IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH HAVING CHILDREN AMONG PHYSICIANS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Authors

  • Khaled Alghamdi Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Consultant of Pediatric Complex/Palliative Care, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia
  • Ayat Roushdy Abdallah Associate Professor of Public health and Community Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia
  • Marwa Mohamed Zalat Associate Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia
  • Marwa M. El-Sonbaty Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
  • Adeel Ahmed Khan Dr Adeel Ahmed Khan MBBS, FCPS (Community medicine) Public Health Specialist Saudi Board Program in Community Medicine Ministry of Health Makkah, KSA Cell: +966-582265945 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2724-8113
  • Hanan Mosleh Ibrahim Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: The global pandemic of COVID-19 has led to unprecedented psychological stress on frontline health professionals. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of perceived stress and its association with having children among physicians in Al Madinah city, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A web-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among the physicians working in Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia. Physicians living in Madina city were invited to participate in this survey by using an online questionnaire that consisted of socio-demographic information, and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) 10 items questionnaire. The outcome measure was perceived stress score and levels among participants, while exposure factors were having children and the number of children of each participant. Results: Low, moderate and high levels of perceived stress were found in 39.3%, 56.4% and 4.3% of the physicians, respectively. 53.6% of those physicians who have children, had significant moderate perceived stress as compared to 93.3% of those who do not have any children (odds ratio (OR) = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01–0.65, p=0.004). There was an inversed significant correlation between the number of children a participant had and the perceived stress scale score (R = −0.21, p=0.026). Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic resulted in perceived stress among physicians in Saudi Arabia, mostly moderate level. Having children was found to be a protective factor.

Author Biographies

Khaled Alghamdi, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Consultant of Pediatric Complex/Palliative Care, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Consultant of Pediatric Complex/Palliative Care, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia

Ayat Roushdy Abdallah, Associate Professor of Public health and Community Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia

Associate Professor of Public health and Community Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia

Marwa Mohamed Zalat, Associate Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia

Associate Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia

Marwa M. El-Sonbaty, Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

Adeel Ahmed Khan, Dr Adeel Ahmed Khan MBBS, FCPS (Community medicine) Public Health Specialist Saudi Board Program in Community Medicine Ministry of Health Makkah, KSA Cell: +966-582265945

Dr Adeel Ahmed KhanMBBS, FCPS (Community medicine)Public Health SpecialistSaudi Board Program in Community MedicineMinistry of HealthMakkah, KSACell: +966-582265945

Hanan Mosleh Ibrahim, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia.

Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Al Madinah City, Saudi Arabia.

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Published

2021-11-08

Issue

Vol. 33 No. No-4, SUPPL.1 (2021): JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE ABBOTTABAD

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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