Evaluation of Knowledge, Awareness, and Factors Associated with Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Community-Based Study

Assessment of the Mental, Social, and Educational Impact of the COVID-19 Quarantine and Predictors: A Survey-Based- Study from Saudi Parents

Background

Quarantine has had a powerful effect on parents and children in Saudi Arabia in different aspects, namely, educational, mental, and social. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the mental, social, and educational impact of the COVID-19 Quarantine and its predictors among Saudi parents.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out over 6 months in 2020 using structured questionnaires with 42 items, detailing pre-quarantine assistance with childcare, followed by mental, educational, and social challenges answered using a 5-point Likert scale and the factors affecting their children's learning at home during the COVID-19 quarantine. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.

Results

A response rate of 79.5% (n=831) was obtained. Mental challenges were experienced the most, and 68.1% of the parents worried about their children being infected with COVID-19. This was followed by the educational challenges related to their children's online learning, with 61.2% of the parents attributing it to their children's low motivation towards online learning. The mean score for the education domain was 31.14(±7.02). Similarly, the mean score for the mental impact and social impact was 33.13(±7.82) and 12.81(±2.98). The results of the multiple linear regression analysis revealed participants' gender was found significantly associated with the mean score of the educational domain (p = 0.010).

Conclusion

Social challenges were experienced the least, and parents confirmed that quarantine had helped them strengthen their family relations. Most participants agreed that they had fun spending time with both their partners and children. It is recommended to implement online remote activities and services that assist students and professionals in addressing pandemic concerns, such as virtual group exercise, virtual movie nights, and virtual office hours.

Evaluation of clinical knowledge of drugs causing addiction and associated social determinants among male pharmacy and nursing students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A Cross-Sectional study

Drug abuse is a rising psychological concept in many countries, and its use among individuals is increasing. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the Knowledge and demographic factors associated with drug abuse among male pharmacy and nursing students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This study used a cross-sectional design targeting male entry-level pharmacy and nursing students in their first and second years of Bachelor of Nursing and Doctor of Pharmacy courses. Of them, 85.3 % of the pharmacy and 75.3 % of nursing students thought that cocaine causes drug addiction, followed by heroin (pharmacy 80.7 %; nursing students 71 %), and morphine (pharmacy 75.2 %; nursing students 59.1 %). In this study, 52 % (n = 105) claimed low awareness, whereas 48 % (n = 97) indicated good understanding regarding drug addictions. Furthermore, the mean knowledge score among pharmacy students was higher (7.073 ± 2.570) in comparison to nursing (5.806 ± 2.494) (t = 3.540; p = 0. 0001). In addition, the father's occupation was found to be significantly associated with the mean knowledge score of drug addiction (F = 2.667; p = 0.034). According to the findings, 52 % of male students had insufficient knowledge about drugs that cause addiction. Age, course of study, and father's occupation all had a substantial impact on knowledge scores. The knowledge score on the complications of addictive substances was not significantly associated with the characteristics of the students (p = 0.05). As a result, we advocate for the introduction of educational initiatives that educate students about the harmful consequences of drug addiction and how to avoid issues.

Navigating the Knowledge of Risk Factors, Warning Signs, of Stroke - A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study Among Saudi Adults in Riyadh Saudi Arabia

Background

The incidence of stroke is increasing in everyday life as a result of modifiable cerebrovascular risk factors and aging. Therefore, the goal of this study was to assess knowledge of the risk factors, and warning signs, of stroke and to determine associated demographic factors among individuals living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods and Materials

A cross-sectional online study using a convenience sampling of general population living in Riyadh was carried out over three months in 2023 using a series of questionnaires that was adopted from the previous study. Before data collection, the study tool was subjected to pilot testing among a small sample of individuals to validate for consistency and reliability. The data was collected using social media platforms. A statistical package for the social science (SPSS version 27) was used.

Results

Four hundred and sixty-two individuals completed the survey. Among those 69.5%, identified hypertension as a risk factor for stroke followed by hyperlipidemia (42.9%), heart disease (44.8%). In addition, most of the respondents (n = 332, 71.9%) knew that numbness or weakness of the face and/or limbs of the body was a warning sign of stroke. In this, 73.5% (n=249) of the respondents agreed that if they saw an individual suffering from a stroke, they would like to take the patient to the hospital immediately. However, there was a significant association between the knowledge of the respondents about the risk factor of stroke and educational degree (p=0.011), and parents working in healthcare settings (p =0.015).

Conclusion

In conclusion it was observed that a significant respondents had an adequate knowledge of stroke risk factors, while most were unaware of the early warning signs of a stroke. To promote primary prevention and early management/outcomes, we advise that future regional campaigns focus on raising knowledge and recognition of stroke symptoms.

Saudi Adults' Understanding and Views of Weight Management Practices and Obesity

Background and Objective

The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity presents a significant global challenge. This study aimed to investigate the understanding and views of weight management practices and obesity among Saudi adults.

Methodology

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from October 2022 to January 2023 among adults residing in Saudi Arabia. Participants completed a self-administered 41-item questionnaire designed to assess their understanding and views regarding weight management practices and obesity.

Results

A total of 1066 participants completed the survey. Gender distribution showed a majority of males (55.7%). Age-wise, the majority fell below 51 years, with 37.7% (young) between 18-24, 32.7% (young adult) between 25-33, and 21.3% (adult) between 34-51. Employment was reported by one-third (n = 315) of respondents, while 22.0% (n = 234) had a history of chronic diseases. Furthermore, 77.3% (n = 824) engaged in regular physical activity.The study results revealed that participants' mean score for understanding obesity was 3.28 ± 2.37 (range 0-6), while the average views score was 28.08 ± 8.79 (range 0-34). Furthermore, females displayed a higher level of understanding compared to males. Employment status also played a significant role, with employed individuals having a better understanding of obesity than those who were unemployed. Moreover, participants with higher qualifications demonstrated a more comprehensive understanding of obesity compared to those with lower qualifications. Additionally, individuals with higher monthly income levels displayed a greater understanding of obesity compared to those with lower incomes. Lastly, participants who engaged in regular physical activity exhibited a higher level of understanding compared to those who were physically inactive.

Conclusion

The study indicates that factors such as being older, being female, being employed, having higher education and income, and engaging in regular physical activity are associated with increased understanding and favorable views regarding weight management practices and obesity.

Knowledge and awareness of warning signs about Lung cancer among Pharmacy and Nursing undergraduates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - an observational study

Background: Cancer is becoming more common, regardless of gender or type. Cancer was determined to be the leading cause of death, with lung cancer (LC) patients having the highest rate of cancer-related deaths. The purpose of this study was to analyze undergraduates' knowledge and awareness of LC early warning signs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Between May and September 2022, a cross-sectional, prospective paper-based survey-type study was conducted among undergraduates (n=202) from the faculty of pharmacy and nursing at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data was gathered from third and fourth-year undergraduates. The statistical package for social science (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, U.S.) was used to perform the analysis. Results: The mean age of the undergraduates was 22.47 ± 2.35(SD) years. Most of them were from nursing 54% (n=109), while 46% (n=93) belonged to a pharmacy. In terms of awareness of warning signs of lung cancer, 48.6% of the students believed that unexplained weight loss, followed by persistent chest infection (36.6%) and cough that does not go away easily (37.6%). Over 45.1 % of students opted that coughing up blood, pain during the cough (46.5%), and worsening or change in an existing cough (42.1%) were reported as a sign of LC. In this study, the overall good awareness score was 60(29.7%). The awareness was significantly associated with gender (p = 0.0001), the course of study (p=0.018), the educational level (p = 0.003), smoking cigarettes (p = 0.003), and chronic disease status (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Undergraduates attending university in this study indicated various levels of awareness of LC symptoms. The undergraduate's educational background, study program, and gender all greatly influence their level of awareness. It is necessary to inform future medical professionals about this growing condition.

Evaluation of Headache Trends among Undergraduate First Responders for Medical Emergencies at Saudi University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background and objective: Headache is more common among students and may be a crucial indication of mental health; it can have a detrimental impact if left untreated, especially on students, and may affect their academic performance. Thus, this study aimed to assess the headache trends among undergraduate first responders for medical emergencies at Saudi University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional study was undertaken over three months in 2023 to analyze headache patterns among emergency medical services (EMS) students using prevalidated questionnaires. The data were collected via convenience sampling and processed with the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 program (IBM Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The current findings show that the majority 90.6% (n = 164) of the participants had at least one episode of headache in the last week. With regard to the number of days students had a headache during the last week, 21.5% (n = 39) of them reported 2 days, while 18.8% (n = 34) reported 1 day only. About slightly less than half (48.6% (n = 88)) of students reported that the usual site of the headache was frontal, followed by temporal 27.1% (n = 49), and 23.3% (n = 42) reported orbital. When students were asked whether a headache aggravates their routine activity, 40.3% agreed with this statement, and 44.2% of students reported that a headache causes them to avoid their routine activity (reading writing, attending college). The majority of the students considered taking analgesics (60.8%), followed by sleeping (26.5%), caffeine (14.4%), and herbal and alternative remedies (7.7%) for the relief of headaches. Although headache episodes were significantly associated with routine activities (reading writing, attending college) (p = 0.018, t = 2.282) daily activities (walking, running) (p = 0.022, t = 2.307). The findings showed that fourth-year EMS students were found to have higher headache pain intensity scores compared to other students (p = 0.046). Similarly, the pain intensity was significantly higher among the students between 1-3 and >7 episodes of headaches (p = 0.001) Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that Saudi emergency medical services students suffer from headaches. However, the current findings revealed variation in the headache pain intensity scores concerning the year of study.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists toward the management of acne vulgaris in Saudi Arabia

Background and objectives

In Saudi Arabia, Acne vulgaris is a very predominant ailment and Pharmacists currently have standardized protocols at their disposal for the treatment of acne. Pharmacists often prescribe medications for minor cases of acne. Therefore, this study aimed to explore community pharmacists (CPs)' knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward acne management in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

An online cross-sectional study was conducted among CPs working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from January and April 2021, using a self-administered, questionnaire, was divided into four sections that collected information from the CP's Knowledge, attitudes, and practices and the management of acne vulgaris. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 (SPSS).

Result

A total of 313 CPs were enrolled in the study who successfully returned the questionnaire. The mean score of knowledge on etiology, pathophysiology, and therapy for AV was 5.3 ± (SD = 1.5). However, the majority of CPs had a moderate level of knowledge (80.8%), followed by mild to moderate (12.8%). This study showed that CPs had an insufficient level of knowledge about ace management, about 6% of CPs have a high level of knowledge. Inadequate knowledge was revealed in their management practice, only 0.3% of CPs treated patients with acne on their own without a referral. In addition, CPs showed a positive attitude toward acne management.

Conclusion

There is a need to improve CPs' understanding of acne care and to contribute to participating in organized training sessions on the management of AV.

Assessment of Headache Characteristics, Impact, and Managing Techniques among Pharmacy and Nursing Undergraduates-An Observational Study

Background and Objectives: Many different forms of headaches can change or impact daily activity and quality of life, which increases the financial burden on society over time. Undergraduates who get headaches may be absent from attending lectures, perform less well on their daily tasks and academic achievement, as well as struggle to build and maintain relationships with peers and mentors. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the headache-related characteristics and managing approaches among Saudi pharmacy and nursing students at a Saudi university, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A survey questionnaire was administered in this cross-sectional study to participants at a Saudi university, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants included males. The sample size was calculated with Raosoft® software. Data analysis was executed using IBM Statistic SPSS, and the level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 236 participants completed the questionnaires. The majority, i.e., 218 (92.4%) of them, were male; in addition, 124 (52.5%) were aged between 26 and 30, 124 (52.5%) were pharmacy students, 112 (47.5%) were nursing students, and 134 (56.8%) were smokers. When asked about ever having at least one episode of headache during the week, 66.1% (n = 156) agreed that they had one episode of headache, although 57 (24.2%) of the students had a headache for five days during a week. With regard to the impact of headaches on everyday activities, only 34.7% of the students said that headache disrupted their regular activities. Almost 41% of the students agreed that headache impacted their academic performance. Nearly 34% of students (n = 79) who had headaches considered napping, while 33% (n = 64) took painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicines, and 25% (n = 59) considered taking caffeine. In this study, the participants’ ages and headache severity were strongly associated (p = 0.0001). More pharmacy students (66.1%) reported having severe headaches than nursing students (14.3%) (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: The current findings revealed that most of the undergraduates suffered from headaches, and the intensity of the pain was moderate; furthermore, one in four undergraduates reported that headaches impacted their academic performance. Caffeine and simple analgesics and anti-inflammatories were used for headache relief.

Assessment of nursing undergraduate's perceptions of Interprofessional learning: A cross-sectional study

Background

Inter-Professional Learning (IPE) is based on mutual respect, and it improves collaboration and teamwork, and satisfaction among students and professionals.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the perceptions of IPE among Nursing students in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted among students from three different universities in Saudi Arabia, among nursing students over 6 months from May 2021 to October 2021. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the perceptions of IPE and inferential testing was used to assess the association of perception scores among variables using a statistical package for social science version 26 (SPSS).

Results

A total of 517 participants responded to the questionnaires. A higher proportion (n = 281, 54.4%) of the participants were females and were between 21 and 24 (n = 350; 67.7%) years old. The mean age of the participants was 21.35 (SD = 1.46). The majority of them were from King Saud University (n = 273, 52.8%), followed by King Khalid University (n = 127, 24.6%). Of the participants (80.4 %) agreed learning with other students will help them to become more effective members of a healthcare team. The mean overall score for RIPLS was 70.85 (SD = 6.611). The mean score for teamwork and collaboration was 37.19 (SD = 4.79), professional identity, 23.23 (SD = 2.89), roles and responsibilities 10.42 (SD = 2.20). The mean score is significantly associated with the university type (p = 0.0001), and previous knowledge of IPE (p = 0.0001).

Conclusion

The majority of the students had positive perceptions of understanding IPE and a good level of preparation for IPE. This means that if IPE is conducted among Saudi students, students will benefit from it, and it has the potential to improve their capacity to deliver holistic nursing care to their patients.

Al-Rawi M. Evaluation of knowledge of risk factors and warning signs of stroke - An observational study among future health care professionals

Background and objective

The role of healthcare professionals in society is unique since they are providers of health information and medication counseling to patients. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate Knowledge of Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Stroke among undergraduate health care Students (UHCS) at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methodology

An online cross-sectional study was conducted among UHCS at KSU, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September to November 2022, using self-administered 34-item questionnaires divided into five sections to assess participants' knowledge of stroke risk factors, warning signs, and management and source of information about the stroke. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 was used to analyze the data (SPSS).

Results

Of the 300 questionnaires distributed, 205 students completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 68.3%. Of whom 63 (30.7%) were pharmacy, 81 (39.5%) were nursing and 61 (29.8%) were emergency medical services (EMS) Students. One hundred and eighty-two (88.8%) of the students agreed that stroke affects bodily movement. With regards to risk factors, students identified high blood pressure 182 (88.8%), followed by heart disease 175 (85.4%), advanced age 164 (80%), previous Stroke history 158(77.1%), and lack of physical activity 156 (76.1%). Difficulty in speaking or slurred speech 164 (80%), dizziness, and loss of balance 163 (79.5%) were identified as the warning signs of stroke. In this study, 41.3 % of the pharmacy students reported a good level of knowledge than nursing and EMS students. However, 32.2% (N = 66) of the healthcare undergraduates reported good knowledge. The knowledge score was significantly associated with the year of study, and educational degree (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, there were no differences between parents working in healthcare settings (p = 0.99).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the knowledge of stroke among healthcare students at King Saud University varied. The reported knowledge gap mostly relates to stroke risk factors and warning signs. Therefore, increasing public awareness of potential risk factors and stroke warning signs needs to receive more attention.

Evaluation of Health Literacy and Associated Factors Among Adults Living in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

In this westernized culture, maintaining a healthy lifestyle has become a major health concern internationally. Health literacy is an emerging concept and requires effective measures and reform to improve the health status and health of individuals at both national and international levels, and has become one of the important determinants of individual health and healthcare service. This study aimed to assess health literacy among adults in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a randomly selected population using a structured validated questionnaire over 4 months in 2021. The questionnaires designed for the study included 26 items divided into 5 domains assessed on a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 (IBM Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and IBM SPSS 26 (IBM Inc.). The mean score for reading, access to information, understanding, appraisal, and decision-making was 12.01 ± 4.37, 20.16 ± 7.17, 24.84 ± 8.37, 11.85 ± 4.90, and 36.94 ± 10.41 respectively. The mean scores of reading and understanding domains were found to have significant differences concerning gender (P < .05). Additionally, participants' age was significantly associated with the mean score of reading and decision-making (P < .006 and P < .049). The findings reported a prevalence of inadequate HL in the population of Saudi Arabia was 54.4%, and the determinants associated with the scores of HL were age, gender, and education.

Prevalence and Self-Medication for Acne among Students of Health-Related Science Colleges at King Saud University in Riyadh Region Saudi Arabia

Background and Objectives: In Saudi Arabia, Acne vulgaris is a very predominant ailment among adolescents, especially female university students, and self-medication has become a trend to manage this condition. To determine the prevalence of Acne vulgaris among health care students and to access the scenario of its self-medication in light of students' knowledge, attitude, and practice towards it. Materials and Methods: This was an observational study conducted at King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from January 2022 to March 2022. The study was undertaken using a pre-structured questionnaire. Results: A total of 550 university students were recruited and the incidence of acne was observed to be 78.5% (432 out of 550) with a female predominance. A total of 56.0% (244 of 432) students used self-medications for acne without a prescription and the most used prescription drugs were topical and oral antibiotics (38.1%), followed by Isotretinoin (22.55), and topical adaplene (20.9%). Female students (n = 181, 63.5%) were significantly more likely to self-medicate compared to male students (n = 63, 42.9%, p ≤ 0.001). Almost 60% of medical students had proper knowledge of medication for acne. Conclusion: Acne vulgaris is a highly prevalent condition among university students of Saudi Arabia and use of self-medication among acne sufferers is high. Education programs should be made to raise awareness about acne and its treatment.