Umm Al-Qura University Research Articles

The influence of mental illness and poor psychiatric monitoring programs on students' performance in Umm Al-Qura University

The influence of mental illness and poor psychiatric monitoring programs on students' performance in Umm Al-Qura University

A COVID-19 University-Based Dental Clinic Experience and Infection Control Protocol Modification for Safe Clinical Education.

The aim of the study was to share our experience of the development and application of a modified infection control protocol at the Dental Teaching Hospital, Umm Al-Qura University (UQUDENT) during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A second aim was to evaluate the impact of the implemented strategies on preparations for future requirements in clinical dental education. In this descriptive study, we evaluated the challenges facing dental practice and categorized them into four domains: challenges facing dental practice during the pandemic, the risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection, the design of student clinics, and the financial challenges. The impact of strategies established to deal with such challenges was studied by comparing the number of treated patients from September 1, 2020, to March 01, 2021, with the number treated during the same months pre-COVID-19. The COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed students and health care workers (HCWs) were expressed in numbers and percentages in each category of the study group. Policies were set up to deal with the challenges in each domain, after training all the hospital personnel in mitigation of the spread of infection within the hospital. We left a non-working clinic between every two operating clinics, and the patient risk was assessed by triage scoring and health status checks by a Saudi mobile application at the entrance. The hospital delivered more personal protective equipment and obligated all students and HCWs to wear KN95 or N95 masks during procedures. Over 1,500 patients were treated during the study period with more than a 30% reduction in comparison to those in the pre-COVID-19 period, but only 20 UQUDENT personnel had confirmed COVID-19 infection, and all proved to be community-acquired by contact tracing. The measures implemented in this study proved effective. With the challenges and limited resources, UQUDENT managed to resume the operation of its dental clinics and training while preventing cross-infection, and it ensured that dental students graduated with the required competency. Sharing experiences between educational institutes will help to graduate safe competent practitioners.

Prevalence of alexithymia and its association with burn out among medical field students at Umm Al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia

Prevalence of alexithymia and its association with burn out among medical field students at Umm Al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia

Effect of the COVID-19 Vaccine on the Menstrual Cycle among Females in Saudi Arabia.

The number of reports of menstrual changes after COVID-19 vaccination in the Saudi population is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine(Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna) on the menstrual cycle among females in Saudi Arabia. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) from August 2021 to February 2022. Data was collected through a previously validated online questionnaire. A total of 2338 participants who received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine participated in this study; 1606 (68.7%) of them received the second dose in addition to the first. The mean age of the study participants was 35.4±9.5 years. No significant associations were found between the type of COVID-19 vaccine and the impact on the menstrual cycle, either for the first or second dose (P-values > 0.05). A significant association was found only between the first dose vaccination day and the impact on the menstrual cycle in the second question of "After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, your next period was" (P-value ≤ 0.05). Significant associations were found between the second dose vaccination day and the impact on the menstrual cycle in the first and second questions of "After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, your next period was", and "After receiving the first dose, your next period was," respectively (P-values ≤ 0.05). The study found a potential association between the COVID-19 vaccine and menstrual cycle irregularities, which could impact females' quality of life.

Association of anxiety and depression among health specialties students with GERD in Makkah city, kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Cross-sectional study

Introduction: The correlation between psychological factors and digestive abnormalities is significant yet, the full mechanism still undetermined. Objectives: Our study aimed to study the correlation between anxiety, depression, and GERD among health specialties students in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: a survey-based study was demonstrated among health-related students in different medical colleges at Umm Al-Qura University in the period time between December 2020 until January 2021. GERD symptom frequency was evaluated using a previously validated gastroesophageal reflux symptom questionnaire GERD-Q; however, depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed using a Hospital Anxiety/Depression Scale (HADS). Result: A total of 353 students participated in the current study. The mean age of participants in the present study was 22.69 ± 2.27. 215 (60.9%) participants were male, and 138 (39.1%) were female. The majority of respondents were 2nd-year students. There is a significant correlation between anxiety and depression among students with GERD (P-value, 0.001), (P-value, 0.017), respectively. Conclusions: Depression and anxiety represent a significant factor in correlation with students with GERD.

