King Fahd University Of Petroleum And Minerals Research Articles

Exploring the Human Response to Anger: Uncovering Insights through Infrared Thermography and Experimental psychology

This study examines how exposure to angry versus neutral facial expressions affects facial temperature, aiming to validate thermograms as reliable measures of emotional responses. We focus on Saudi youth and explore the impact of different stimuli categories (young vs. old, male vs. female) on subjective feelings recorded by thermal cameras.The research involved a sample of 40 male participants selected from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia, with an average age of 21.8 years (SD = 1.3). All participants had normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity. The study comprised two experiments to examine the impact of exposure to angry versus neutral faces on physiological responses. Thermal data were collected using infrared thermography, focusing on variations in facial temperature as a key indicator of physiological reactions. Participants were exposed to stimuli consisting of angry and neutral faces from various demographic categories, including males, females, young individuals, and elderly adults. This comprehensive methodology combined behavioral analysis and infrared thermography techniqueThe behavioral findings indicated that individuals exhibited increased response times (RTs) when classifying angry stimuli compared to neutral face stimuli. Infrared thermography revealed a notable impact of anger, particularly in Region of Interest 5 (the area around the upper jaw). This effect was especially pronounced in individuals exposed to angry facial expressions, but not in those analyzing angry expressions of younger individuals.These findings provide insight into the unique physiological responses triggered by angry facial expressions, specifically identifying temperature rises in specific facial areas. The results contribute to our understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved in the processing of facial expression recognition.

Petroleum++: Role of SPE Members and the Industry in the Energy Transition

As many of you know, SPE recently approved its 2023 Strategic Plan. The theme I chose for my presidency is Petroleum ++. As I explained in previous columns, petroleum refers to our continued work in producing oil and natural gas. The first + refers to our role in mitigating climate change concerns, and the second + is about our role in the energy transition and new forms of energy. The industry is already at different stages in this transition, and SPE is working to provide guidance and education to our members through many avenues. I want to talk about how these industry changes are affecting our current and future members and how SPE is helping. We are seeing many oil- and gas-producing and oilfield service companies adjusting to make their businesses sustainable through industry change. Shell’s strategy is “Powering Progress” which names climate change as an urgent challenge and vows it will contribute to a net-zero world. Saudi Aramco is creating value through sustainable business operations saying sustainability factors have become increasingly critical as it aims to balance profitability, environmental protection, and the growth and prosperity of the communities in which it operates. Baker Hughes is “taking energy forward” to make it safer, cleaner, and more efficient for people and the planet, and the newly rebranded SLB is driving energy innovation for a balanced planet. These are just a few of the higher-profile companies making changes in their organizations. Another important change is academia’s response to the energy transition. Globally, universities are expanding curricula for petroleum engineering students. Many are adding research and courses in carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), hydrogen, geothermal, and mineral processing of coal. Some universities are more closely integrating petroleum engineering, geology, and geophysics courses for beginning students. Penn State, for example, is offering new courses on carbon sequestration, doing new research on hydrogen, and recently opened a new center in mineral processing of coal residuals. The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) has strongly integrated its petroleum engineering bachelor of science program with the geosciences department (geology and geophysics). A new concentration in energy sustainability will be introduced in the fall of 2023, which will address energy transition and decarbonization, CCUS, and geothermal and hydrogen production and storage. The University of Texas at Austin (UT) and the Bureau of Economic Geology recently launched a geothermal research consortium called HotRock that will integrate isolated bodies of science and engineering knowledge to broaden and accelerate the scale up of “geothermal power anywhere.” UT launched a new multidisciplinary research and education initiative, Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab, in partnership with Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State University to address the growing need for accurate, timely, and clear accounting of greenhouse gas emissions across global oil and natural gas supply chains. These are just a few examples of how universities are helping to prepare future workers for a more integrated industry.

