presented with stress and anxiety symptoms and those who practiced avoidant-focused coping strategies were substantially more likely to experience depression (ORs ≥ 2.7, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our findings inferred that the majority of Kuwait University students have a remarkably high prevalence of mental health problems, mainly anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms along with inconsistent coping strategies toward the faced challenges during their studies. Therefore, the most important recommendation of the current study is the establishment of counselling centers in all faculties at Kuwait University. In turn, doing so facilitates the integration of wellness programs and the provision of comprehensive educational seminars, specialized training sessions and self-management techniques for Kuwait University students, leading to desired academic outcomes.

Cyberbullying and Its Impact on Self-Esteem and Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among University Students in Kuwait – A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Cyberbullying is a modern phenomenon with public health implications due to the associated serious mental disorders, emotional distress, substance use, and suicidal behaviour. Young people are at a higher risk of cyberbullying and its complications. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cyberbullying and its relationship with self-esteem and behavioural problems among Kuwait University Students. &#x0D; &#x0D; METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in seven randomly selected colleges of Kuwait University using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included three sections: Cyberbullying questions, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.&#x0D; &#x0D; RESULTS: A total of 1252 students were included with a mean age of 20.58 years. Most students were females (n=1049, 84.2%), single (n=1078, 86.4%) and Kuwaiti (89.3%). Of the cohort, 194 students (15.8%) have been cyberbullied in their lifetime and 4% (n=49) were cyberbullied in the last 30 days. Female students (OR =2.677, P&amp;lt;0.001) and students with divorced (OR=2.35, P&amp;lt;0.006) or separated (OR=3.730, P&amp;lt;0.006) parents had a higher risk of being affected by cyberbullying. In addition, participants who were dissatisfied with their financial situation were more likely to be affected by cyberbullying (OR=1.096, P=0.008). Emotional problems (P&amp;lt;0.001), conduct problems (P&amp;lt;0.001), hyperactivity problems (P=0.029), peer problems (P&amp;lt;0.001), externalizing problems (P&amp;lt;0.001) and internalizing problems (P&amp;lt;0.001) were higher among students who were exposed to cyberbullying in their lifetime compared to other students.&#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSION: This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of cyberbullying among college students in Kuwait. Since emotional problems and self-esteem are significantly related to cyberbullying, university-wide public health promotion campaigns are encouraged to address the negative consequences of cyberbullying on students&amp;rsquo; psychological health.

How COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions Affected Kuwaiti College Students' Anthropometry, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Dietary Habits.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures implemented to control it have led to widespread lifestyle changes globally. While previous studies have explored these effects across different age groups, this research focuses uniquely on college students in Kuwait. A cross-sectional study (N = 1259) was conducted among college students using a validated online questionnaire covering various aspects, including demographics, academic performance, self-reported body weight and height, sleep duration, dietary habits, and physical activity. There were equal proportions of individuals reporting decreased, increased, or no change in body weight, BMI, and dietary habits due to COVID-19, with no significant gender differences observed. A higher decrease (44.3%) than increase (29.2%) occurred due to COVID-19 in the proportion of college students engaging in physical activity. Significant differences were found in the students' responses to most of the eating behavior questions, concerning the changes attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Multivariable analysis showed significant interaction effects for gender by losing above 9 kg during the last 6 months in age (p = 0.037), total physical activity in METs-min/week (p = 0.048), and cake/donuts intake (p = 0.006). Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, revealed that a decrease in BMI was associated with an increase in daily vegetable intake (aOR = 1.531, p = 0.031), whereas increases in BMI were associated with an increased intake of sugar-sweetened drinks equal to or above 4 days/week (aOR = 1.551, p = 0.032) and increased chocolates/candy intake equal to or above 4 days/week (aOR = 1.792, p = 0.037). It was concluded that, in response to a major epidemic, such as COVID-19, college students, as a population, are susceptible to significant changes in lifestyle and eating behaviors that can impact their health and well-being. Future risks for college students' health can be reduced through appropriate lifestyle interventions.

