University Students In Lebanon Research Articles

Design and validation of an artificial intelligence-powered instrument for the assessment of migraine risk in university students in Lebanon

Design and validation of an artificial intelligence-powered instrument for the assessment of migraine risk in university students in Lebanon

Impact of online learning during COVID-19 pandemic on digital device related ocular health

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ocular health related to digital device usage among university students in Lebanon. DesignA cross-sectional design was utilized to examine the association between the pandemic and ocular health. ParticipantsA total of 255 university students in Lebanon participated in the study, selected based on their enrollment during the pandemic. MethodsAn online survey assessed participants' digital device usage, awareness of digital eye strain, and experienced symptoms. The study addressed the relationship between symptom frequency and screen time, especially in their connection to the pandemic and online learning. ResultsPrior to the pandemic, the majority of participants (73.0 %) were unaware of digital eye strain. Following the transition to online learning, nearly half of the participants (47.0 %) reported using digital devices for 12 or more hours. The majority (92.0 %) experienced a substantial increase in daily digital device usage for learning, with an average increase of 3–5 h. Symptoms of digital eye strain, including headache, burning of eyes, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, worsening of vision and dryness of the eyes intensified in both frequency and severity during the pandemic and online learning period. ConclusionsThe study emphasizes the importance of promoting healthy habits and implementing preventive measures to reduce the prevalence of digital eye strain symptoms among university students. Healthcare professionals and public health authorities should educate individuals on strategies to alleviate digital eye strain, considering the persistent reliance on digital devices beyond the pandemic.

Knowledge and Attitude towards End-of-Life Decisions among University Students in Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Knowledge and Attitude towards End-of-Life Decisions among University Students in Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Lifestyle Practices That May Lead to Breast Cancer Risk Reduction among Female University Students in Lebanon.

Research has identified both nonmodifiable and modifiable risk factors for breast cancer (BC), with accumulating evidence showing that adopting adequate dietary practices could decrease the risk of this disease. This study aimed to assess nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and lifestyle practices (KAP) that may lead to BC risk reduction among female university students in Lebanon and examine the determinants of their practices. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sampling method, comprising 356 (response rate: 71.2%) female students at the American University of Beirut aged 18 to 25 years with no history of BC. Participants completed a pre-tested questionnaire addressing the objectives of the study. The modified Bloom's cut-off of 75% was used to categorize knowledge and practice scores as poor or good and attitudes as negative or positive. Large proportions of students had poor knowledge (68.3%), negative attitudes (65.4%), and poor practices (98.0%) scores. Pursuing a health-related major and having a higher GPA were associated with better knowledge and attitudes while being older and having a lower degree of stress were associated with positive attitudes only. Having a lower body mass index (BMI) was associated with better practice scores. Better knowledge significantly predicted higher intake of fruits and vegetables. Overall knowledge and attitudes were significantly correlated with each other, but neither was significantly correlated with overall practice. These findings underscore the importance of implementing public health programs geared towards improving nutrition KAP that may lead to BC risk reduction.

Mediating effect of suicidal ideation in the association between child abuse and premenstrual syndrome among female adults

IntroductionPremenstrual symptoms encompass a range of physical, emotional, and behavioral changes that cyclically occur before menstruation. Childhood abuse has been associated with subsequent mental health challenges, yet its relationship with exacerbating premenstrual symptoms remains an understudied area. Furthermore, suicidal ideation often emerges from traumatic backgrounds such as child abuse, creating another layer of complexity. Given the rising suicide rates in Lebanon, and the concurrent increase in reported child abuse cases, this research focuses on the role of suicidal ideation as a mediator between child abuse and premenstrual syndrome.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 915 female university students in Lebanon. Participants completed an online questionnaire encompassing demographic details, health lifestyle, the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and Child Abuse Self Report Scale (CASRS-12). The mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS MACRO v3.4 model 4; three pathways derived from this analysis: pathway A from the independent variable to the mediator, pathway B from the mediator to the dependent variable, Pathway C indicating the direct effect from the independent to the dependent variable.ResultsThe results of the mediation analysis showed that suicidal ideation mediated the association between all types of child abuse and the presence of PMS. Higher psychological (Beta = 0.21; p < 0.001), neglect (Beta = 0.02; p = 0.017), physical (Beta = 0.19; p < 0.001) and sexual (Beta = 0.20, p < 0.001) child abuse were significantly associated with higher suicidal ideation, which was significantly associated with the presence of PMS (Beta = 0.38, p = 0.001; Beta = 0.57, p < 0.001; Beta = 0.45, p < 0.001; and Beta = 0.50, p < 0.001) respectively. Finally, higher psychological (Beta = 0.17, p < 0.001), physical (Beta = 0.11, p = 0.024), but not sexual (Beta = 0.07, p = 0.198) child abuse was directly and significantly associated with the presence of PMS, whereas higher neglect (Beta = -0.06, p = 0.007) was significantly associated lower odds of having PMS.ConclusionThis study highlights the mediating role of suicidal ideation in the complex association between different types of childhood abuse and premenstrual symptoms. The findings emphasize the need for trauma-informed care and tailored interventions to address the diverse impact of these factors. Recognizing the intricate relationships between child abuse, suicidal ideation, and PMS can aid healthcare providers in comprehensively addressing young women’s mental and reproductive well-being. Trauma-informed care, tailored interventions and awareness of potential connections between childhood maltreatment are essential in managing these complex challenges.

