Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 21 in total

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  1. Sorooshian S
    Sci Eng Ethics, 2017 06;23(3):941-942.
    PMID: 27357573 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-016-9784-z
    There is growing concern regarding the erosion of industries' trust in the reliability and validity of university graduates. Fake graduates are described in this letter. This article endeavors to warn of a new version of the scholarly black market, in which theses and dissertations are sold to students seeking to graduate under false pretenses.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  2. Yahaghi H, Sorooshian S, Yahaghi J
    Sci Eng Ethics, 2017 06;23(3):945-946.
    PMID: 27351770 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-016-9795-9
    The time delay between submission of a thesis and Viva Voce is intolerable for students. This letter tries to draw the readers' attention to the effect of choosing the right examiner, in order to reduce the Viva Voce delay.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  3. Al-Qadasi N, Zhang G, Al-Jubari I
    PLoS One, 2021;16(9):e0257358.
    PMID: 34516592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257358
    This study assesses whether final-year undergraduate students at Sana'a University, Yemen intend to start their own business. The study employs the theory of planned behaviour and two environmental factors to explore whether the theory's behavioural factors and the contextual factors of Lüthje & Franke's model have an impact on students' intentions to start their own business. A questionnaire survey with a random sample of 335 final-year university students from the largest public university in Yemen has been conducted. Data has been analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation and structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that students' perceptions of entrepreneurship have a strong, direct impact on self-employment intention, excluding social norms and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Students' self-employment intention is directly affected by perceived barriers and support factors in the entrepreneurship-related context. To increase their entrepreneurial abilities, university students require more training and education to be able to start new businesses. Developing entrepreneurial skills among citizens may improve the societal norms of business. The outcomes provide significant implications for policymakers, academic communities and international bodies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  4. Masum AK, Azad MA, Beh LS
    PLoS One, 2015;10(2):e0117834.
    PMID: 25699518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117834
    The job satisfaction of academics is related to a number of variables of complex function such as demographic characters, the work itself, pay, work responsibilities, variety of tasks, promotional opportunities, relationship with co-workers and others. Academics may be simultaneously satisfied with some facets of the job and dissatisfied with others. This paper aims at determining the influential factors that contribute to the enhancement or reduction of academics' job satisfaction among private universities in Bangladesh with special reference to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. A total of 346 respondents are considered from ten private universities using non-probability sampling. A pre-tested and closed-ended questionnaire using a seven-point Likert scale is used for data collection. In this study, descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation, multiple regression, and factor analysis are exercised as statistical tools. A conceptual model of job satisfaction is developed and applied for academics' job satisfaction. The results reveal that compensation package, supervisory support, job security, training and development opportunities, team cohesion, career growth, working conditions, and organizational culture and policies are positively associated with the academics' job satisfaction. Amongst them, three factors stood out as significant contributors for job satisfaction of academics i.e. compensation package, job security, and working conditions. Therefore, the management of private universities should focus their effort on these areas of human resource management for maintaining academics' job satisfaction and employee retention. The study will be useful for university management in improving overall job satisfaction as it suggests some strategies for employee satisfaction practices.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  5. Nur Aqilah MY, Juliana J
    Glob J Health Sci, 2012 Nov;4(6):160-9.
    PMID: 23121752 DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v4n6p160
    There was considerable evidence that a subject's psychological status may influence respiratory sensations and that some subjects may experience respiratory symptoms regardless of the presence of a respiratory disease. The objective of this study was to determine the association between occupational stress and respiratory symptoms among lecturers. This cross sectional study was conducted in Universiti Putra Malaysia, involved 61 lecturers from various faculties. Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and questionnaires based on American Thoracic Society were used to collect the data on socio-demography, stress level and respiratory symptoms. High level of occupational stress (high strain) was determined among 16 of the respondents (26.2%). Breathlessness was the common symptom experienced by the respondents. Female lecturers were significantly experienced high stress level compared to male (p=0.035). They were also significantly having more breathlessness symptom compared to male lecturer (p=0.011). Study highlighted in study population, gender plays a significant role that influenced level of occupational stress and also gender has role in resulting occupational stress level and respiratory symptoms. There was no significant association between occupational stress and respiratory symptoms. It can be concluded that this group of lecturers of Universiti Putra Malaysia did not experienced high occupational stress level. Occupational stress level was not statistically significantly associated with all respiratory symptoms being studied.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  6. Al-Kubaisy W, Abdullah NN, Al-Nuaimy H, Halawany G, Kurdy S
    East Mediterr Health J, 2012 Jul;18(7):723-7.
    PMID: 22891520
    There is a lack of data on tobacco use in the Syrian Arab Republic. This cross-sectional questionnaire survey estimated the prevalence of smoking among university students in Damascus and identified factors related to smoking. Among the 583 respondents, the overall prevalence of cigarette smoking was 20.8%. The mean age of smokers [25 (SD 2.2) years] was significantly higher than non-smokers [21 (SD 1.8) years]. Smoking prevalence among males (26.1%) was significantly higher than among females (9.5%). However, female students consumed a significantly higher number of cigarettes per day than did males [mean 21 (SD 5) versus 9 (SD 2)]. The smoking prevalence among students in non-health faculties (27.8%) was significantly higher than that of health professional students (14.5%) and was higher among students living away from their families (27.8%) than those living with their families (16.2%). The study raised concerns about smoking in student residences and women's smoking patterns.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  7. Liau SY, Shafie AA, Ibrahim MI, Hassali MA, Othman AT, Mohamed MH, et al.
    Health Expect, 2013 Jun;16(2):199-210.
    PMID: 21645189 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-7625.2011.00702.x
    BACKGROUND: Transtheoretical Model of change has been used successfully in promoting behaviour change.