The relationship between explicit and implicit personality: Evidence from the Big Five and trait emotional intelligence.

The main aim of this study is to introduce an implicit personality assessment method (e.g., implicit association test) to Kuwait. We adapted an existing personality-related implicit association test (IAT; Big Five IAT), while also constructed the first trait EI IAT based on Petrides' four-factor model. We investigated the psychometric properties of the implicit association test through assessing the reliability of scores and also their relationship with their corresponding explicit measures. The measures were administered to 1458 university students in Kuwait. The zero-order correlations showed that the explicit and implicit measurement approaches led to non-converging constructs in the case of both trait EI and the Big Five. Lastly, we believe that we were successfully able to introduce the concept of personality-related implicit association tests to the Kuwaiti sample. Subsequently, the IATs presented in our study will allow researchers to study a relatively new personality field, that is the implicit personality.

Kuwait University Students’ Awareness and Perception of Archaeology

Kuwait University Students’ Awareness and Perception of Archaeology

Effects of distance learning on psychological health of Kuwait University students

الأهداف: هدفت الدراسة تعرّف آثار التعليم عن بعد على الصحة النفسية لطلبة جامعة الكويت. المنهج: استخدم في الدراسة طريقة المنهج الوصفي لتحليل معلومات البحث النوعي التي اعتمدت على المقابلة المقننة؛ للحصول على معلومات نوعية من أفراد العينة. وقد حللت الاستجابات؛ ومن ثم صنفت إلى مجموعات تتضمن عدداً من البنود. النتائج: أوضحت نتائج الدراسة بعض الآثار الإيجابية للتعليم عن بعد على الصحة النفسية لطلبة الجامعة؛ فقد أعرب بعض الطلبة عن شعورهم بالفرح والسعادة، والطمأنينة، والراحة النفسية؛ إذ إن الدراسة المنزلية ساعدتهم على التخلص من الزحمة المرورية، والتنقل بين مواقع كليات الجامعة، كما ساعدتهم على الاهتمام بالدراسة، ورفع المعدل العام الأكاديمي. وأوضحت النتائج أيضاً بعض الآثار السلبية للتعليم عن بعد؛ إذ عبر بعض الطلبة عن شعورهم بالخوف، والتوتر، والقلق، وعدم الطمأنينة، والإحباط، والاكتئاب، وسرعة الغضب؛ بسبب كثرة المتطلبات الجامعية، وصعوبة الاختبارات، وتدريس بعض المقررات العلمية، والتجارب عن بعد. بالإضافة إلى شعورهم بالإجهاد النفسي، من كثرة استخدام الأجهزة الإلكترونية، وكثرة التفكير في كيفية التغلب على صعوبات التعلم عن بعد. الخاتمة: تستخلص الدراسة أن التعليم عن بعد له العديد من الآثار الإيجابية والآثار السلبية على الصحة النفسية لطلبة جامعة الكويت.

Impact of textual enhancement and input processing on syntactic development of EFL university students in Kuwait

Impact of textual enhancement and input processing on syntactic development of EFL university students in Kuwait

Instructional Scaffolding Strategies to Support the L2 Writing of EFL College Students in Kuwait

This classroom-based study investigated the most frequently employed instructional scaffolding strategies to support second language (L2) writing by three English as foreign language (EFL) college teachers in Kuwait. Thus, this study had two aims: (1) to investigate the most frequently-used scaffolding strategies for teaching writing that were employed by the participating EFL teachers, and (2) to survey the students&amp;rsquo; perceptions of their teachers&amp;rsquo; scaffolding strategies. Data collection methods included classroom observations, a survey, and six group interviews with the three teachers. Microsoft Excel software was used to analyze the numerical data from the survey. The observations and interviews produced the most frequently used strategies for instructional scaffolding in the EFL writing classroom. The grounded survey items were gleaned from the data of the observations and group interviews. The survey was distributed among the students to gain their perceptions of their teachers&amp;rsquo; instructional scaffolding strategies. The findings revealed that the three EFL teachers frequently employed the two scaffolding strategies of rhetorical scaffolding and prior knowledge scaffolding. However, they utilized contextual scaffolding and language development scaffolding to a lesser extent in the writing classroom. Implications included the need to orient EFL teachers through training courses on scaffolding strategies and their optimal applications in the writing classroom.

