Background: Diabetic foot disease is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus. With appropriate management, approximately 49-85% of diabetic foot complications can be prevented. This study was carried out due to lack of population-based studies on foot self-care in the U.A.E. The aim of this study is to assess the awareness and practice of foot self-care in patients with type 2 diabetes and study the factors affecting foot self-care.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst patients of type-2 diabetes attending the diabetic clinics in primary healthcare centers under Dubai Health Authority. 488 participants were interviewed on a pre-tested structured questionnaire. The cumulative score of awareness and practice was classified into poor (<50 percentile), average (50-75 percentile) and good (>75 percentile).Results: 47% participants had an overall poor awareness and 46% had an overall poor practice of foot self-care. Compliance of medications to avoid complications had the highest awareness (83%) and practice (91%). Avoiding moisturizing between toes had the least awareness (40%) and practice (38%). Awareness was better in 59% of UAE nationals and 74% of postgraduates. Practice was better in 60% of males and 73% of participants with uncontrolled HbA1c. Participants who received prior information had better awareness (55%). Participants receiving information from Dubai Diabetes Centre (DDC) had better awareness (66%) and practice of foot self-care (66%).Conclusions: Almost half of the diabetic patients attending primary healthcare centers in Dubai have limited awareness and practice regarding diabetic foot self-care.

<b><i>Background:</i></b> COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory virus which was initially reported to the WHO on December 31, 2019 and declared as a public health emergency by the WHO on March 11, 2020. <b><i>Aim:</i></b> The aim of the study was to investigate the public knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward COVID-19. <b><i>Method:</i></b> This is an online cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was in both Arabic and English languages and consisted of 4 segments (demographic, knowledge, attitude, and practice). The results were collected anonymously. The data were entered in Excel sheets and then exported and analyzed using SPSS software. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 1,602 UAE residents completed the questionnaire. The mean knowledge score is 71%, which reflects good knowledge. The mean attitude score is 78%, which reflects a positive attitude. The mean practice score is 76%, which reflects good practice. Ninety-four percent of the population avoid handshakes, 93.3% wear face masks regularly, 85.5% use hand sanitizers, and 66% wash their hands, 22.7% drink honey with ginger, 13% still prefer to take garlic, and 82% chose to constantly update themselves with information about COVID-19; however, only 10% relied on purely medical sources. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study showed that UAE residents have satisfactory knowledge and favorable practice, with an overall high positive attitude. However, it is still encouraged to continue efforts in spreading awareness and public health education across all platforms, as well as increase awareness campaigns and correct misconceptions circulating on nonmedical platforms since they are a major source of information for the public.

BackgroundSince the approval of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine for children in 2021, there had been ongoing debates about the necessity of vaccinating children, owing to the seemingly mild nature of the infection in children, despite causing significant morbidity and mortality in the 5-11 age group in 2020-2021, and its association with complications such as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). This sparked the need to evaluate parents' perceptions, knowledge, and the effect of information sources on their decision-making. It is important to understand the various drivers and concerns expressed by parents locally, to shape vaccination campaigns to address such issues. While numerous studies across the world have extensively investigated parental willingness and intention to vaccinate children against COVID-19, it is important to acknowledge that these studies have been conducted before COVID-19 vaccines became approved for children in the respective countries. There is an obvious scarcity of data on the parental knowledge, attitudes, and acceptance of the vaccine for children after the respective countries have approved and provided the vaccine. The present study aims to provide data that could reveal possible barriers to vaccine uptake such as deficits in knowledge, negative attitudes, and poor practices towards the COVID-19 pandemic, and hence address these factors to make the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign, as well as future childhood vaccination campaigns, more successful. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional online-based survey targeting parents living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with children aged 5-15 years. Data collected from June 23 to July 20, 2022 were analyzed using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 28 software. The survey included questions concerning parental and children demographics, parents' level and sources of knowledge about COVID-19 infection and vaccine, attitudes of parents about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines, and finally parental practices concerning pandemic preventive measures and COVID-19 vaccine uptake. ResultsOut of 437 participants, 212 (48.5%) vaccinated their children against COVID-19, and of those who did not, only 22 (9.8%) intended to vaccinate. The most commonly cited reason by parents for vaccinating their children was to reduce complications. The most frequent concern was the novelty and lack of information, and consequently, getting more information was the most selected driver to vaccinate as well as being advised by a doctor. Significant predictors were acceptance of childhood and influenza vaccines, trust in vaccine safety and trust in information provided by health authority websites, and lastly, exposure to positive information on social media. ConclusionA considerable proportion of parents have vaccinated their children against COVID-19; however, concerns about novelty and lack of information persist, leading to a high level of vaccine hesitancy. It is imperative that public health efforts maintain mome...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and depression are major global public health problems. Depression negatively affects the course of DM through hormonal, neuronal, or immune system changes that directly affect the body's ability to produce or use insulin. The coexistence of depression with DM also results in poor glycemic control by causing poor self-care behaviors such as lack of physical activity. The coexistence of depression with DM also results in poor glycemic control. The study aimed to assessing depression and Its associated Factors among diabetes mellitus patients attending the primary health care centers in United Arab Emirates. This study was conducted on 463 diabetic patients attended the primary health care centers during 8th may to 26th may, 2021. Nine primary health care centers were selected according to the accessibility. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was selected of the actual 9 criteria upon which the diagnosis of DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) depressive disorders is based. Our study showed that there was non-significant difference in depression Levels between non-smokers and smokers, there was non-significant difference in depression Levels and education levels, there was significant difference in depression Levels and marital status, non-significant difference in depression Levels and nationality, non-significant difference in depression Levels and type of diabetes. Conclusion based on this study the prevalence of depression among female diabetes mellitus was high. From this study we concluded that depression levels: non-depressed, mild depression, moderate depression, moderately and severe depression are high in married participants comparing with single, divorced and widow participants

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and depression are major global public health problems. Depression negatively affects the course of DM through hormonal, neuronal, or immune system changes that directly affect the body's ability to produce or use insulin. The coexistence of depression with DM also results in poor glycemic control by causing poor self-care behaviors such as lack of physical activity. The coexistence of depression with DM also results in poor glycemic control. The study aimed to assessing depression and Its associated Factors among diabetes mellitus patients attending the primary health care centers in United Arab Emirates. This study was conducted on 463 diabetic patients attended the primary health care centers during 8th may to 26th may, 2021. Nine primary health care centers were selected according to the accessibility. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was selected of the actual 9 criteria upon which the diagnosis of DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) depressive disorders is based. Our study showed that there was non-significant difference in depression Levels between non-smokers and smokers, there was non-significant difference in depression Levels and education levels, there was significant difference in depression Levels and marital status, non-significant difference in depression Levels and nationality, non-significant difference in depression Levels and type of diabetes. Conclusion based on this study the prevalence of depression among female diabetes mellitus was high. From this study we concluded that depression levels: non-depressed, mild depression, moderate depression, moderately and severe depression are high in married participants comparing with single, divorced and widow participants