Comparison of vergence mechanisms between university students with good and poor sleep quality

AIM:To compare the vergence mechanisms between good and poor sleepers in university students.METHODS:A total of 64 university students were recruited in this study.The validated Malay version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire(PSQI-M)was used to measure the participants’sleep quality over the past month.Participants were categorized as good sleepers(n=32)and poor sleepers(n=32)based on the PSQI-M scores.Heterophoria and fusional vergences were measured at distance and near.Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare heterophoria,negative fusional vergence(NFV),and positive fusional vergence(PFV)at distance and near between good and poor sleepers.Spearman correlation analysis was used to study the relationship between PSQI-M score and PFV at distance.RESULTS:Both distance and near heterophorias were not significantly different between good and poor sleepers(P>0.05).There was a difference in distance PFV(P<0.05)between good and poor sleepers,but not in distance NFV,near NFV,and near PFV(P>0.05).Distance PFV was negatively correlated with PSQI-M score(rs=-0.33,P<0.05).CONCLUSION:University students with poor sleep quality demonstrates a reduced ability to maintain fusion with increasing convergence demand at distance.Sleep quality assessment during binocular vision examination in university students is recommended.

Investigation of the Acceptability of Cultured Meat in University Students

Background: Over the past 20 years, cultured meat has drawn a lot of public attention as a potential solution to issues with animal husbandry, including inadequate use of natural sources, improper animal welfare practices, and possible risks to public health and safety. The novel method of producing meat through culture reduces the need for animals to produce muscle fiber, thereby obviating the necessity for animal slaughter. Apart from its ethical advantages, cultured meat presents a possible way to fulfill the expanding need for food among growing populations. The purpose of this research was to find out whether Turkish students would be willing to pay for and accept cultured meat. Technique: Method: 371 university students who willingly consented to fill out a questionnaire and provide demographic data make up the research sample. Questions from previous studies on the acceptability of cultured meat were compiled to create the survey. The research’s data collection took place in March and April of 2022. The research was completed in June 2022 after the data had been processed and analyzed. Results: The results showed that the majority of participants were female and had omnivorous eating habits. Based on the results of the Bonferroni correction test, students with a higher intention to purchase and consume cultured meat were those who received economics and business education. Students with two years of university education had a higher overall survey score than those with four years of education (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it is discovered that there is a negative correlation between the participants’ ages and their Factor 2 (using cultured meat as an alternative to industrial meat) and Factor 3 (consuming and purchasing it) section points (r = -109, p = 0.036) (r = -0.121, p = 0.019). In conclusion, university students generally have a negative outlook on health-related issues, such as eating cultured meat as an alternative.

Relationship between physical activity and specific working memory indicators of depressive symptoms in university students

BACKGROUND The detection rate of depression among university students has been increasing in recent years,becoming one of the main psychological diseases that endangers their physical and mental health.According to statistics,self-harm and suicide,for which there is no effective intervention,are the second leading causes of death.AIM To explore the relationship between different elements and levels of physical activity and college students’depression-symptom-specific working memory indicators.METHODS Of 143 college students were analyzed using the Beck Depression Self-Rating Scale,the Physical Activity Rating Scale,and the Working Memory Task.RESULTS There was a significant difference between college students with depressive symptoms and healthy college students in completing verbal and spatial working memory(SWM)tasks correctly(all P<0.01).Physical Activity Scale-3 scores were significantly and positively correlated with the correct rate of the verbal working memory task(r=0.166)and the correct rate of the SWM task(r=0.210)(all P<0.05).There were significant differences in the correct rates of verbal and SWM tasks according to different exercise intensities(all P<0.05)and different exercise durations(all P<0.05),and no significant differences in the correct rates of verbal and SWM tasks by exercise frequency(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION An increase in physical exercise among college students,particularly medium-and high-intensity exercise and exercise of 30 min or more,can improve the correct rate of completing working memory tasks.