Medical Ethics Knowledge and Attitude Among Dental Students from Two Universities in The Middle East

Background: Dentists are obligated to provide patients with ethical and harmless treatment. Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of medical ethics among dental students in two dental faculties in the Middle East. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a validated online self-administrated questionnaire was completed by dental students who started clinical training at Mansoura University, Egypt, and from Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for the statistical analysis. Results: Participants were 649 dental students. About 77% of Mansoura’s students were aware of the Hippocratic Oath compared to 89.6% of UQU students (p=0.000). No significant difference was found between the two faculties in the presence of ethical topics in their curriculum and the mode of teaching. About 67% of respondents reported obtaining written consent from UQU patients compared to only 10.5% of Mansoura’s patients. Nearly 86.3% and 63.3% of dental students at Mansoura and UQU, respectively, believed that they knew the best, irrespective of the patients’ opinion. In case of any wrongdoing during treatment, 88.7% of Mansoura’s and 93.9% of UQU students agreed to inform the patients. Regarding patient autonomy, only 51.2% and 65.3% of dental students at Mansoura and UQU, respectively, respected the patient’s wishes during treatment., The majority of students from both faculties had less knowledge regarding services and duties related to the ethical committee. Conclusion: Gaps in knowledge, attitude and practices of medical ethics were found among dental students of the two faculties, especially among Mansoura’s students. Attention should be paid to improving the present situation.

Needle stick injuries, knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students in Umm Al-Qura University

Needle stick injuries, knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students in Umm Al-Qura University

Prevalence and associated factors of neck, shoulder, and low-back pains among medical students at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Prevalence and associated factors of neck, shoulder, and low-back pains among medical students at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Prevalence and different management of sleep disorders among medical students, Umm Alqura University Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Prevalence and different management of sleep disorders among medical students, Umm Alqura University Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Factors affecting the choice of becoming a neurosurgeon in the western region of Saudi Arabia.

The preference of medical specialty for students can start even before enrollment into medical school, or as late as following their graduation. During their senior years, students often get a prospective on the working environment and the difficulties faced in the field. This, along with other factors, can strongly alter their career choice. This study aims to explore the degree of interest in neurosurgical specialty among medical students and the factors influencing their choice of becoming a neurosurgeon in the western region of Saudi Arabia. This is a cross-sectional study which was done across three universities of the western region of Saudi Arabia including King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Umm Al Qura University, and King Abdulaziz University. A sample of 1023 students from the second medical year up to the internship was conducted, and out of them, 585 (57.2%) were males and 438 (42.8%) were females. Three hundred and fifty-nine (35.1%) of the students were interested in neurosurgery, while 664 (64.9%) were not. The data show that females have more interest (40.8% of females) compared to males (35.1% of males). Furthermore, there was a general trend toward a decrease in the interest in neurosurgery with time. The impact on patients "rewarding feeling" was the most reported attraction to the specialty, followed by income. Stress was the most reported deterring factor among students. Neurosurgery is one of the most challenging specialties, yet it is still considered one of the most competitive ones. Many factors have been found to influence medical students' choices to apply for neurosurgical training as we described. Interestingly, we noted higher interest among female students, and among college freshmen compared to their counterparts. Further studies should be conducted on a larger scale to analyze these findings.

Promotion of knowledge, attitude, and practice among medical undergraduates regarding infection control measures during COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundMedical students are exposed to many serious healthcare-associated infections throughout their learning and training time particularly during a pandemic like COVID-19. Therefore, promotion of their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding infection control measures is a mandatory action.ObjectiveThis study was executed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical undergraduates toward infection control measures before and after the implementation of practical infection control training for them.MethodsA quasi-experimental prospective study was conducted on a simple random sample of medical undergraduates at Al-Qunfudah College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, KSA. A total of 177 medical undergraduates were recruited for this study and completed a predesigned survey on their knowledge regarding infection control measures. Moreover, their practice of infection control measures was evaluated through a checklist before and 6 months after receiving practical infection control training during their academic year 2020–2021.ResultsA total of 177 and 176 responses were obtained at the pre-test and post-test, respectively. The mean ages of students who participated in pre-training and post-training assessments were (22.50 ± 1.02 and 22.03 ± 1.34), respectively with female sex predominance (62.1 and 61.9%). Mean knowledge and practice scores among them were enhanced from (7.79 ± 2.10 and 4.56 ± 2.58) at their pre-test to (11.06 ± 1.27 and 15.68 ± 1.90) at post-test (P-value 0.001 and <0.001), respectively. After training, almost all of them recommended infection control training for all medical students due to its great value.ConclusionThe training course has shown its capability in the promotion of medical undergraduates' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward infection control measures.

