Explore the vast range of titles available.

Studies investigating gender bias against female surgeons yielded conflicting results ranging from neutrality to a clear preference towards male surgeons. Yet, such bias remains understudied within Middle Eastern nations. We aimed to assess preferences of surgeons’ gender among Jordanians and explore reasons for possible gender bias across different surgical specialties. A total of 1708 respondents were examined using a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the gender preferences of surgeons, characteristics associated with preferred surgeon’s gender, and surgeon’s preference in certain specialties. Nearly 52.0% of participants had no gender preference for surgeons. Among those with a preference, 75.7% preferred male surgeons while 24.3% preferred female surgeons. Reputation, knowledge, and experience were the most important factors when choosing a surgeon. Male surgeons were viewed as more trustworthy, knowledgeable, experienced, and communicative. Female surgeons were dominantly perceived as more compassionate, cooperative, and prone to listen. Male respondents were 5 times more likely to choose a surgeon of similar gender (OR 5.687; CI 3.791–8.531). Male surgeons were favored for cardiovascular and orthopedic surgeries. Similarly, female surgeons were favored in gynecological and obstetric surgeries, plastic surgeries, and breast surgeries. Female gender (OR 6.193; CI 4.077–9.408), living outside Amman (OR 1.517; CI 1.066–2.160), and being married (OR 2.504; CI 1.601–3.917) were all significant positive predictors of preferring female surgeons. Our findings highlight differences in gender preference and perception of surgeons among Jordanian adults.

Purpose: To identify and understand the multifaceted barriers faced by Syrian refugees when seeking vaccination services for their children. Methods: A survey questionnaire was administered through structured interviews to a sample of Syrian refugees residing inside the Al-Zaatari camp and in various urban areas across Jordanian communities. This process utilized a multi-stage sampling approach, beginning with a random selection from clusters or strata, and then employing convenience sampling within each to select participants. The survey covered demographics, barriers to vaccination, and vaccine hesitancy. Results: A total of 332 participants completed the survey with a mean age of 32.7 ± 10 years ranging from 18 to 67. More than half of the sample (59%) had an education of 11th grade or less. Sociodemographic disparities regarding barrier perception were evident among participants. Middle-aged adults (older than 32), males, and those with a monthly income less than USD 200 had scored significantly higher on barrier perceptions across all categories (p < 0.05). In-camp residents were less likely to face vaccination barriers compared to those living outside the camps (p < 0.001). Psychological antecedents of vaccine assessments showed that younger individuals had significantly higher scores in complacency, calculation, and constraints (p < 0.05). Participants with lower income had lower constraints and calculation scores (p < 0.05). In-camp residents had significantly higher scores in complacency, constraints, and calculation constructs compared outside camps counterparts (p < 0.05). Participants with no formal education had higher scores in complacency and constraints, and those with less than a 12th-grade education and higher education degrees scored significantly higher on the collective responsibility construct (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Efforts to promote vaccination among refugees should consider the specific challenges faced by this population, including financial barriers, healthcare access inequalities, and the impact of living arrangements. Public health strategies should address not only individual and psychological factors but also the physical and logistical challenges in obtaining vaccines.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is an underexplored psychiatric condition in Middle Eastern countries, particularly in patients with dermatologic concerns, where alterations in appearance may elevate the risk of BDD. We studied patients at Jordan University Hospital's general dermatology and cosmetic clinics from July to September 2022, comparing them to healthy controls. Patients with dermatologic conditions were evaluated per the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria by trained dermatologists. All participants completed the Dysmorphic Concerns Questionnaire (DCQ), Perceived Stress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, General Anxiety Disorder Assessment tool-2. We assessed BDD prevalence using four DCQ cutoffs: 9, 11, 14, and 17, reporting effect sizes as odds ratios (OR). Our study involved 1500 participants, with an average age of 29.3 (± 14.8) years and a female-to-male ratio of 3.15-to-1. At the 9, 11, 14, and 17 DCQ cutoffs, BDD prevalence was 78.2%, 54.2%, 26.5%, and 11.7%, respectively. Patients with dermatologic concerns were more likely to exhibit clinical BDD symptoms than controls at the 11-cutoff (OR: 1.26; 95% CI 1.01–1.58; p < 0.05). Conversely, those with cosmetic concerns were more prone to clinical BDD than controls at cutoffs 9 (OR: 2.26; 95% CI 1.28–3.97; p < 0.05) and 11 (OR: 1.50; 95% CI 1.03–2.20; p < 0.05). Our logistic regression revealed consistent associations between higher DCQ scores and elevated anxiety, depression, perceived skin disease-related stigma, and reduced quality of life (p < 0.05). In conclusion, patients with dermatologic issues and those seeking cosmetic procedures are at significant risk of developing BDD, necessitating proactive screening and referrals for specialized care by dermatologists due to the associated psychological distress and unproductive consultations. Providing specialized training for healthcare professionals to establish an integrated care approach to address the needs of patients with BDD should be the focus of future research projects.

Background Meta-motivational strategies refer to the ability to monitor and adapt one’s motivational state to accomplish certain goals and are highly significant in medical students due to their unique educational environment. The utilization of such strategies has not been previously studied in Jordanian medical students. Methods A cross-sectional design surveyed 409 students using the Meta-Motivational Strategies in Medical Students Questionnaire (MSMQ), assessing seven domains: regulation of value, environmental structuring, relatedness, promotional/preventional situational awareness, situational interest, and self-consequencing. Results Key findings revealed regulation of value and environmental structuring as dominant strategies, aligning with societal emphasis on education and adaptive responses to academic rigor. Male students scored significantly higher in regulation of relatedness (MD: -0.79, p  < 0.05). Students living alone demonstrated stronger environmental structuring (MD: 1.16, p  < 0.05) and self-consequencing (MD: 0.68, p  = 0.024). Students who chose to enroll in medicine autonomously scored higher across most strategies ( p  < 0.05). Students who participated in research activities exhibited greater regulation of value and situational interest ( p  < 0.05). GPA disparities highlighted that high achievers (Excellent GPA) scored higher in regulation of value and environmental structuring ( p  < 0.05). No differences emerged between first-generation and non-first-generation students. Conclusion These findings emphasize cultural, institutional, and psychological influences on meta-motivation; by bridging these gaps, educators can develop targeted interventions to foster adaptive meta-motivational strategies, ultimately supporting student well-being and success in medicine.

Objective Depression is Jordan’s most ravaging mental illness. Despite the growth of antidepressant use, only a handful of studies examine the factors affecting antidepressant knowledge among healthcare workers or medical students. Therefore, we aimed to explore the knowledge and attitudes towards antidepressants across Jordan’s six medical schools. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, we investigated the knowledge and attitudes towards antidepressants through the Drug Attitude Inventory and a literature-validated knowledge domain. Clinical students from Jordan’s six medical schools were recruited. Differences in knowledge and attitudes scores were examined by year of study, medical school among other factors. A multivariate linear regression model was utilized to assess predictors of knowledge. Results We included a total of 1,234 participants representing Jordan’s six major schools of medicine. About 14.9% of participants had a personal history of antidepressant use while 20.5% reported family history of psychiatric disease. The majority of students demonstrated favorable attitudes towards antidepressants (74.1%). Students demonstrated an average understanding of antidepressants’ mechanism of action, side effects, but not indications in special populations. Senior medical students, higher GPA, higher family income, personal history of antidepressants, and family history of psychiatric illnesses were associated with significantly higher knowledge scores (all p-values < 0.001). In addition to attitudes scores, the aforementioned were positive predictors of knowledge scores in the multivariate model. Conclusion Medical students’ knowledge towards antidepressants leaves room for significant improvement. Yet, it is evident that significant differences for both attitudes and knowledge exist across medical schools which may indicate a gap in either training or teaching methodology.

Background Little is known about gender disparity among medical undergraduates in the developing world. Therefore, this study aims to explore the attitudes and perceived barriers among Jordanian medical students, particularly women. Methods An online, self-administered questionnaire, developed after an extensive literature review, was disseminated across all six Jordanian medical schools targeting more than 5000 medical students. Student t -test and ANOVA were used to document mean differences among different groups. Linear and logistic regression models were used to find predictors of publication and number of publications. Results A total of 636 students participated in the survey with a women to men ratio of 1.1. Women medical students report significantly higher knowledge ( t (634) = 2.47, p = 0.013), personal ( t (634) = 3.31, p = 0.001), and total barriers scores than men ( t (634) = 3.02, p = 0.003). Moreover, compared to men, women were less likely to find same-sex mentorship ( t (634) = 3.18, p = 0.001) or receive credited authorship ( t (634) = 2.12, p = 0.011). Overall, women medical students were more likely to perceive that their gender ( t (634) = 3.58, p < 0.001) and people’s perception of their gender ( t (634) = 4.25, p < 0.001) are barriers to their career advancement. Binary logistic regression demonstrated that gender is a significant predictor of being able to publish (OR: 1.645; 95%CI: 1.002–2.731), while linear regression demonstrated that gender is a predictor of number of publications (ß: 0.113; 95%CI: 0.063–0.288). Conclusion A significant gender disparity exists in terms of both attitudes and overall barriers among Jordanian medical undergraduates which calls for immediate policy changes as to produce successful clinicians and researchers.

Background: Due to the upsurge of COVID-19, nations are increasingly adopting telemedicine programs in anticipation of similar crises. Similar to all nations worldwide, Jordan is implementing efforts to adopt such technologies, yet it is far from complete. Objective: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Jordanians toward telemedicine, to identify key factors predisposing individuals to its use or acting as barriers to its implementation. Methods: We implemented a cross-sectional design using an online, self-administered questionnaire executed in Google Forms and distributed through social media. Differences in knowledge and attitude scores were examined using independent sample t tests and ANOVA. A multivariate linear regression model was computed to assess predictors of awareness toward telemedicine. Results: A total of 1201 participants fully completed the questionnaire. Participants were characterized by a mean age of 36.3 (SD 14.4) years and a male-to-female ratio of nearly 1:1. About 50% (619/1201, 51.5%) of our studied population were aware of telemedicine, while nearly 25% (299/1201, 24.9%) declared they had observed it in action. Approximatively 68% (814/1201, 67.8%) of respondents were willing to use telemedicine. The majority of the sample portrayed favorable and positive views toward telemedicine. Higher educational degrees, living in urban districts, and having a higher perception of electronic usage ability were associated with higher knowledge and better attitudes toward telemedicine (all P<.05). The multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that perceived ability to use electronics was associated with positive attitudes (β=0.394; 95% CI 0.224 to 0.563), while living in Southern Jordan predicted poor attitudes toward telemedicine (β=–2.896; 95% CI –4.873 to –0.919). Conclusions: Jordanians portray favorable perceptions of telemedicine. Nonetheless, concerns with regards to privacy, medical errors, and capacity for accurate diagnoses are prevalent. Furthermore, Jordanians believe that integrating telemedicine within the health care system is not applicable due to limited resources.

Background The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is expected to witness a significant increase in the burden of cancer. Contrary to Western literature, the burden of psycho-oncology is yet to be established within the MENA region. This study reviews all available evidence characterizing the psychological burden among patients with cancer across the MENA region. Methods We systematically explored the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane/CENTRAL, and Web of Science (WoS) databases for reports on the psychiatric burden among patients with cancer residing within the MENA region from January 2000 until January 2023. Raw proportion were extracted and analyzed using a random-effects model. Findings Eighty-three studies comprised of 16 810 participants, representing 14 countries, met our inclusion criteria. Across the MENA region, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and distress were 44% (95% CI, 39%-50%), 47% (95% CI, 40%-54%), and 43% (95% CI, 30%-56%), respectively. Prevalence of depression was significantly different across countries, with Palestine (73%; 95% CI, 42%-91%) reporting the highest rate while Morocco (23%; 95% CI, 7%-56%) reported the lowest. Similarly, anxiety significantly differed across MENA nations ranging from 64% (95% CI, 3%-99%) in Morocco to 28% (95% CI, 18%-42%) in Tunisia. Rates of depression and anxiety were significantly different across measurement tools but not between Arabic-speaking versus Persian/Farsi-speaking countries. Meta-regression models showed that neither publication year nor age affected the prevalence of both anxiety and depression (P = .374 and .091 for depression and P = .627, and .546 for anxiety, respectively). Interpretation We report an abnormally high rate of psychiatric burden among patients with cancer in the MENA region. Thus, establishing appropriate psycho-oncologic interventions within the MENA region is of utmost importance. The burden of psycho-oncology is not yet established within the Middle East and North Africa region. This study reviewed all available evidence characterizing the psychological burden among patients with cancer in this region.

Classification is a crucial step in data mining as it facilitates decision-making in many areas of human activity, such as scientific endeavors, marketing campaigns, biomedical research and industrial applications. The probabilistic neural network (PNN) is widely utilized to solve classification and pattern recognition problems and is considered an effective method for solving such problems. In this paper, we propose an improved PNN model that employs the water evaporation algorithm (WEA) in order to solve classification problems more efficiently. The proposed method is able to obtain classification accuracies that are close to each other across all 11 benchmark tested datasets from the UCI machine-learning repository, which demonstrates the validity of this method (with respect to classification accuracy). The results show that the WEA is better than the firefly algorithm (FA) and biogeography-based optimization (BBO) in terms of both classification accuracy and convergence speed.