Exploring the Impact of Bilingualism in Early Life on Foreign Language Learning for University Students in Lebanon - Analytics: Part II

This study, part of two, analyzes how growing up in a bilingual or multilingual environment impacts foreign language learning abilities, focusing on Lebanese university students. A quantitative, deductive, and positivist approach is used. The sample of 153 Lebanese university students with different majors was selected purposively and conveniently based on the students' free will participation. A survey of four sections was used. It includes knowledge questions addressing different sets of attitudinal statements characterizing the students’ and their parents’ status, home habits, background, and practices of the English language; the attitude of students toward the English language along the three dimensions of Towers-Perrin’s ISR model; the family’s attachment to books, and demographics of the participants and their parents. Questions and statements were dyadic, multiple choice, and four- and five-level Likert scales. Collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 26.0 package. Data analysis used descriptive, factor, and linear regression analyses. This paper, part 2 of 2, provides the detailed quantitative analysis necessary to test the hypothesized research questions, review the proposed conceptual framework, and create a statistically revised framework. Results show the persistence and statistically supported Towers Perrin’s ISR model as a significant contributor to students’ motivation to learn a foreign language and improve performance. Most variables in the framework were statistically insignificant whereby the corresponding null hypotheses H01, H02, H03, H04, and H09, were accepted (i.e., unrelated variables) and null hypotheses H05, H06, H07, and H08 were rejected (i.e., related variables). Other determinants were explored and the resultant regression model affirmed this paper’s objective, i.e., bilingual students were motivated to learn a foreign language. Also, the students were encouraged by their bilingual parents who read to them at a young age. Findings contribute to theoretical and practical domains. Theoretically, the study offers insights into the relationship between early language exposure and subsequent language acquisition. The outcomes inform EFL teaching methods, curriculum design, and language policy initiatives in multilingual societies like Lebanon and others.

Coping during socio-political uncertainty.

Well-being of young adults is known to be compromised in times of significant changes, such as economic and political turmoil. This study focuses on university students in Lebanon during one of the most prominent social unrests of its modern history to determine potential understudied protective factors that would predict the youth capacity to strive. A sample of 489 university students were asked to fill an online survey including standardized questionnaires of wellbeing (WEMWBS), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (HAM-A), intolerance of uncertainty (IUS-12), coping (Brief COPE) in addition to demographics and questions about their attitudes and future perspectives. We found increased rates of mental distress, predominantly in women, with around 80% of the sample being highly intolerant to the uncertainty climate. Results unsurprisingly show that well-being negatively correlated with anxiety, depression and intolerance of uncertainty. Overall, mental distress was found to mediate the relation between uncertainty and wellbeing, and the relation between maladaptive coping and wellbeing. Students who were intolerant of uncertainty and who used maladaptive coping strategies were more likely develop anxiety and depression and subsequently report poorer wellbeing. Conversely, having adaptive strategies was directly linked to higher well-being. In spite of increased distress, some university students managed to preserve their well-being within a climate of severe socio-political uprise. These findings suggest that modifying subjective experience of events and using soft skillset could alleviate young adults' emotional distress in unstable societies.