Knowledge of Risk Factors for Hypertension among University Students in Northwestern Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Obesity, excessive alcohol use, cigarette smoking, a lack of physical activity, stress, and an unhealthy diet are modifiable risk factors linked to hypertension. Non-modifiable risk factors for hypertension include older age and a family history of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to assess university students’ knowledge of hypertension risk factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at St. Augustine University of Tanzania. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Out of a total score of eight, a score of four or more was considered good knowledge, and a score of less than four was considered poor. All sociodemographic characteristics were included in logistic regression to calculate the adjusted odds ratio. Results: A total of 390 undergraduate students participated in this study. Most of the participants 266 (68.2%) identified stress as a risk factor for hypertension. The median (IQR) knowledge score was 2 (2 - 3). Overall, only 43 (11.0%) of the participants had good knowledge of risk factors for hypertension. However, none of the sociodemographic factors were associated with a good level of knowledge of risk factors for hypertension. Conclusion: Our findings highlight poor knowledge of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for hypertension among university students in northwestern Tanzania. Only stress and older age were known by more than half of the students as risk factors for hypertension. To reduce the burden of hypertension, it is crucial for prevention and control programs to target improving university students’ knowledge of risk factors for hypertension.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Refractive Errors among University Students at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda

Introduction: WHO estimated that uncorrected refractive errors are the leading cause of visual impairment and second leading cause of blindness globally. University students are prone to developing refractive errors due to their curriculum that requires a lot of near work affecting their performance and quality of life unknowingly. Genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role in the development of refractive errors. This study addresses the paucity of knowledge about refractive errors among university students in East Africa, providing a foundation for further research. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with refractive errors among students in the Faculty of Medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study in which 368 undergraduate students selected using random sampling were assessed for refractive errors from March 2021-July 2021. Eligible participants were recruited and their VA assessment done after answering a questionnaire. Students whose VA improved on pin hole had subjective retinoscopy and results were compiled and imported to STATA 14 for analysis. Results: The prevalence of refractive errors was 26.36% with (95% CI) among university students especially myopia. Myopia is most predominant at 60%, followed by 37% Astigmatism and hyperopia of 3% among medical students. Astigmatism consisted of largely myopic astigmatism 72% (26) and 28% (10) compound/mixed astigmatism only. Student positive family history of refractive error was found to have a statistically significant relationship with refractive errors with AOR 1.68 (1.04 - 2.72) (95% CI) and P (0.032). Conclusion: The prevalence of refractive errors among university students, especially myopia, was found to be high and family history was associated with students having refractive errors.

Surveying on English Mobile Learning Among University Students: Current State and Influencing Factors

Mobile learning integrates mobile technology with digital learning,offering flexible,personalized content and portable equipment.It enables access to rich content and enhances learning efficiency.Therefore,it has become mainstream to utilize mobile devices for English learning among university students’English learning.The current study aims to examine the current situation and influencing factors of university students’English mobile learning.98 university students in one university of Shanghai participated the study and the questionnaire was used to collect the data.The results indicated that most university students already have electronic devices to support mobile learning.Personal factors,environmental factors,digital literacy,and technological capabilities are the main factors affecting university students’English mobile learning.The current study has implications for learners,teachers,and software developers.Learners should adjust their learning motivation,play an active role,and fully utilize the mobile platform to obtain resources and improve learning efficiency.Teachers should incorporate the advantages of mobile teaching and promote categorized and tiered teaching.Software developers should add new functions on the basis of meeting the basic needs of learners and continuously innovate the mobile learning platform.

A Survey on the Current Situation of Prehospital First Aid about Knowledge, Belief and Behavior among University Students in Jingzhou

Objective: To understand the current situation of prehospital first aid knowledge, attitude and behavior of university students in Jingzhou City. Methods: A prehospital first aid knowledge questionnaire and the convenience sampling method were used to survey 307 university students in Jingzhou City. Results: The mean score of prehospital first aid knowledge of university students in Jingzhou City was 12.85 ± 2.643, the mean score of attitude was 50.73 ± 4.114, and the mean score of behavior was 39.05 ± 8.898;There was a statistically significant difference in the scores of prehospital first aid knowledge, attitude, and behavior of university students depending on whether or not they had received prehospital first aid training (P P Conclusion: Jingzhou University students have a positive attitude toward pre-hospital first aid, but the knowledge level and behavior are low, which suggests that the government, society and the school should create good conditions to promote the improvement of pre-hospital first aid knowledge and ability.

Spelling Errors in University Students' English Writing

This paper investigated the spelling errors made by university students in Hong Kong.By analyzing the spelling errors in the untimed essays and exam scripts,we found that students are prone to make more spelling mistakes in exam scripts,the same type of errors occur in both of the two kinds of texts;and their ranks of the frequency also are the same.

Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in Chinese college and university students assessed using Rome Ⅲ criteria

AIM:To estimate the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)in college and university students of North China and certain related factors for IBS.METHODS:A total of 2500 students from Shandong University in North China were asked in February-March 2009 to complete questionnaires,including the Rome Ⅲquestionnaire,hospital anxiety and depression scale,and IBS-quality of life questionnaire(IBS-QOL).RESULTS:Among the 2126 students with complete data,the prevalence of IBS was 7.85%according to the RomeⅢcriteria,with a female/male ratio of 1.78:1.Most students had the IBS-constipation subtype (36.5%),followed by IBS-diarrhea subtype(31.1%)and IBS-mixed subtype(23.9%).The students with IBS had a higher anxiety and depression score than those without IBS.Low exercise level and anxiety indicated a high risk for IBS.The mean score of IBS patients was 74.2± 4.242 on the IBS-QOL.CONCLUSION:The prevalence of IBS is 7.85%in Chinese college and university students according to the RomeⅢcriteria.Low exercise level and anxiety may be the risk factors for IBS.

A Survey Study on TPACK Framework for Normal Students of English Major in Ethnic Colleges and Universities:Empirical Analysis Based on Structural Equation Modeling

With the continuous advancement of education informatization,Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge(TPACK),as a new theoretical framework,provides a novel method for measuring teachers’informatization teaching ability.This study takes normal students of English majors from three ethnic universities as the research object,collects relevant data through questionnaires,and uses structural equation modeling to conduct data analysis and empirical research to investigate the differences in the TPACK levels of these students at different grades and the structural relationships among the elements in the TPACK structure.The technological pedagogical knowledge element of the TPACK structure was not obtained by exploratory factors analysis but through path analysis and structural equation modeling,the results show that the one-dimensional core knowledge of technological knowledge(TK),content knowledge(CK),and pedagogical knowledge(PK)have a positive effect on the two-dimensional interaction knowledge of technological content knowledge(TCK)and pedagogical content knowledge(PCK);furthermore,TCK and PCK have a positive effect on TPACK;and TK,CK,and PK indirectly affect TPACK through TCK and PCK.On this basis,suggestions are provided to ethnic colleges and universities to develop the TPACK knowledge competence of normal students of English majors.

Challenges and Countermeasures for Private Universities in Providing Education for International Students

Private universities are one of the forces driving the internationalization of higher education in China.Private universities are taking advantage of the trend to provide education for international students,playing an important role in the high-quality development of higher education in China.However,they also face challenges such as insufficient policy support,lack of management experience,and limited enrollment channels.Breakthroughs can be made through methods such as refining content,expanding enrollment channels,and attracting talent.

The prevalence of vision impairment and refractive error in 3654 first year students at Tianjin Medical University

AIM：To determine the prevalence of vision impairment（VI）and refractive error in first year university students at the Tianjin Medical University.METHODS：This is a cross-sectional observational cohort study of VI and refractive error among first year university students at the Tianjin Medical University.The first year university students were involved in this study and were given a detailed questionnaire including age,birth date,and spectacle wearing history.A standardized ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity（VA）,slit-lamp examination,non-cycloplegic auto-refraction,objective refraction,fundus photography,and examination of their spectacles were recorded.RESULTS：A total of 3654 participants were included in this study.Totally 3436（94.03%） individuals had VI in this population.Totally 150（4.10%） individuals had VI due to ocular disease,including amblyopia,congenital cataract,retinal atrophy or degeneration,strabismus,congenital nystagmus,refractive surgery orthokeratology.Totally 3286（89.93%） subjects had VI due to refractive error.Only 218（5.97%） students were emmetropia.Moreover,refractive error was the main cause for the VI（95.63%）.Totally 3242（92.52%） students were myopia and the prevalence of mild,moderate,and high myopia subgroup was 27.05%,44.35%,and 21.26% respectively.Totally 44（1.29%） subjects were hyperopic.The rates of uncorrected visual acuity（UCVA）,presenting visual acuity（PVA）and best corrected visual acuity（BCVA）which better than 20/20 in both eyes were 5.65%,22.32% and 82.13% respectively.The rates of correction,under correction and well correction in myopia subjects were 82.73%,84.39% and 15.61%,respectively. CONCLUSION：We present a high prevalence of refractive errors and high rates of under correction refractive error among first year university students.These results may help to promote vision protection work in young adults.

Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among students of a Nigerian University

Objective:To investigate the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection among the undergraduate students of Nasarawa state University,Keffi,Nigeria.Methods:A total of 200 serum samples were collected from undergraduate students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi,and 100μL of each serum was aseptically transferred to the specimen well of an H.pylori antigen kit(Clinotech USA).The 2 distinctive red lines apearing in the control and test regions of the kit after 10 minufes indicated positive reaction.Results:Of the 200 students sampled, 108(54%) were seropositive.Analysis of seroprevalence of H.pylori revealed the correlation between infection prevalence and age.The infection prevalence was 45.5%among students aged 18-20,rose to the peak of 85.7%adults aged 31-40,dropped to 66.7%among those 41-50 years old,and continuously went down to 28.6%in the 51-year-old and above populaion.There was a statistically significant difference(using Chi-square) with respects to gender,age and type of infection(symptomatic or asymptomatic seropositive infection)(P【0.0S).Conclucions: Community Health Personnel should be aware of this microorganism as a potential cause of illness in children.Furthermore,the mode of transmission and possible means of controlling the bacterial infection among students or a community is of public health concern and requires further study.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity among University Students of the Health Field in San Luis PotosíMéxico

The aim for this research is to determine the association between the risk factors and prevalence of overweight and obesity in students in the health field in the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí (UASLP in Spanish). A quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted from May to November 2012. By stratified random sampling, 290 students in the health field were selected. Questionnaire was used to identify factors associated with obesity. The obesity and overweight prevalence was determined, calculating body mass index through anthropometric measurement. The strength of the association between variables was measured using Chi squared and odds ratio tests. The proportion of students with overweight or obesity was 28.3% and was higher in men (36.8%) than in women (24.6%), with statistical significance (p < 0.01). Greater obesity or overweight was identified in psychology students (p < 0.01) and in those who reported an average appetite (79.3%) (p < 0.05). In total, 66.6% of the students decreased their physical activity upon joining the university, which was a factor significantly associated with obesity and overweight (p < 0.05). The findings show that the school environment can be a conditioning factor for the development of obesity and overweight in students. Implementation of a program is recommended to prevent and control such problems.

Reproductive Health Knowledge Level of High School and University Students in Shanghai

Objective To understand the sexual and reproductive health knowledge level of high school and university students in Shanghai. Methods A total of 628 high school students and 709 college students were surveyed with anonymous self-administrated questionnaire in Shanghai. Results The median knowledge scores of students from colleges and high schools were 58 and 39, respectively. Those who had surfed the Internet, had browsed websites on reproductive health, or had communicated sex-related issues with fathers/classmates/friends had more reproductive health knowledge. In addition, the percentage of college students who had surfed the Internet, had browsed websites on reproductive health or had communicated sex-related issues with classmates/friends was higher than that of high school students. Conclusion The knowledge scores of respondents were rather low. Compared with the high school students, the college students had more reproductive health knowledge and sought the knowledge more actively.

Awareness of mobile phone hazards among university students in a Malaysian medical school

This paper seeks to examine the awareness of potential health hazards by using mobile phone among AIMST (Asian Institute of Medical science and technology) University students. This is a cross-sectional survey conducted by distributing ‘perception questionnaire’. Perception of health hazards and outcomes were compared by gender, age, course of study, preferred ear, number of calls and SMS daily, the brand of mobile phone and use of mobile phone accessory (Bluetooth and hands free). The overall perception of mobile phone hazard in AIMST university student was 62%.Most subjects agreed that mobile phone usage can cause headache, loss of mental attention and sleeping disturbances and most disagree that mobile phone usage can cause constipation and diarrhea. Out of the 124 subjects who were aware of the side effects, 5% of the males and 10% of the females felt that there was no need to minimize the unwanted effects. The paper is useful to the general population particularly to the students as the perceived health risk did not significantly deter students from using mobile phone. The reasons given by students for the continued usage of mobile phone in spite of their awareness of the associated hazards have been discussed. This study offers new insight into level of awareness and perception of mobile phone hazard among University students.

