Search Results (2)

Social media applications have been increasingly gaining significant attention from online education and training platforms. Social networking tools provide multiple advantages for communicating, exchanging opinions, and discussing specific issues. Social media also helps to improve the processes of teaching and learning through sharing educational programs. In this study, we used a quantitative research technique based on the partial least-squares (PLS) linear regression method to determine the influence of using social media as an online discussion and communication platform for academic purposes by assessing the relationships among the skills obtained through social media, the usage of social media, and the purpose of social media. A total of 200 students participated in this study (88% female and 12% males), and a purposive sampling technique was used to select a suitable population for the study. The results show that 61.5% of the participants use the web daily for more than five hours, mainly for social communication (meaningful dialog and discussion skills) and entertainment. The students agreed that social media develops their creative thinking, but it has no positive impact on their academic performance. Full article

Diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases resulting in an increase in mortality rate, and negatively affecting Oman’s economy. In 2019, an estimated 1.5 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes world health organization (WHO). The total number of diabetes cases among Omanis aged between 20 and 79 in 2015 is about 128,769, which increased in 2020 to 149,195. However, the total forecast number of diabetes cases will double in 2050 to 352,156. The healthcare spend on diabetes is 16.6%, which has triggered the need for the study. This research aims to review and analyze the prevailing situation around diabetes in Oman and its risk factors using multilinear regression tests, ANOVA, and descriptive analysis. Two hundred and fourteen samples were collected through a well-defined questionnaire using the purposive sampling technique. The study’s empirical results reveal that females, who were 79% of the respondents, have at least one of their family members as a diabetes patient; 41% of the respondents were affected by Type-2 (T2-DM) diabetes, and 38% were unaware of their type of diabetes. While, 91% of them were undergoing medication. The study indicates the risk factors that impact the diabetes number and type in North Oman, which include Aage with a rate of (0.595), followed by family history (0.560), smoking habits (0.530), and being overweight (0.435). Age plays an important role in the type of diabetes of the patients, and the types of diabetes impacts medication type. The type of diabetes has influenced the frequency of diabetes patients’ self-testing at home. Overall, 92% were rushed to the hospital or took medication immediately in case of a considerable variation in the readings; and 68% of the respondents complained that visiting the hospital is a costly affair and the health service is deteriorating. Full article