Guest Editorial Special Edition of the IEEE-CJECE

Welcome to a Special Issue of the IEEE Canadian Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IEEE-CJECE), which presents articles in the research areas of the Journal’s Former Area Editor, Dr. Sameh Sourour, in his memorial. Sameh Sorour was with the School of Computing at Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada, where he was leading research in mobile edge computing, edge learning and autonomous vehicles with funding from federal, provincial and industry sources. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt, in 2002 and 2006, respectively, and the Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, in 2011. His Ph.D. thesis was nominated for the Governor General’s Gold Medal Award. After his graduation, he held a MITACS industrial postdoctoral fellowship with Siradel Canada and the University of Toronto. Prior to moving to Queen’s University in 2019, he held another postdoctoral fellowship at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, a Lecturer position at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and an Assistant Professor position at the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA. During his Ph.D. degree and postdoctoral fellowships, he led several research projects with industrial partners and government agencies, such as LG Korea, the European Space Agency, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), and Siradel France. Dr. Sorour was a Senior Member of the IEEE and an Editor for IEEE Communications Letters. Also, he was an Area Editor in the IEEE-CJECE. His research and educational interests lied in the broad areas of advanced computing, learning, and networking technologies for cyber-physical and autonomous systems. The Guest Editors of this issue are 1) Prof. Hossam Hassanein, Director of School of Computing, Queen’s University, where Dr. Sorour held his last academic title; 2) Prof. Shahrokh Valaee, the Ph.D. advisor of Dr. Sourour at the University of Toronto.

Rus detachment in Dammam Dome, Eastern Saudi Arabia: a new soft-sediment structure as a ‘sensitive stress sensor’ for the Zagros collision

AbstractThis paper describes in detail hydroplastic structures, which are ‘odd’ kinematic indicators in the basal part of the Eocene Middle Rus Formation. Such structures were previously ignored or falsely interpreted. These hydroplastic structures are found in the massive limestone exposures on the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) campus. They occur in relation to a principal displacement zone along the boundary/interface between the Lower/Middle Rus, which is referred to as the Rus soft-sediment detachment. The structures are fist-sized vugs associated with carrot- or comet-trail imprints (VCT structures) which were previously translated calcite geodes that have been weathered out. VCT structures show transport/slip towards the NNW (345°) and are found on flat to low-dipping surfaces classified as Y, R and P shears with respect to the orientation of the Rus detachment. Palaeostress analysis indicates an Andersonian transtension stress regime, though it does not facilitate the activation of the Rus soft-sediment detachment. Detachment activity occurred due to the negative effective principal stress σ3′ and the abnormally low frictional coefficient caused by fluid pressure. The soft-sediment Rus detachment can be considered a ‘sensitive stress sensor’ for the Zagros collision since it indicates the Arabian platform’s instability in the wider area of the Dammam Dome during the Late Eocene. This instability is attributed to the inception of the Zagros collision, which was previously considered to occur during the Oligocene based on the well-established pre-Neogene unconformity.

Experience Sharing on Virtual COOP Training to Mechanical Engineering Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in December 2019, brought about a paradigm shift in the lifestyles of people worldwide due to the imposed constraints and lockdowns aimed at containing the spread of the infection. Each and every aspect of our lifestyle such as eating, travelling, socializing and learning was affected by this pandemic. Even the education sector was not untouched due to this pandemic, which caught the various stakeholders of this industry, such as the students, faculty and the administration, unaware. The education of a complete generation of kids and adults all over the world required some drastic adjustments so that their learning process would continue unaffected. Even though distance learning and online teaching have been around for a long time in the education sector, its importance was felt during this last year because of the role it played in the transfer of knowledge to students during the lockdowns wherein the students did not have access to physical classrooms and schools. Faculty, students and the administration developed new innovative ideas to adjust to this new change in teaching/learning styles and made the transition for all stakeholders a smooth and an enlightening experience. One such change had to be made in the delivery style of the cooperative program (COOP) for Mechanical engineering students at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). COOP is a 9-credit hour course that a student with a junior standing in the Applied Mechanical Engineering program (AME) has to take and pass. It requires the student to spend about seven months in the industry to learn applications in a practical environment and solve practical problems with the aid of the theoretical knowledge gained by him in the courses. However, due to the sudden lockdown in March 2020, most of the industries downed their shutters, which left these poor students halfway stranded through their COOP course. Hence, in order to cater to these students, the administration came up with the idea of substituting physical training with virtual training without compromising on the quality of the education. Comprehensive procedures on the various modules designed and delivered under this new virtual training program, the mode of instruction used, the assessment methods implemented and the experiences of the students are presented in this paper, which can be of tremendous help to various stakeholders.

What Is The Effective Arabic Communication And Learning Model In Digital Learning During The Corona Crisis/ ما هو نموذج التواصل والتعلم العربي الفعال في التعلم الرقمي أثناء أزمة كورونا

Almost all countries in the world are helpless, and people are feared in the face of the Coronavirus, to the point that millions of schools are closed, and this impact may be more severe than the impact of the disease itself, economically and medically. This experience will be engraved in the memories of children and adults, especially teachers and students. This paper describes some hidden aspects, especially the positive ones from the pandemic. The subjects of this study were students and lecturers at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). By using this type of research descriptive case study. Data obtained from observations of the lecture process, student communication with lecturers, and the faculty or university are equipped with survey data to support it. The results showed that students and lecturers could adapt and commit to performance, improve electronic skills, flexibility in learning, and obtain information. In addition, the university's efforts have a positive impact on the development of distance education, the use of digital technology to increase student participation in online learning opportunities, develop faculty members, and help them reach their potential. The Deanship of Academic Development (DAD) organizes various academic development workshops, discussion forums, and symposiums involving international, national, and local experts. Also sponsors activities related to teaching, student learning, assessment, and curriculum. The staff is ready around the clock to help and solve technical problems. This makes it easier for lecturers to use programs and platforms to teach students through their accounts using university usernames and passwords (KFUPM), such as the Blackboard and Microsoft teams. Universities used electronic learning systems for teaching and exams before the Corona crisis, but the crisis made it develop faster. The course is achieved through online study, students choose Microsoft's form as the preferred system, and most students interact with lecturers after lectures. The majority see that the professor's style is attractive to students in online learning, lecturers are responsible for dealing with monotonous material, and students can have online discussions.

Enhancing teaching and research skills in metal casting through a virtual casting lab

AbstractThis article describes the establishment of a virtual metal casting lab at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and its relevance in engineering education (teaching and research). The main objective of this work is to communicate the importance of virtual metal casting in engineering education and research, and to provide a framework for establishing and developing a lab to expand research in the area. Casting simulation softwares are briefly introduced followed by the details of setting up the lab and utilization of MAGMASoft at KFUPM. This includes methods of acquiring licenses of the software and its training, collaboration with the local industries, learning and capacity building at KFUPM at several stages. The utilization of casting simulations in undergraduate and graduate teaching, and in funded research projects reflects the continuous development of teaching and research skills of students, instructors, and researchers at the institution. Evaluation of virtual casting lab is discussed. Invigorated by encouraging results of the existing lab, an extension in the lab is proposed leading to a virtual casting quality center at KFUPM. It is expected that the results presented in this study will encourage institutes, universities, and industries in the region to develop in‐house virtual casting facilities for expanding research and development in the field.

Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the Synergy Effect of Zr and Ce on the Catalytic Efficiency of NiMoS Grafted on SBA-15 for Oil Hydrodesulfurization

The gracious support provided by the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in funding this research through project No. DSR SL191003 is duly acknowledged. S.A. thanks the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, for the permission to use the computational resources of the supercomputer Shaheen II.

Software Engineering in Saudi Arabia: A Bibliometric Assessment

This paper presents a bibliometric assessment of the Software Engineering (SE) community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The assessment was based on the number of SE papers published by KSA-based SE researchers in SE-related venues and indexed in Scopus between years 1984-2019. The assessment aimed to measure the volume of research contribution produced by KSA-based researchers and institutions to the SE field. 802 SE papers were published by KSA-based SE researchers and the top active institution in the domain is King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and the top active researcher is Mohammad Alshayeb who is affiliated to KFUPM. The results estimated that KSA produced around %0.62 of the world-wide SE knowledge which indicates that KSA SE community needs to increase the volume of its publications to be more active in the worldwide SE community. The results also show that from 2007 onwards, the annual publication trend of KSA SE community has been growing in a healthy rate reaching 113 published papers in 2019. Additionally, 56% of the papers were internationally-authored and the highest international collaborations were with researchers from the USA, Tunisia and the UK respectively. In general, KSA is performing well comparing to three of its neighboring countries (UAE, Jordan and Egypt) in terms of the quantity of the published SE papers and received citations. However, in comparison to developed countries, the results suggest that more work on the quantity, quality and visibility of the SE papers authored by KSA-based researchers is needed.

Techno-economic assessment of application of solar PV in building sector

Techno-economic assessment of application of solar PV in building sector

A low complexity RF based sensor array for lung disease detection using inkjet printing

This project was partially funded by the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (Maarifah)—King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology—through the Science and Technology Unit at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM)—the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under grant number 15-MED-3742-04. Also, this project was supported by KFUPM-KAUST Project number KAUST-002. The authors would like to thank King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) for their support in fabrication and experimental validation of the proposed sensor.

Interview with 2019 SPE President Sami Alnuaim

President's interview Sami Alnuaim has been with Saudi Aramco for 31 years, where he has worked in reservoir engineering, production engineering, research and development, and at the upstream computer center. He currently serves as manager, Petroleum Engineering Application Services, where he has full responsibility for providing technical information technology support to all upstream operations, including exploration, drilling, production, reservoir engineering, and facility design. Alnuaim has a long history of service to SPE and has been a member of the SPE Middle East Board of Directors. He has won several local, regional, and international awards, including the SPE Regional Service Award for the Middle East in 2010 and the SPE Distinguished Service Award, and became an SPE Distinguished Member in 2011. He also has served on the society’s DeGolyer, Rand, and McConnell Awards Committee and the 2017 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Executive Advisory Committee. He has published a number of technical papers, holds several patents related to well performance, and teaches petroleum engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). Alnuaim serves on the petroleum engineering department advisory boards at KFUPM and King Saud University. He is a key figure in the Saudi and Middle Eastern energy and media sectors, having published more than 300 articles on oil and gas and energy in Saudi newspapers. Alnuaim obtained BS and MS degrees from KFUPM, and a PhD degree from the University of Texas at Austin, all in petroleum engineering. He completed the Wharton Executive Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania and the Advanced Asian Business and Culture Program from the Center for Global Business Studies at Pennsylvania State University. What would you like to accomplish during your term of office? In addition to implementing the recently revised SPE Strategic Plan, my top priority will be to show the world that the role of the oil and gas industry is not limited to supporting the global economy, but also improving individuals’ lifestyles while being good stewards of the environment and enabling social development. During my term, I will focus on these specific goals: Improving the oil and gas industry’s image by redefining the concept of sustainability to focus on the industry’s efforts to ensure sustainable, affordable, and cleaner hydrocarbon-based energy sources that support the global economy, improve lifestyle and social development, and take care of the environment. Correcting misconceptions and pessimistic outlooks about the future of the oil and gas industry. Implementing the recently revised SPE Strategic Plan, which puts more emphasis on the environment and social development, in addition to promoting advances and excellence in technology and knowledge collection and dissemination. Building bridges among academic petroleum engineering departments around the world so they can share best technical programs and curricula and strengthen their programs by reflecting recent advances in technology and engagement with communities.

Factors affecting improvement of fluorescence intensity of quartet and doublet state of NO diatomic molecule excited by glow discharge* *Project supported by the Funds from Laser Sciences and Interactions Department, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; the Fund from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science for Girls, Imam Abdulrahman Ben Faisal University (x-Dammam University),

We report on the observation of new fluorescence emission spectral transitions obtained from NO diatomic molecule in the region from ultraviolet (UV) to near infrared (NIR) in a low power glow discharge system. This glow discharge electronic excitation populates different quartet and doublet states of NO in its proximity such as the A 2Σ (υ = 2), b 4Σ− (υ = 3), B 2Π (υ = 4), and X 2Π (υ = 33−32) states. Due to inter-system crossing, emission lines originating from these levels to lower lying states are recorded and spectral line assignments are performed. The observed systems include b 4Σ−−a 4Π, B 2Π−a 4Π, a 4Π−X 2Π, A 2Σ−X 2Π, X 2Π−X 2Π (33–15), X 2Π–X 2Π (33–17), X 2Π–X 2Π (33–20), and X 2Π–X 2Π (33–18). This new information will conduce to the better understanding of the interesting features of NO molecule. Such parameters that affect the recording of low density of NO molecules are also discussed In addition to the factors such as the time evolution, argon gas concentration relative to NO mixture, the percentage of NO molecular gas concentration, discharge electric current signals and discharge applied voltage are studied. Those factors would enhance the fluorescence signal intensity of NO molecules. The recent results might be significant as reference data for optimizing the glow discharge spectrometer and diagnostics of NO gas.

Seeding undergraduate research experience: From Georgia Tech to KFUPM case study

In this paper, implementation and outcomes of an undergraduate research course are presented. The associated gains and learning outcomes of the course are evaluated and benchmarked with other international undergraduate research experiences. The course was offered to undergraduate students at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The research group structure adopts Georgia Tech model. The paper summarizes the course structure, content, and best practices. In addition, the results of undergraduate research experience survey are presented and analyzed. The students reported significant gains in understanding of the research process and significant improvements in writing and oral presentation skills.