TAM Constructs Predicting the Use of Mainstream Social Networking Sites by College Students in Kuwait

This study applies the model of technology acceptance (TAM) to examine the factors that explain the adoption and intensity of use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat among a sample of college students in Kuwait. The three constructs that represented the predictor variables are perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU) and social influence (SI). Structural equation modelling was applied to analyse the impact and covariance of TAM constructs. Gender was used as a control variable to explain the variance in using Snapchat and Instagram. An 18-item questionnaire was developed and administered to a sample of 919 students at Kuwait University. The results show that Facebook and Twitter were male-dominated, whereas Instagram and Snapchat were female-dominated in the sample. TAM constructs invariably affect the adoption and intensity of using social networking sites. The use of Facebook and Snapchat is significantly explained by PU and PEOU, while the use of Twitter and Instagram is predicted by PEOU. PEOU was the only construct that explained the variance in the use of Twitter. SI was strongly correlated with PEOU and PU.

Validation of the Arabic Version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) among college students in Kuwait

IntroductionThe Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) is a psychometrically robust measure of psychological distress for adult populations, the most commonly used screening measure in the general population. It is used in epidemiological surveys globally, including the World Health Organization and World Mental Health Survey. Recently, there has been a research interest in examining the psychometric properties of the K6 in college students’ populations.ObjectivesTo examine the reliability, validity and factor structure of the Arabic adaptation K6 in Kuwaiti college students.MethodsThe participants were 1402 individuals (509 males, 893 females) Kuwait University undergraduates, aged 18–35 years-old mean age = 21.50 ± 4.87. The Arabic versions of The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales DASS-42, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and Beck Anxiety Inventory –BAI were administered to participants including demographics. The internal consistency reliability, factor structure, and convergent validity of the (K6) with DASS-42, BDI-II, &amp; BAI were computed.ResultsInternal consistency was satisfactory for the K6 (Cronbach’s alpha =0.80 for males &amp; 0.79 for females). The results revealed significant gender differences in distress with a favor for females (f=8.95, p. &gt;.003). Principal component analyses (PCA) showed that a K6 one -component solution explains %61.51 of the total variance for males and %57.23 for females. The k6 correlates with DASS Stress (r=.76), DASS Depression (r=.57), DASS Anxiety (r=0.76), BAI (r=.73) and BDI-II (r=46).ConclusionsThe K6 provides satisfactory validation, and can be recommended as a measure of distress among Arab college students.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Willingness to get HPV vaccination among female university students in Kuwait and its relation to vaccine conspiracy beliefs

ABSTRACT A substantial burden of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and HPV-related cancers can be mitigated by vaccination. The current study aimed to investigate the willingness of female students at the University of Kuwait to get HPV vaccination and its possible association with general vaccine conspiracy beliefs (VCBs). This cross-sectional survey study was conducted during September–November 2022 using a validated VCB scale as the survey instrument. The final sample comprised 611 respondents with a median age of 22 y and a majority of Arab ethnicity (n = 600, 98.2%). Only 360 respondents (56.9%) heard of HPV before participation and these students showed an above-average level of HPV knowledge (mean knowledge score of 12.7 ± 2.6 out of 16 as the maximum score), of whom only 33 self-reported HPV vaccine uptake (9.2%). The willingness to accept free-of-charge HPV vaccination was seen among 69.8% of the participants, with 20.1% who were hesitant and 10.1% who were resistant. The acceptance of HPV vaccination if payment is required was 23.1%. Reasons for HPV vaccine hesitancy/resistance included complacency to the HPV disease risks, lack of confidence in HPV vaccination, and inconvenience. The embrace of VCBs was associated with significantly higher odds of HPV vaccine hesitancy/resistance. The current study showed the detrimental impact of endorsing vaccine conspiracy beliefs manifested in lower intention to get HPV vaccination among female university students in Kuwait. This should be considered in vaccine promotion efforts aiming to reduce the burden of HPV cancers.