Bullying and self-harming behavior in universities – A cross-sectional study of a sample of 327 university students

IntroductionBullying is a widespread public health issue, found in different contexts (e.g. schools, universities, workplaces, families), and it has negative consequences on both the perpetrator and the victim. There is a lack of studies addressing bullying among university students in Arab countries and more specifically in Lebanon. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of bullying among a sample of university students in Lebanon, its forms, and associated factors. MethodsThe study consists of a cross-sectional online survey addressed to university students in Lebanon that evaluates sociodemographic data, presence and type of bullying, history of bullying during childhood, adverse childhood experiences, daily life functioning, and mental health status (reported psychiatric disorders, substance use, self-harming behaviors, and suicidal attempts). Chi-Square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare the results between victims of bullying and the rest of the sample. ResultsThree hundred and twenty-seven university students participated in this study. The prevalence of bullying was 14.1%. The main forms of reported bullying were verbal (58.7%) and social bullying (65.2%). The main associated factors were being a witness of bullying at university (84.8% vs. 56.2% – P<.001) and history of cyberbullying (13% vs. 4.6% – P=.024). Among students who reported current bullying, 28.3% had a psychiatric diagnosis, 19.6% reported substance use, 15.2% had self-harming behaviors, and 8.7% had suicide attempts. Victims of bullying in the university reported a significant negative impact on their daily lives (lack of interest in daily activities, academic decline) (83.7%) and mental health concerns (psychiatric disorders, substance use, suicide attempts) (88.4%). ConclusionEven though bullying is an event less experienced in university than in school, it is nevertheless still present with potential negative impact on the victims. Bullying in a university setting is a public health issue that could benefit from more studies as well as prevention and intervention programs.

Entrepreneurial Intentions in Crisis: Shaping Through the Triad of Influence - Government, Education, and Environment

Purpose: The COVID-19 outbreak’s effect on the world has been unparalleled, its consequences generated unpredictable behavioral changes in individuals’ perceptions, which can affect entrepreneurial activities. This paper aims to analyze the motivating factors, challenges, and youths' perspectives regarding factors that affect their intention to engage in entrepreneurial activities in Lebanon, a country dealing with one of the worst global economic and financial crises in the middle of the nineteenth century. Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered from a valid sample of 992 university students as part of a quantitative approach to data collection that covered seven different districts in Lebanon. In order to analyze the contextual elements in connection to students’ intention to engage in entrepreneurial activity using planned behavior theory, a structural equation modelling was used. Findings: The results provide evidence that three experiences—attitude towards entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control, and social norms— have a direct impact on the likelihood of future entrepreneurial initiatives. Nevertheless, the desire of students to be entrepreneur was not directly impacted by the support provided from the university, government and business environment. Theoretical and Practical Implications: Theoretical and practical implications can be made from this study’s results. Theoretically this study adds to the literature by examining different factors that may have an impact on enterpreneurial intention of university students during time of crisis. Practically, results found provide suggestions to policymakers to reassess the current policies and programs in order to encourage positive intentions towards entrepreneurship among Lebanese university students. Originality/ value: The examination of factors affecting entrepreneurial intention of university students in Lebanon is a first of its kind, which could be implied for further investigation.

The Relationship between Social Media Use and Body Image in Lebanese University Students.

Well-being is not only defined as being physically healthy; multiple factors can affect a person's well-being. Social media is strongly correlated with the body dissatisfaction of an individual. High exposure to lean and toned body shapes has created new standards and "idealized" body types. The aim of this article was to assess the relationship between social media and body image among university students in Lebanon. Data were obtained from 292 university students (median age: 22 years), selected from different Lebanese regions by using convenience sampling. Demographic data, social media addiction, body satisfaction, levels of physical activity, eating behaviors, and ultimate well-being were expressed as median and interquartile range. People who relied more on social media were younger than those who did not. Individuals addicted to social media had higher odds of having moderate and marked body image concerns. A significant association was found between social media addiction and emotional overeating, food responsiveness, and feeling hunger. These findings stress the need for rising regional and national awareness among social media users, especially the younger ones, and the implementation of intervention and prevention techniques to help prevent body image dissatisfaction, disordered eating patterns, and the alteration of overall well-being.

