Social Media Usage and Academic Performance Among Medical Students in Medina, Saudi Arabia

Background

Social media are websites and applications enabling users to create or share content and communicate. The widespread use of social media among university students and easy access during class and study time raises concern about its impact on academic performance. This study aims to determine the impact of social media usage, addiction, and exposure on students' academic performance.

Methods

An online cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling among undergraduate medical students in Medina, KSA during the academic year 2021/2022. We used the chi-square and fisher's exact tests to determine the impact of social media usage on academic performance.

Results

842 medical students participated in our study. 57.1% were females, 24.8% were in the 5th academic year, and 56.5% had a Grade Point Average (GPA) in the range of 4.5 to 5. Moreover, 26.1% of the students use social networking sites for 3-4 hours, and males are more addicted to social media than females. Our results showed that students with excellent GPAs (GPA ≥ 4.5) are less likely to be addicted to social media networks (54.8%), and they perceive that using social media is not helping to improve their grades compared to other students. Also, showed that those who are addicted to social media benefit from the use of social media to improve their grades. There is no significant difference between genders in social media usage as if it helps them improve their grades. Moreover, no difference between the academic years in addiction and usage of social media.

Conclusion

This study has revealed that students with higher levels were less addicted to social media, and those who are addicted benefit from using social media to improve their grades. We call for using social media as a supporting tool for academic performance and achievement among university students.

Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Cardiovascular Diseases and Their Risk Factors Among the Najran Population in Saudi Arabia

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention is of great importance due to the high prevalence of CVDs and elevated treatment expenses among patients and healthcare systems. One of the most effective strategies is the improvement of knowledge and attitude levels toward CVD symptoms and risk factors. Objective This study aimed to explore the level of knowledge and attitude about CVD among the general population in Najran city, Saudi Arabia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between November and December 2022 among the Najran population. A structured questionnaire comprised socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes, and knowledge about CVD and risk factors. Ethical approval was taken from the ethical committee. Results The study included 527 participants living in Najran city aged 18 to 60 years old. Most participants were Saudi nationals (97.3%, N = 513), two-thirds had a university degree (68.9%, N = 126), and approximately half of them were females (51.8%). Furthermore, about two-thirds of the participants (60.7%, N = 320) showed a good knowledge level, and most reported an excellent attitude (87.3%, N = 460). Participants who had a university degree showed significantly better attitude levels (p-value = 0.043). No factors revealed a significant impact on the knowledge level. Conclusion Moderate knowledge and excellent attitude levels were seen among the Saudi population. Increasing the knowledge level among the total population is essential. It will be reflected in their attitude and practice. Thus, structured educational programs and utilization of available CVD guidelines should be strengthened as a better preventive strategy to overcome this condition. Also, using mass and social media to increase population awareness and good health responsibility is an effective way to limit the risk of CVD incidence.

Knowledge and Attitude About Epilepsy Among School Teachers in Madinah, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders affecting school-age children. School teachers play an essential role in the life and development of patients with epilepsy. Hence, adequate knowledge of and positive attitudes toward epilepsy among school teachers are critical. This study assessed the knowledge of and attitude toward epilepsy among primary, middle, and high school teachers in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered electronic questionnaire to assess the knowledge and attitude about epilepsy among 394 teachers from local schools.  Results: Most of the participants were female (64.7%). About 32.2% of the participants had experience teaching children with epilepsy. The mean score for knowledge about epilepsy was 8.2 out of 13. Regarding attitudes toward epilepsy, most participants (93.4%) had positive attitudes toward students with epilepsy. There is a strong correlation between experience and attitude toward epilepsy. Most of the participants lacked adequate first aid training and felt unprepared to deal with a child with a seizure.

CONCLUSION

Most school teachers in Madinah had positive attitudes toward epilepsy patients. Although they had a basic understanding of epilepsy, there were gaps in their knowledge, and they lacked adequate training and confidence in assisting a child with a seizure. Therefore, it is essential to implement education and training programs aimed at improving their knowledge and confidence in dealing with students with epilepsy.