Factors Related to Engaging in Physical Activity: A Mixed Methods Study of Female University Students

Objective: As a needs assessment for intervention, quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, knowledge, and weight control status related to physical activity in female university students within the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methods: A two-phase mixed method design was used. In Phase I, 362 students participated in an online survey, and in Phase II, 33 students participated in five focus group discussions. Ages of participants ranged from 18 to 45 years old, with 18 - 25 year olds making up over 74% of the sample. Results: Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, along with weight control status of trying to lose weight, were found to be significant predictors of intention to follow physical activity recommendations, which in turn were the strongest predictor of physical activity. Knowledge was not found to be significant. Group discussions revealed barriers to meeting physical activity recommendations, which included lack of companionship and social support, lack of motivation, time and cost restrictions, and lack of privacy in the gym. Social norms exerted both positive and negative influences. Conclusion: The mixed method approach provided a deeper insight into the influential factors pertaining to physical activity among female students, and results could be used in further research to develop effective interventions.

The Impact of Family Relationships on the Smoking Habits of University Students

Smoking habits are thought to be strongly impacted by family relationships. In this study, we looked specifically at family relationships with the aim of finding effective anti-smoking education measures. We surveyed 290 university students in order to establish their current smoking habits, along with their family relationships from primary and junior high school until now. The results showed that students with one or more smokers in their family were clearly more likely to smoke. Furthermore, a poor relationship between the student’s parents and a poor relationship with his/her father are believed to have a causal relationship with the student smoking. In the section in which students were asked how often they were told to study, we found that students who smoked had been instructed to study a significantly higher number of times. It is believed that the stress experienced by students frequently told that they must study during their elementary or junior high school years leads to a tendency to smoke. Among the group of non-smokers, we found many who ate breakfast with their parents during elementary or junior high school, along with many who regularly went on holidays with their families. The lack of these things appears to distance parents from children and may be a factor regarding why children end up smoking. In this study, while no clear correlation was found between family relationships and smoking, several types of family relationships that may lead to smoking were suggested.

Oral Health Knowledge and Practices among Diverse University Students with Access to Free Dental Care: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate oral health knowledge and practices among under-graduate university students from various disciplines with access to free dental care. Materials and Methods: A total of 709 questionnaires were filled out. Data collected included: demographic data, oral health knowledge, and self-reported oral health practices and dental service utilization. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis were performed;significance level was set at P < 0.05. Mean age was 20.8 ± 1.5 years. Results: There were (90.1%) of students who considered the toothbrush an oral hygiene aid, (91.1%) thought fluoride was beneficial to teeth, and almost (80%) students believed smoking has harmful effects on oral health. Regarding oral health practices, nearly half of the samples reported twice daily tooth-brushing, one-third received regular dental check-ups, and half visited the dentist because of pain or bleeding gums;fear was the main reason for not visiting the dentist. Females primarily visited the dentist for esthetic reasons (70%) and males upon complaint (59.8%). Oral health knowledge and practices among university students were poor. Conclusion: Dental students showed higher knowledge and better practices among disciplines studied. It is also important that dental hygienists take an active role in educating students in the aspect of oral health.

Relationship of Internet Addiction with Depression, Loneliness and Health Related Lifestyle among University Students

Internet addiction （IA） is a newly emerged clinical disorder and it has negative effects on physical and mental health. University students are the most vulnerable group for IA, The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship of IA with depression, loneliness and health related lifestyle among university students. Cross-sectional survey was conducted by enrolling 175 students of Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya. Internet addiction test （IAT） was used to assess the level of IA. Depression, loneliness, and health related lifestyle were assessed using Peradeniya depression scale （PDS）, University of California at Los Angeles （UCLA） loneliness scale and health practice score （HPS） respectively. T-test and ANOVA were conducted to examine the differences; and correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between variables. Overall, 40.6% of students were placed in IA group. Generally 28.6% of students had mild and 12.0% had moderate addiction. No case of severe IA was seen. There were 20.6% of students in depressive state and 17.1% of students had poor HPS. The average score that the student got from loneliness scale was 23.42. There was a positive significant correlation between IA and both depression and loneliness. Moreover, a negative significant correlation found between IA and health related lifestyle. Male students had higher IA scores than female students. The study results are considered to develop preventive interventions and treatment strategies.