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationships between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores with the stages of change of adequate physical activity and fruit and vegetables intake.

    DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among employees of the main campus and Engineering campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) during October 2009 and March 2010.

    MAIN VARIABLES STUDIED: Data on physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake was collected using the WHO STEPS instrument for chronic disease risk factors surveillance. The Short Form-12 health survey (SF-12) was used to gather information on participants' HRQoL. The current stages of change are measured using the measures developed by the Pro-Change Behaviour Systems Incorporation.

    STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: One way ANOVA and its non-parametric equivalent Kruskal-Wallis were used to compare the differences between SF-12 scores with the stages of change.

    RESULTS: A total of 144 employees were included in this analysis. A large proportion of the participants reported inadequate fruits and vegetable intake (92.3%) and physical activity (84.6%). Mean physical and mental component scores of SF-12 were 50.39 (SD = 7.69) and 49.73 (SD = 8.64) respectively. Overall, there was no statistical significant difference in the SF-12 domains scores with regards to the stages of change for both the risk factors.

    CONCLUSIONS: There were some evidence of positive relationship between stages of change of physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake with SF-12 scores. Further studies need to be conducted to confirm this association.

    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  8. Hossain MG, Islam S, Aik S, Zaman TK, Lestrel PE
    J Biosoc Sci, 2010 Sep;42(5):677-87.
    PMID: 20529410 DOI: 10.1017/S0021932010000210
    Age at menarche has been shown to be an important indicator for diseases such as breast cancer and ischaemic heart disease. The aim of the present study was to document secular trends in age at menarche and their association with anthropometric measures and socio-demographic factors in university students in Bangladesh. Data were collected from 995 students from Rajshahi University using a stratified sampling technique between July 2004 and May 2005. Trends in age at menarche were examined by linear regression analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the association of age at menarche with adult anthropometric measures and various socio-demographic factors. The mean and median age of menarche were 13.12+/-1.16 and 13.17 years, respectively, with an increasing tendency among birth-year cohorts from 1979 to 1986. Menarcheal age was negatively associated with BMI (p<0.01), but positively associated with height (p<0.05). Early menarche was especially pronounced among students from urban environments, Muslims and those with better educated mothers. Increasing age at menarche may be explained by improved nutritional status among Bangladeshi populations. Early menarche was associated with residence location at adolescence, religion and mother's education.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  9. Yi S, Peltzer K, Pengpid S, Susilowati IH
    Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy, 2017 04 06;12(1):9.
    PMID: 28381234 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-017-0096-3
    BACKGROUND: Illicit drug use among university students has been recognized as a global public health issue in recent years. It may lead to poor academic performance that in turn leads to poor productivity in their later life. This study explores prevalence of and factors associated with illicit drug use among university students in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

    METHODS: This multi-country cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A multi-stage cluster sampling was used to select undergraduate students from one or two universities in each country for self-administered questionnaire survey. Multivariate logistic regression analyses was performed to explore risk factors related to illicit drug use.