The Effect of Financial Literacy on Financial Behavior and its Impact on Financial Decisions – The Case of Lebanese University Students

Financial literacy is the comprehension of finance and attitudes toward financial opportunity and financial behavior. Financial acquaintance is crucial for making responsible financial decisions. In this challenging financial environment, we are living in, young people, particularly university students, must make challenging financial decisions that will impact their financial behavior. This study aims to examine the relationship between financial behavior and financial decision-making among Lebanese university students. The study is significant because it raises serious questions regarding the long-term effects of financial literacy on financial behavior and its impact on financial decision-making. The study adopted a quantitative methodology to accomplish its key goals. Students from various Lebanese universities were given a questionnaire. Using a convenience sampling method, a sample of five hundred ninety-eight participants was obtained. SPSS was used to analyze the data, namely Pearson correlation and regression analyses. The study's conclusions demonstrated the beneficial influence of financial literacy on financial behavior. Additionally, they demonstrated the beneficial effects of financial conduct on the financial judgments of university students in Lebanon. Thus, it is strongly advised that college students become financially literate so they may make wise financial decisions. Moreover, for Lebanon to be among the top countries with the highest financial literacy the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education should include within the curriculum of the intermediate and secondary classes some financial educational programs, workshops, and seminars. This will let students have exposure to basic financial knowledge and learn its significance and need in their financial decision-making.

Nutrition knowledge and willingness to seek nutritional counseling: analysis of data among a sample of university students

PurposeThis study aims to assess nutrition knowledge (NK) and willingness to seek nutritional counseling (WSNC) and their predictors among university students in Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional design was used to enroll students from two large private universities in Lebanon. Data were collected by a standardized questionnaire. NK scores on general and specific nutrition areas were computed. The predictors of NK and WSNC were determined by multivariable logistic regression analyses.FindingsA total of 370 students were included, among which 68% had good general nutritional knowledge, which appears to be associated with being a pharmacy student (adjusted OR (aOR) = 4.26 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.55; 11.7]), and having a dietitian as a reference for nutritional information (aOR = 8.84 [95% CI 1.94; 40.3]). However, 64% of participants had a high specific nutritional knowledge score, which was related to either attending a school of arts and sciences or being a pharmacy student (aOR = 10.8 [95% CI 4.08; 28.5]). Most students (80%) had the will to seek nutritional counseling, which was positively associated with being a female (aOR = 2.01 [95% CI 1.10; 3.67]) and a pharmacy student (aOR = 2.62 [95% CI 1.15; 5.95]). The general nutritional knowledge score was significantly associated with the WSNC (aOR = 2.10 [95% CI 1.04; 4.25]).Originality/valueHigher nutritional knowledge and WSNC were found among students enrolled in health-related fields. These results underline how important nutrition education is as a strategy for inspiring college students to adopt healthy lifestyles.

HPV Vaccination Prevalence among Lebanese Female University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, worldwide. Most often, cervical cancer is caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. A lack of studies concerning HPV knowledge and vaccination among the Lebanese population is noticed. We aim to assess the prevalence of HPV vaccine administration among female university students in Lebanon alongside determining the predictors influencing vaccine uptake. Lastly, knowledge scores concerning HPV and HPV vaccination are also computed. This is a cross-sectional analytical study. It is an anonymous, online-based, close-ended questions survey conducted between the 24th of February 2021 and the 30th of March 2021. Our questionnaire was addressed to females aged between 17 and 30 years and enrolled in a Lebanese university. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v.26. We used bivariate analysis to compare the rate of vaccination with different variables. We used the chi-square test for categorical variables and Student's t-test for continuous variables. Logistic linear regression was conducted between the state of vaccination and other statistically significant variables from the bivariate analysis. We have received a total of 454 questionnaires. Among the respondents, only 18.9% had received a minimum of one dose of the HPV vaccine. The mean age of up taking the first dose of the vaccine was 17.5 years. In addition, 48% of the respondents were not willing to take the HPV vaccine during the upcoming year. Barriers to not taking the HPV vaccine were mainly the low levels of knowledge concerning HPV and its vaccine. In the multivariate analysis, three predictors were found to affect the rate of HPV vaccination: university type, paternal educational level, and HPV vaccine knowledge score. In detail, a student enrolled in a public university had 77% likelihood of not being vaccinated. Furthermore, female students with a paternal educational level higher than a university degree had 88% probability of being vaccinated. Finally, every increase in the HPV vaccination knowledge of one point increased the likelihood of being vaccinated by 37%. A low vaccination rate among female university students in Lebanon was noticed in our study. In addition, a lack of HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge was found in our population. An awareness campaign alongside public vaccination programs is recommended in order to accomplish higher rates of HPV immunization.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19: A cross-sectional study among university students in Lebanon