Attitudes and Awareness Towards Cosmetic Surgery Among College Students in Kuwait

Cosmetic surgery is a very popular procedure performed nowadays with a significant increase around the world, having a dramatic and profound impact on student’s health and attitude. The aim of this study is to examine the attitude and level of awareness among students at the college of Health Science’s, which is under PAAET (The Public Authority for Applied Education &amp; training) towards cosmetic surgery and the risks taken behind these procedures. Questionnaires were administered to 250 college students that were analyzed using SPSS version (25). Result showed that female students had more cosmetic surgeries performed than male students, having a positive attitude towards cosmetic surgery, neglecting the risks of these surgeries. This study showed that media and friends have a great impact on the attitude of the students towards cosmetic surgery. Further studies should be undertaken to investigate the attitude of a wider population beyond colleges and universities towards these surgeries.

Kuwait University Students' Evaluation of the e-learning Experience during the Coronavirus Pandemic

الأهداف: هدفت الدراسة إلى استكشاف تقييم طلبة جامعة الكويت لتجربتهم في التعليم الإلكتروني خلال جائحة كورونا، بعد إغلاق المدارس والجامعات في الكويت. المنهج: أجريت الدراسة خلال الفصل الدراسي الصيفي لعام 2020/2019 باستخدام استبانة مكونة من ثلاثة أقسام: 1) تقييم المادة، 2) تقييم الأستاذ، و3) الصعوبات التي واجهت الطلبة، وطبقت على عينة مكونة من 851 طالباً وطالبة. النتائج: أظهرت النتائج اتجاهات ايجابية متوسطة نحو تجربة التعليم الإلكتروني دون وجود فروق إحصائية بين الذكور والإناث أو السنوات الدراسية، في حين ظهرت فروق في الاتجاهات بين الكليات الإنسانية والكليات العلمية لصالح الكليات الإنسانية. وتوصلت النتائج إلى وجود العديد من التحديات والمشكلات التي واجهت الطلبة، تم تصنيفها إلى مشكلات تقنية، ومشكلات في المنهج الدراسي، وكفاءة عضو هيئة التدريس، ومشكلات صحية ونفسية، ومشكلات في التواصل. الخاتمة: خلصت الدراسة إلى مجموعة من المقترحات لتطوير تجربة التعليم الإلكتروني تتضمن الحاجة إلى تدريب أعضاء هيئة التدريس، وتنويع وسائل التقييم وعدم الاعتماد على الاختبارات حصراً، وكذلك إقامة الأنشطة التطبيقية والتجارب في المختبرات بصورة تقليدية وليس عن بعد.

A Grammatical-Lexicographic Study of Structure in Some Selected Samples of Second Language Mental Lexicon of Kuwaiti Speakers

This study investigates Kuwaiti learners&amp;rsquo; use of English Word Associations. The issue of how second language (L2) learners structure their lexical knowledge has been of interest to L2 researchers for decades. However, the role of language proficiency in determining qualitative and quantitative features of lexical knowledge is unexplored. This study replicates Zareva (2007); therefore, the word association test used is the same. For this purpose, 40 Kuwait University students were distributed into two clusters according to their language aptitude levels. In addition, another set of five native speakers of English was tested to compare the organisation of word association of the Kuwaiti speakers to the organisation of word association of the native speakers of English. The method involved a written vocabulary test consisting of 76 different word items where subjects were asked to select the suitable answer out of 4 possible answers related to the given word&amp;rsquo;s meaning and think of three possible words to associate with the given word. Results showed consistency with Zareva&amp;rsquo;s findings and suggest that variations in lexical knowledge organisation involving native speakers and L2 learners are quantitative instead of qualitative.

Kuwait University Students Evaluation Of The E-Learning Experience During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Kuwait University Students Evaluation Of The E-Learning Experience During The Coronavirus Pandemic