Evaluating Pharm.D Students’ Views and Perceptions Regarding Practicing Experimental Pharmacology and Animal Handling: A Single-Site Study

Animal experimentation is vital to the study of pharmacology during undergraduate studies. Regulations and most commonly, students' preferences are all factors that influence the procurement of and performance of animal experiments. In the higher educational level student’s perceptions and preferences contribute significantly to their education. Various studies indicate that using 3D models could reduce and refine animal experimentation in pharmacology teaching. Some researchers illustrate that an existing gender difference in practical classes with laboratory animals exists, indicating that a particular group may be vulnerable to lower grades if a unilateral teaching method is applied. This study seeks to determine the views and perceptions of pharmacology students to determine if a hybrid study method is better suited to help students to gain good grades and understand medical concepts associated with their field. This study aims to gauge the efficacy of such a system for use in UQU, Saudi Arabia. It illustrates the variation between male and female students regarding preference and learning capability in virtual and practical lessons. This research seeks also to determine whether a significant change in grade exists if students have an option to choose between these learning methods. Data were collected through an online questionnaire survey conducted to 121 third-year undergraduate pharmacology students from Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) college of pharmacy in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in October 2021. Undergraduate Pharm.D pharmacology students in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have positive views and perceptions regarding handling of live animals in experimental pharmacology regardless of their gender.

Pharmacy Alumni Views on Communication with their College after Graduation: A Cross-Sectional Survey

As the growing number of pharmacy students increases in Saudi Arabia, here in the western region Umm Al-Qura University, we found the need of investigating the views and preferences of pharmacy graduates towards their future careers and communication with their college. The main aim and objective of our research is to examine the perspectives of intern students, employers, and alumni regarding communication with their college. This is a cross-sectional study with a total of 201 graduates between 2009 and 2020 from the college of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, who completed the questionnaire from January 2019 to January 2021. The study showed that most of the applicants agreed with the convenience and meaningful effect of the internship and summer training on the occupied jobs. This agreement was in both Pharm-D and B-pharm programs and in both male and female.

The scientific Culture's Level Among Early Childhood Department Female Students at Umm Al-Qura University in the Light of Some Variables

The study aimed to reveal the scientific culture's level among the early childhood department female students at Umm Al-Qura University, to reveal the statistically significant differences in the scientific culture's level , attributed to: type of secondary school (Public/private), track (Scientific/Literary), student GPA. To achieve the study objectives, the descriptive (analytical) approach was adopted; A multiple choice test was prepared to measure the scientific culture's level , after verifying the tools validity and reliability, it was applied to the study sample (88) fourth-level female students. Findings of the study: The scientific culture's level among the study sample was (Moderate), with relatively importance (66.6%). There are no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤0.05) in the scientific culture's level according to the variable (specialization), (school), there are also no statistically significant differences in the of Scientific culture's level according to the variable (GPA) in (the concept of science, its objectives and results, the methods and processes of science); There are statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α ≤ 0.05) in the level of scientific culture according to the variable (GPA) in the two dimensions (science ethics, scientific knowledge) and the total test; The significance level for these two dimensions and the overall test is less than (0.05).

Knowledge and Competence Towards Critical Care Concepts Among Final Year Medical Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PurposeCritical care knowledge constitutes an essential component in medicine. Unfortunately, ICU knowledge acquisition is limited in many medical schools. This study is intended to measure the knowledge background, gaps, and the confidence toward critical care concepts among final year medical students and interns at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered online questionnaire completed by final-year medical students and interns during January and February 2022. We collected data on demographics, academic year, critical care knowledge, competency, and satisfaction.ResultsTwo-hundred-twenty-one (221) responses were analyzed. The male gender was 54.3%. A small proportion (15.8%) identified the lowest acceptable oxygen saturation in a normal person. Around three-quarters of the participants did not feel competent about nasal airway suctioning and endotracheal tube suctioning (65.6% and 75.6%, respectively). Only 7.2% of the responder correctly identified the three most useful physiological observations pertinent to quick SOFA criteria. Regarding the training adequacy for identifying critically ill patients, 59.3% answered that they are inadequately trained. Regarding the satisfaction level of exposure to critical care, 54% of the sample responded that they need further improvement.ConclusionUndergraduate students and interns have limited knowledge and confidence in critical care medicine. Thus, we highly recommend an early institution of a dedicated critical care training module in the medical school curriculum.