    RESULTS: Participants included 7,923 students with a mean age of 20.6 years (SD = 2.8), ranging from 18-30 years. The overall prevalence of frequent (≥10 times), infrequent (1-9 times) and ever (at least once) illicit drug use in the past 12 months was 2.2, 14.7, and 16.9%, respectively. After adjustment, male students were significantly less likely to be infrequent (1-9 times vs. never), but significantly more likely to be ever users compared to females. Compared to those living with parents/guardians, students living away from parents/guardians were significantly less likely to be frequent (≥10 times vs. never) and infrequent users. Students from lower-middle-income countries were significantly more likely to be frequent and infrequent users, but significantly less likely to be ever users compared to those from upper-middle or high-income countries. Students with poor subjective health status were significantly more likely to be frequent users compared to those who reported good subjective health status. Students who reported binge drinking in the past month were significantly more likely to be infrequent users, but significantly less likely to be ever users.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prevalence of illicit drug use among university students in the ASEAN region varied by country. Concerted social intervention programs should be designed to address related health and behavioral problems such as illicit drug use and alcohol drinking with particular emphasis on at-risk subgroups of this young population.

    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  10. Lee SWH
    Curr Pharm Teach Learn, 2019 03;11(3):292-295.
    PMID: 30904152 DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2018.12.010
    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To describe the development and assessment of a health education campaign and determine its potential for integration into a bachelor of pharmacy curriculum.

    EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Pharmacy students developed a "hands-on" health campaign for delivery to university students. A health promotion topic was chosen and delivered each year for 2015-2017; sexual health, diabetes, and antimicrobial resistance, respectively. All health campaign participants were screened for cardiovascular risk factors. University students who participated in the health campaign in 2017 also completed a questionnaire assessing their understanding and knowledge of antimicrobial resistance.

    FINDINGS: In the three health campaigns conducted from 2015 to 2017, 1010 university students and adults were screened. Pharmacy students expressed a high level of professional achievement and satisfaction and felt that the activities provided a meaningful learning experience. Similarly, supervising pharmacists reported satisfaction with students' competency.

    SUMMARY: The use of a health education campaign is an alternative model to educate pharmacy students on communication and critical thinking skills, as well as provide an opportunity for service learning.

    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  11. Aris A, Khalid MZM, Yahaya H, Yoong LO, Ying NQ
    Curr Diabetes Rev, 2020;16(4):387-394.
    PMID: 31433762 DOI: 10.2174/1573399815666190712192527
    BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a preventable condition. Targeting those who are at risk of getting this disease is essential.

    OBJECTIVE: To examine T2D risk among university students in Malaysia and determine its relationship with socio-demographic characteristics and physical activity.

    METHODS: The study was conducted cross-sectionally on 390 students selected using quota sampling method from 13 faculties in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. A short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Finnish Diabetes Risk Score were used to measure the physical activity and T2D risk.

    RESULTS: The T2D risk was found to be low (M = 5.23, SD = 3.32) with more than two-third of the student population at the low risk level while a significant proportion of 23.8%, 5.6% and 0.3% having slightly elevated, moderate and high risk respectively. The T2D risk was significantly related to their age (rho = 0.197, p < 0.000), gender (U = 12641, p = 0.011), ethnic group (Χ2 = 18.86, p < 0.000), marital status (Χ2 = 6.597, p = 0.037), residence (U = 10345, p = 0.008), academic year (Χ2 = 14.24, p = 0.007) and physical activity (rho = -0.205, p < 0.000 and Χ2 = 13.515, p = 0.001). Of these, only age (β=0.130) and physical activity (β=-0.159) remained significant in the regression analysis.