ABSTRACT The health crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic has quickly evolved into an economic, cultural, and social crisis. Being an active entity in their communities, an evaluation of how much university students can contribute in raising awareness about the pandemic and in volunteering in their communities is deemed necessary. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Lebanon. An anonymous online self-reported questionnaire was conducted in March 2020 and a total of 193 university students participated. Scores were used to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Our results showed that the majority of the Lebanese University students have a good knowledge and practice score (0.82 and 0.64 respectively). However, the attitude score was relatively low and reflects a high cue to action score and a low Ministry Of Public Health (MOPH) satisfaction score. In addition, the KAP scores significantly differed between students majoring in health-related fields vs students majoring in non-health-related fields. The source of knowledge was associated with its score (p-value = .002). Finally, the statistical analysis proved that the study matches the KAP model which demonstrates that knowledge influences the attitudinal statements while attitude influences practice toward COVID-19. This assessment of the students’ understanding and awareness of the pandemic can help in the development of effective national strategies as well as envisage medium and long-term scenarios of preparedness.

The indirect role of orthorexia nervosa and eating attitudes in the association between perfectionism and muscle dysmorphic disorder in Lebanese male University students – results of a pilot study

BackgroundThe literature highly concentrates on disorders related to body image among women but only minimally when it comes to the male population; hence, in order to provide general practitioners, and primary care physicians in general, and psychiatrists in particular, with additional information concerning muscle dysmorphia among male university students in Lebanon, this study seemed essential, and was therefore conducted to (1) identify the prevalence of MDD, and (2) evaluate the indirect effect of eating attitudes in general and orthorexia nervosa in particular, in the association between perfectionism and muscle dysmorphic disorder (MDD) among a sample of male university students.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study conducted between September 2021 and May 2022, 396 male university students from multiple universities in Lebanon filled the online Arabic questionnaire.ResultsThe results showed that 26 (6.6%) of the participants had MDD. Orthorexia nervosa and eating attitudes mediated the association between perfectionism and MDD; higher perfectionism was significantly associated with higher ON and more inappropriate eating; higher ON and more inappropriate eating were significantly associated with higher MDD, whereas perfectionism had a significant total direct effect on MDD. The high prevalence of MDD among male university students in Lebanon implies further investigation on the national level in the country.ConclusionAwareness campaigns among the university students could be adopted at the national level to increase the level of knowledge on the concepts of obsessive self-destructive perfectionism, orthorexia nervosa and muscle dysmorphia.

The effect of research on the perceived quality of teaching: a cross-sectional study among university students in Lebanon

IntroductionThe complementarity between research and teaching is still debated, although several higher education institutions require instructors to do research. In the absence of a consensus on this matter and given the lack of related studies in Lebanon, this study aimed to describe students’ perception of research integration into teaching, and to link research and professional skills to quality teaching, using validated scales related to these concepts.MethodsA standardized questionnaire was diffused to university students; it included validated scales: the Student Perception of Research Integration Questionnaire (SPRIQ), the Adapted-Teachers’ quality assessment questionnaire (A-TQAQ), the Student Evaluation of Teaching short form (SET37-QS), and Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Health Research Questionnaire.ResultsResearch integration was well perceived, and teaching was well evaluated by 445 participants from various disciplines, particularly those of a higher socioeconomic level, majoring in health, and females, as indicated by their mean scores. Research-active instructors had a significantly better-perceived teaching quality (17%; p < 0.001) than their non-active counterparts. This finding was particularly true among postgraduate and higher GPA students. The multivariable analysis showed that the knowledge and attitude towards research were related to students’ better perception of research integration and higher evaluation of teaching.ConclusionThis study showed an overall good perception of research and teaching evaluation among participants from various disciplines, with research-active instructors having a better-perceived teaching quality. These findings could guide decisions on research integration into curricula using multidisciplinary methodologies to strengthen research integration and involve students in research activities.