Photobiomodulation vs NSAIDs in the management of postoperative dentoalveolar pain

BackgroundPostoperative pain, the most common complication of dentoalveolar surgery, is routinely controlled by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, despite its proven efficacy, the long-term consumption of NSAIDs is associated with several serious and adverse effects. As a result, photobiomodulation (PBM) or low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is used in many treatment modalities to reduce pain, inflammation, and promote healing. Aim of the studyTo compare the analgesic effects of LLLT and Ibuprofen after surgical dental extraction. Materials and methodsA clinical trial study was conducted at Umm Al-Qura University Dental Clinics, involving 46 healthy patients between 20 and 60 years of age. The recruited patients were divided into two groups of 23 patients each. Group 1 (positive control group) was prescribed Ibuprofen and Group 2 (experimental group) was treated with LLLT. The pain was measured on days 1, 2, and 7 using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). ResultsThe mean level of pain decreased with both treatments. On the first postoperative day, the pain level in the laser therapy group was significantly lower than in the control group (U = 62.5, p = 0.024). The results indicated a significant decrease in pain level on the second postoperative day for both the control and experimental groups (Z = −3.61, p < 0.005, and Z = −3.1, p = 0.002, respectively). However, the pain level was lower in the control group, although the difference was not statistically significant (U = 79, p = 0.102). ConclusionConsidering the constraints of this study, NSAIDs were found to be significantly better at reducing pain than LLLT.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of burn first aid and its preventive measures among undergraduate medical students of Umm Al-Qura University: A cross-sectional study

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of burn first aid and its preventive measures among undergraduate medical students of Umm Al-Qura University: A cross-sectional study

Online learning vs blended learning in developing students' self-regulation at Umm Al-Qura University

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of online learning and blended learning on developing students' self-regulation at Umm Al-Qura University, using gender and specialization variables. The research sample consisted of 376 students at Umm Al-Qura University in the academic year 2021–2022. According to the instructional type, the research sample was divided into the following main branches: Blended learning: 233 students dealt with blended courses, and online learning: 143 students dealt with online courses. A self-regulation questionnaire was developed to collect the required data from the study sample. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were ensured. The findings of the study revealed that blended learning is more effective in developing students' self-regulation than online learning. Blended learning is more effective in developing male students' self-regulation compared to online learning. The effectiveness of blended and online learning on female students' self-regulation is equal. Blended learning is more effective in developing practical major students' self-regulation compared with online learning. It was observed that the effect of blended and online learning on theoretical major students' self-regulation is equal. The study findings enrich the understanding of the effect of both blended learning and online learning in developing learning outcomes. In addition, these findings may help decision-makers and stakeholders at higher education institutions to provide all available means for embedding blended courses in instructional systems.

My House and Coronavirus: Experiences of the Pandemic Full Lockdown

On March 2, 2020, Saudi Arabia announced the first coronavirus case. A complete lockdown started in Makkah on April 2, 2020. The holy capital of Islam has always been packed with pilgrims, but the situation was different with COVID-19. The full lockdown continued in Makkah even during the holy month of Ramadan. This study discusses the experience of full lockdown in the context of Makkah with its unique status as a holy city, with the longer period of its complete lockdown compared to other Saudi cities. The article presents a case study focusing on the interior design students at Umm al-Qura University in Makkah. The students’ experiences of the pandemic and the full curfew are discussed using descriptive and analytical methods. This article highlights the students’ challenges and difficulties regarding their emotions, specifically concerning the house and considers the functionality of its interior space. The study concludes with an evaluation of the inconveniences and discomforts of the domestic space. This article highlights some key observations, such as the lack of fresh air and natural light in some zones. Finally, the study notes several cultural issues that had a major impact and suggests some recommendations for future house planning.

International Students’ Perceptions of Interactive Academic Justice and Their Relation to Academic Achievement

International learners of Arabic as a second language have a multi-cultural background, which may affect their perceptions toward the way they are treated with their instructors. The current study tries to examine international students&amp;rsquo; perceptions of interactive academic justice and their relationship to academic achievement. The researcher used the descriptive approach, using a questionnaire of students&amp;rsquo; perceptions of interactive academic justice, which involved (175) male and female students at the Arabic Language Institute for Non-Native Speakers at Umm Al-Qura University.&amp;nbsp;The results&amp;nbsp;show that there is a high level of international students&amp;rsquo; perceptions of interactive academic justice. However, there are no statistically significant differences in international students&amp;rsquo; perceptions of interactive academic justice; in terms of the gender variable (male-female). International students&amp;rsquo; perceptions of interactive academic justice do not differ according to the period of Arabic language learning. The results indicate the importance of paying attention to teachers of Arabic as a second language, and the necessity of selecting those teachers and providing them with the necessary training continuously. Future research was presented.