    CONCLUSION: The findings call for a radical change in the nursing practice to target the amendable factors that are significant in order to prevent the progression of the risk towards type 2 diabetes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  12. Zhang C, Tang L, Liu Z
    BMC Psychol, 2023 Sep 22;11(1):286.
    PMID: 37737198 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01311-2
    BACKGROUND: A growing body of literature demonstrates that social media usage has witnessed a rapid increase in higher education and is almost ubiquitous among young people. The underlying mechanisms as to how social media usage by university students affects their well-being are unclear. Moreover, current research has produced conflicting evidence concerning the potential effects of social media on individuals' overall well-being with some reporting negative outcomes while others revealing beneficial results.

    METHODS: To address the research gap, the present research made an attempt to investigate the crucial role of social media in affecting students' psychological (PWB) and subjective well-being (SWB) by testing the mediating role of self-esteem and online social support and the moderation effect of cyberbullying. The data in the study were obtained from a sample of 1,004 college students (483 females and 521 males, Mage = 23.78, SD = 4.06) enrolled at 135 Chinese universities. AMOS 26.0 and SPSS 26.0 as well as the Process macro were utilized for analyzing data and testing the moderated mediation model.

    RESULTS: Findings revealed that social media usage by university students was positively associated with their PWB and SWB through self-esteem and online social support, and cyberbullying played a moderating role in the first phase of the mediation process such that the indirect associations were weak with cyberbullying reaching high levels.

    CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the importance of discerning the mechanisms moderating the mediated paths linking social media usage by young adults to their PWB and SWB. The results also underline the importance of implementing measures and interventions to alleviate the detrimental impacts of cyberbullying on young adults' PWB and SWB.

    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  13. Fazli Khalaf Z, Low WY, Ghorbani B, Merghati Khoei E
    BMC Public Health, 2013 Nov 11;13:1062.
    PMID: 24215138 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-1062
    BACKGROUND: Perception of Masculinity plays an important role in men's lifestyles and health behaviors. Although, the importance of masculinity has been widely discussed in men's health literature, very little is known about the meanings of masculinity in the Malaysian setting. This research aimed to explore the meanings of masculinity among Malaysian university men.

    METHODS: This qualitative study utilized in-depth interviews with 34 young Malaysian university men, aged 20-30 years from three main ethnic groups in Malaysia (Malay, Chinese and Indian). Thematic analysis approach was used to extract data. NVIVO v8 qualitative software was used for data management.

    RESULTS: From the data collected several concepts emerged that reflected the meanings of masculinity from the participants' view points. These meanings were associated with a combination of traditional and non-traditional norms that generally benefit men who behave according to culturally dominant role expectations. These included: "Having a good body shape", "being respected", "having success with women", "being a family man", and "having financial independence". Socio-cultural factors, such as family environment, religion, public media and popular life style patterns helped to shape and reinforce the meanings of masculinities among university men.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the university context provided a particular culture for construction and reinforcement of the meanings of masculinities, which should be considered by the educators to help in development of healthy masculinities.

    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  14. Akhtari-Zavare M, Juni MH, Ismail IZ, Said SM, Latiff LA
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(9):4019-23.
    PMID: 25987079
    BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in women and the most common cause of cancer death worldwide.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 792 female undergraduate students in public universities in Klang Valley, Malaysia, from January to April 2011. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire developed for this study.

    RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 21.7±1.2 years. Most of them were single (96.8%), Malay (91.9%) and 150 (19.6%) claimed they had practiced BSE. There was a significant differences between performers and non-performers correlated to age, marital status, check breast by doctor, and being trained about BSE. Performers had lower mean scores for perceived barriers and susceptibility and higher mean score for confidence. Stepwise logistic regression analysis yielded four significant predictor variables.

    CONCLUSIONS: Overall our findings indicate that the practice of BSE while perceived as being important is not frequently practiced among female in Malaysia. Targeted education should be implemented to improve early detection of breast cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  15. Song Y, Bai W, Wang M, Liu X, Zhang L, Yu W, et al.
    J Affect Disord, 2019 12 01;259:195-200.
    PMID: 31446380 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.042
    BACKGROUND: Suicide is a major global mental health problem among college students. The aim of the current study was to explore the association between the psychological strains of the strain theory of suicide and suicidal behaviors among college students.

    METHODS: Participants comprised 1912 college students (16-28 years old, 47.2% female) from three universities in Jilin Province, China, who completed the self-report assessments of psychological strains (40 items Psychological Strains Scale) and suicidal behaviors (Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised). The demographic characteristics included four variables: health status, psychological status, academic status and economic status.