Social media addiction in university students in Lebanon and its effect on student performance

Objective: This study aims to assess addiction to social media among university students and to explore the association of addiction to social media with academic performance. Methods: A random sample of 997 university students filled in a self-administered questionnaire using Google form (response rate 81%). The questionnaire adopted a validated scale (Social Media Addiction Scale, SMAS) and included questions about socio-demographics. Grade point average, absences, and passing rate were extracted for each student from the university management system. Results: Results showed that each of the three dimensions of addiction to social media (compulsive feelings, social consequences and time displacement) reduce at least one indicator of academic performance (GPA, absenteeism and passing rate). Conclusion: Results call to design and evaluate interventions that tackle different social media addiction dimensions to reduce their negative impact on academic performance.

Relationship between emotional expressions and lifestyle changes among university students during COVID-19 lockdown in Lebanon.

Emotional expressivity plays an important role in terms of communication and interpersonal relationships in the context of society. Our research aims at assessing the perception of emotional expressivity and its association with lifestyle changes during COVID-19 lockdown among university students in Lebanon. A total of 742 participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and emotional expression evaluated through the Berkeley Expressivity Questionnaire (BEQ). Participants also reported their perception of the relationship between emotional expressivity and lifestyle changes experienced during lockdown. The expression of positive emotions was decreased among students who have a weight loss from decreased eating during lockdown. Moreover, significantly lower negative emotions and increased positive emotions were found to be associated respectively with the increase in quality and quantity of distance learning, which emphasizes the psychological investment in education. In terms of extensive time spent on TV and social media, results point towards increased emotional expressivity, particularly positive emotions and impulse facets. Finally, changes in social interaction during this period impacted all facets of emotional expressivity. In the context of lockdown due to the pandemic, emotional aspects were associated by university students with lifestyle changes. Our research highlights the beneficial role of social networking, distance learning, physical activity, and well-balanced nutrition on emotional regulation in this particularly stressful situation, thus the importance of a global approach to emotional expressivity including the social aspects and biological ones.

Impact of minimum unit pricing on youth alcohol consumption: insights from Lebanon

This paper analyses the impact of introducing an alcohol minimum unit pricing policy on youth's off-premise alcohol consumption. We rely on price elasticities derived using stated preference alcohol purchase data from a survey of 1024 university students in Lebanon. Selectively targeting drinks with high ethanol concentration by applying a minimum unit pricing (MUP) corresponding to the maximum price that respondents are willing to pay per beverage achieves a reduction in ethanol intake close to 0.23 l/month (∼28% of pre-MUP ethanol intake). Imposing a flat MUP corresponding to the average price respondents are willing to pay for all alcoholic beverages decreases ethanol intake by nearly half the reduction from the previous targeted MUP. This work provides evidence in favour of MUP in conjunction with taxation capable of substantially reducing alcohol consumption. We also document a positive welfare benefit of MUP.

Hesitancy to COVID-19 Vaccines among University Students in Lebanon

PurposeThe aim of the study is to assess the readiness and behavioral intentions of students enrolled at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess vaccine hesitancy among university students in Lebanon.Methods & MaterialsWe conducted an online survey between May 11 and June 18, 2021 administered to a total of 3805 undergraduate and graduate students. We used three models as the theoretical framework of the study. These include the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) (to assess attitude, perception and behavioral intentions), Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) (to assess readiness to adopt a preventive health behavior), and the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) (to assess cognition and emotional reactions). Chi square and logistic regression were performed using STATA.ResultsThe study included 800 participants (21.02%) from all faculties (n=7) at AUB. The mean age was 21 years with the majority being undergraduate students (75%). The vaccine acceptance group represented 87.01% of the study participants while the hesitant and refusal groups accounted for 10.21%, and 2.77%, respectively. Our results showed that hesitancy was significantly associated with nationality, residency status and university rank (p value< 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant association between hesitancy and agreement/disagreement to the conspiracy type of thinking questions. Interestingly, the majority of the hesitant group agreed that the mainstream media is creating unnecessary fear towards COVID-19 (54.43%) and that millions more people per year die from flu than from COVID-19 (40.51%). Students reporting that pharmaceutical companies adequately tested the safety of the vaccine (OR=0.52; 95% CI=0.19-1.43; p value=0.21) and those who consider the vaccine in agreement with their personal views (OR= 0.11, 95% CI= 0.02-0.51, p value= 0.004) were less likely to be hesitant. Interestingly, history of COVID-19 infection didn't affect the participants’ willingness to get vaccinated.ConclusionOur results showed a low hesitancy rate among students enrolled at AUB. The factors associated with hesitancy can be used as a core content to organize social campaigns for spreading awareness and increasing the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination.