ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among individuals attending primary healthcare facilities in Qatar and to assess the association between vitamin D deficiency and some medical conditions in persons aged 18–65 years old.SettingThe study was undertaken in publicly funded primary healthcare services in the State of Qatar.ParticipantsA total of 102 342 participants aged between 18 and 65 years old with a valid serum vitamin D test result during the year 2017.Outcome measuresSerum level <10 ng/mL (<25 nmol/L) was defined as severe vitamin D deficiency, a serum level of <20 ng/mL (<50 nmol/L) was defined as vitamin D deficiency and a serum level <30 ng/mL (<75 nmol/L) defined as vitamin D insufficiency.ResultsThe prevalence rate of severe vitamin D deficiency was 14.1% among study participants with no history of vitamin D replacement therapy in the previous months. The prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was as high as 71.4% and that of vitamin D insufficiency was up to 92.7%. None of the five chronic conditions explored in the study (diabetes, hypertension, asthma, stroke and cardiovascular disease) had an obvious association with severe vitamin D deficiency status in a bivariate analysis. However, multivariate modelling showed that (adjusting for age, gender, body mass index and nationality and each of the included chronic conditions) hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke placed an individual at a higher risk of having an associated severe vitamin D deficiency status.ConclusionAlthough not comprehensive and nationally representative, this study is suggestive of a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among young adults, females, Qatari nationality and those with higher body mass index. Multivariate modelling showed that hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke were associated with a higher risk of severe vitamin D deficiency status.

ObjectivesTo assess primary care physicians’ satisfaction towards COVID-19 pandemic management in Qatar and to identify the associated factors with their satisfaction.DesignA cross-sectional web-based survey conducted from 1 June to 30 July 2020.SettingAll the 27 public primary healthcare centres in Qatar.Participants294 primary care physicians working in the publicly run primary healthcare corporation in Qatar.Primary outcome measuresOverall satisfaction towards COVID-19 management in Qatar and satisfaction towards each aspect of this management including COVID-19 clinical practice guidelines, psychological support, team dynamics, work safety as well as institutional and governmental regulations.Results294 primary care physicians participated in the survey with a response rate of 65%. Overall satisfaction of physicians towards COVID-19 19 management at Primary Health Care Corporation was 77%. The highest satisfaction was towards institutional and governmental support while it was the lowest towards the corporation case definition and management of COVID-19 guidelines. Female physicians were less satisfied with psychological support in comparison to males (64.1% and 51% respectively, p=0.049). Overall satisfaction towards case definition and management of COVID-19 guidelines were strongly correlated with their clarity, updating these guidelines in due time and applicability of the guidelines (r=0.759 P<0.001; r=0.701 P<0.001; r=0.698 P<0.001) respectively, while satisfaction towards work safety was strongly correlated with availability and quality of Personal Protective Equipment provided (r=0.83 P<0.001 and r=0.811 P<0.001 respectively).ConclusionMost primary care physicians in Qatar who responded to the survey were satisfied with the COVID-19 guidelines developed rapidly in response to this pandemic. Availability and quality of PPE were a particular concern. The clinicians who were less satisfied were younger and female.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among dentists during covid-19 lockdown and to investigate the relationship between stress and each mental health state. Methods: A cross-sectional survey on 269 dentists was conducted using DASS-21 and PHQ-9 questionnaires. Bivariate and multivariate models were constructed and the odds ratio (OR) was calculated to assess the strength of the association between an independent categorical variable and the outcome. Results and Discussion: Being unsatisfied with the job was associated with a statistically significant increase in DASS-21 score by an average of 5.9 points after adjusting for the possible confounding effect of the other independent variables included in the model. For each extra 10 years of clinical experience, there is a statistically significant reduction in DASS-21 score by an average of 1.3 points compared after adjusting for the possible confounding effect of the other independent variables included in the model. Conclusion: Stress, depression, and anxiety were prevalent during the pandemic among dentists. These psychological domains were modulated by several factors including marital status, gender, years of clinical experience, and degree of job satisfaction.

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