    RESULTS: Approximately 15.0% (286/1912) of participants were classified as having suicide risk, based on the cut-off scores of the SBQ-R. The prevalence of suicidal behaviors among males and females was 11.9% (120/1009) and 18.4% (166/903), respectively. Value strain (OR = 1.075, 95%CI: 1.057-1.094), aspiration strain (OR = 1.082, 95%CI: 1.064-1.101), deprivation strain (OR = 1.073, 95%CI: 1.052-1.093), and coping strain (OR = 1.095, 95%CI: 1.075-1.116) were risk factors for suicidality in college students. Coping strain (OR = 1.050, 95%CI: 1.023-1.077) was still positively associated with suicide risk in multivariate logistic regression. Logistic regression analysis indicated that coping strain had the highest correlation with suicidal behaviors.

    LIMITATIONS: The directionality of the relationships cannot be deduced because this study is cross-sectional.

    CONCLUSION: This study confirms a strong association between psychological strains and suicidal behaviors in college students. Some measures can be taken to reduce psychological strains to mitigate suicide risk among college students. More studies investigating coping strain among college students are warranted.

    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  16. Lugova H, Wallis S
    J Community Health, 2017 Apr;42(2):413-420.
    PMID: 27696137 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-016-0270-y
    Behavioural impact programmes are especially effective for dengue control and prevention. Universities are key settings for health promotion, so understanding factors that influence the practice of dengue prevention within a university community becomes important. This study aimed to examine the factors affecting dengue knowledge, attitude and preventive practices amongst students and staff of a public university. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 372 students and staff of the NDUM were recruited by stratified sampling method. Data were collected via self-administered pre-tested structured questionnaires covering socio-demography and dengue KAP. Data were analysed descriptively. For bivariate analysis, Chi square test was applied. To explore the factors independently associated with the practice of dengue prevention, a logistic regression model was introduced. Overall, the participants had moderate dengue-related knowledge, good attitudes and good preventive practices. The majority had misconceptions about mosquito biting habits (83.8 %), seasonality of dengue epidemics (73.2 %), and mosquito breeding sites (70.3 %). Staff were more likely to have good dengue-related knowledge (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  17. Widjaja VN
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2019 07 01;20(7):2045-2050.
    PMID: 31350964 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.7.2045
    Objective: Assess and analyse the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of university students regarding HPV and
    its vaccine. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed with questionnaire serving as the research instrument.
    A total of 425 university students were recruited voluntarily. Thirteen assessable questions were analysed to reveal
    the mean total knowledge score of HPV and its vaccine. Both descriptive and statistical approach were employed
    to analyse the research outcomes. Results: Students were moderately aware as 59.8% and 49.6% have heard about
    HPV and its vaccine, respectively. The mean total knowledge score was 5.26 ± 3.10 out of 13 which was found to be
    moderately knowledgeable. Female (N= 235) have a significantly higher mean knowledge score in comparison to male
    (N= 190) at 5.58 ± 2.80 versus 4.87 ± 3.40, respectively (p<0.05), likely due to the disease profiles favouring female.
    As hypothesised, health-related school students (N= 171) outperformed other schools (N= 254) at 7.00 ± 2.95 versus
    4.10 ± 2.62, respectively (p<0.001). In general, the score depends on participant’s gender and educational background
    (χ2= 25.426, p<0.01 and χ2= 105.337, p<0.001, respectively). Despite low vaccination uptakes (28.5%), students accept
    the vaccine following physician’s recommendation and reject due to its cost. A positive attitude was seen as majority
    (88.7%) wished to know more about HPV. Conclusion: Moderation in awareness, knowledge and attitudes reflect the
    lifestyle of an urbanised population where information is accessible. Healthcare professionals, media campaign, and
    educational talk refinement are therefore essential in controlling the disease by spreading awareness.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
  18. Lew B, Kõlves K, Osman A, Abu Talib M, Ibrahim N, Siau CS, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(8):e0237329.
    PMID: 32822365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237329
    BACKGROUND: Although the suicide rate in China has decreased over the past 20 years, there have been reports that the younger age group has been experiencing an increased incidence of completed suicide. Given that undergraduate groups are at higher risks of suicidality, it is important to monitor and screen for risk factors for suicidal ideation and behaviors to ensure their well-being.

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the risk and protective factors contributing to suicidality among undergraduate college students in seven provinces in China.

    METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 13,387 college students from seven universities in Ningxia, Shandong, Shanghai, Jilin, Qinghai, Shaanxi, and Xinjiang. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires.

    RESULTS: Higher scores in the psychological strain, depression, anxiety, stress, and psychache (psychological risk factors for suicidality) and lower scores in self-esteem and purpose in life (psychological protective factors against suicidality) were associated with increased suicidality among undergraduate students in China. Demographic factors which were associated with higher risks of suicidality were female gender, younger age, bad academic results, were an only child, non-participation in school associations, and had an urban household registration. Perceived good health was protective against suicidality.

    CONCLUSIONS: Knowing the common risk and protective factors for suicidality among Chinese undergraduate students is useful in developing interventions targeted at this population and to guide public health policies on suicide in China.

    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  19. Wan Yunus F, Tan XZ, Romli MH
    Games Health J, 2020 Dec;9(6):415-424.
    PMID: 33301386 DOI: 10.1089/g4h.2019.0077
    Sleep deprivation and emotional problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression commonly occur in university students. Exercise is beneficial to ameliorate those problems; however, university students are not serious to take up physical activity. Commercially available exergame such as Xbox® 360 Kinect is one of the alternatives. This study aims at investigating the feasibility and the potential efficacy of using Xbox 360 Kinect game among health care undergraduate students. A pilot two-armed parallel randomized controlled trial was implemented. A total of 36 undergraduate students was recruited and randomly allocated into the intervention group (playing Xbox 360 Kinect) or the control group (continue with normal daily routine). The intervention group received 30 minutes of Xbox Kinect activity, three times per week for 6 weeks. Information on psychology (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21) and sleep (Functional Outcome Sleep Questionnaire-30) status was collected at pre- and post-experiment. The researcher-developed feasibility questionnaire was given to the participants in the intervention group at post-experiment. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to investigate within-between group comparison, and significance value was set at p ≤ 0.05. The analysis found potential improvement on sleep (p = 0.039) and psychological health (p = 0.002-0.067). The intervention protocol is feasible and highly accepted by the participants. The required optimum amount of dosage, sample size, and the use of outcome measures are suggested from the findings. This pilot and feasibility study supports the use of Xbox 360 Kinect games in practice and to be implemented for future research.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data
  20. Bukhsh A, Hussain S, Rehman IU, Mallhi TH, Khan YH, Khaliel AM, et al.
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2019 Jul;32(4(Supplementary)):1789-1796.
    PMID: 31680074
    Seasonal influenza is a highly contagious viral respiratory disorder. Prior knowledge of flu among general community is of paramount importance in order to mitigate its growing burden. In a pandemic, young adults are more likely to be infected increasing the potential for universities to be explosive disease outbreak centers. In this context, current study aims to assess the knowledge and perception of flu among university students from health sciences (HS) and non-HS background. Questionnaire-based cross sectional (August-December 2015) study was conducted among students of 65 universities across Pakistan. The students willing to participate were requested to fill out the self-administered questionnaire and responses were recorded and descriptively analyzed by SPSS. A total of 1694 students (age: 21.12 ± 2.13 years), 95% which belonged to age group 18-25 years, participated in the current study. Most of the participants (91.7%) had suffered from influenza during their life but only 55.7% correctly answered virus as causative agent of flu, while majority of participants, primarily from non-HS disciplines were not aware of flu cause. Very few participants (8.1%) believed that flu can cause death. About 20% students, mainly from non-HS disciplines reported that antibiotic can kill viruses. Similarly, 47.1% respondents agreed on the effectiveness of antibiotic in flu. A large proportion of study population preferred self-medication for influenza. Only 20.1% students were aware of influenza vaccine while majority of students (79.9%) from both disciplines reported that there is no such vaccine. Awareness and health literacy regarding seasonal influenza is poor among university students, especially from non-HS disciplines. These findings necessitate dire need to appropriately structured awareness programs in educational institutes to curb the growing burden of influenza.
    Matched MeSH terms: Universities/statistics & numerical data*
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