SPE Board Announces Nominees 2019 President and 2018 Directors

Sami Al-Neaim is the nominee for 2019 SPE President. He and eight others make up the slate of nominees recommended for positions open on the SPE Board of Directors. Sami Al-Neaim has been with Saudi Aramco for 30 years, where he has worked in reservoir engineering, production engineering, research and development, and at the upstream computer center. He currently serves as manager, Petroleum Engineering Application Services, where he has full responsibility for providing technical information technology support to all upstream operations, including exploration, drilling, production, reservoir engineering, and facility design. A current area of focus is reservoir simulation of giga cells and giga models using Saudi Aramco’s GigaPOWERS simulator. Al-Neaim has a long history of service to SPE and is currently a member of the SPE Middle East Board of Directors. He has won several local, regional, and international awards, including the SPE Regional Service Award for the Middle East in 2010 and the SPE Distinguished Service Award and SPE Distinguished Member in 2011. He currently serves on the society’s DeGolyer, Rand, and McConnell Awards Committee and the 2017 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Executive Advisory Committee. He has published a number of technical papers, holds several patents related to well performance, and teaches petroleum engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). Al-Neaim serves on the petroleum engineering departments’ advisory boards at KFUPM and King Saud University. He is a key figure in the Saudi and Middle Eastern energy and media sectors, having published more than 300 articles on oil and gas and energy in Saudi newspapers. Al-Neaim obtained BS and MS degrees from KFUPM, and a PhD degree from the University of Texas at Austin, all in petroleum engineering. He completed the Wharton Executive Management program at the University of Pennsylvania and the Advanced Asian Business and Culture Program from the Center for Global Business Studies at Pennsylvania State University.

Urban Scale Application of Solar PV to Improve Sustainability in the Building and the Energy Sectors of KSA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the largest country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region in terms of population, geographic area, economy, and construction and utility infrastructure. The rapid growth of the building sector in general and residential buildings in particular is creating huge energy and environmental challenges for the country. To address these problems and reduce its reliance on an oil-based energy infrastructure, the country aims to install 9.5 GW of renewable energy by 2030. Traditionally the emphasis has been on large-scale renewable projects. Globally, the recent success of solar energy has been significantly contributed by the application of photovoltaics (PV) in buildings. This is an area that has been overlooked in KSA. This study investigates the prospects of application of PV in buildings to improve the sustainability standards in the building and energy sectors of the country by considering the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) as a case study. PVsyst and RetScreen software programs have been used to model the application of PV on building rooftops in KFUPM. The study also discusses the concerned policy. It is found that the rooftop application of PV can annually produce 37,746 MWh of electricity, meeting over 16% of the KFUPM’s total energy requirements.

Attitudes of Male University Students towards a Physical Education Curriculum that Includes Health Education

Objectives: To investigate the attitudes of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) students toward a physical education (PE) curriculum that includes health education. Method: A self-designed questionnaire titled “Attitudes of Male University students towards their Physical Education Curriculum Questionnaire” was administered to orientation and college level students. It consisted of six aspects with ten items per aspect. All the students were male and non-PE majors. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined from the answers of 60 students selected randomly (alpha value = 0.05). Descriptive statistics were used to determine the overall attitude of the participants. Any aspect rated with an average score per item greater than 3 meant a positive attitude in that aspect. Results: The questionnaire had a good internal consistency (Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient range of 0.631–0.713, Cronbach’s alpha range of 0.682–0.734, test-retest reliability range of 0.879–0.934). A total of 1,327 valid questionnaires were analysed. All the aspects of the PE curriculum were viewed positively by the participants. Both levels viewed the “social aspect” and the “psychological aspect” most favourably. Novelty/Improvement: The study shows evidence for the necessity of health education in a PE curriculum designed for university students in order to encourage participation in physical activity.

A MODEL OF A NEAR-ZERO ENERGY HOME (nzeh) USING PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES AND PV TECHNOLOGY IN HOT CLIMATES

INTRODUCTION Recent development has seen a drastic increase in energy use trends in Saudi Arabian buildings leading to a demand for an effective course of action for energy conservation and production. A case study-based research initiative exploring near-zero energy potential in Saudi Arabia was undertaken. A 4-bedroom detached single-family faculty residence at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) representing common regional housing design trends was utilized. A base case simulation model of the house was developed and validated using short-term and real-time energy consumption data. Three sets of strategies: passive design strategies, representative codes and standards, and renewable technology were employed in the new design of the house. Passive strategies comprised a green roof, a ventilated wall system, a sloped roof, and insulation for thermal bridges. These alternatives helped reduce the annual energy consumption of the house by 17.2%. The most recent version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2012) was also incorporated along with ASHRAE Standard 62.2 for ventilation. The code and standard together reduced the annual energy consumption by 31.1%. Solar PV was then utilized to reduce grid utilization for the remainder of the house energy loads. This strategy provided 24.7% of the total energy consumed annually. A combination of strategies showed a 70.7% energy consumption reduction, thereby decreasing the energy index of the house from 162.9 to 47.7 kWh/m2/yr. The Zero Energy Building (ZEB) concepts and strategies utilized in this study demonstrate a socially responsible approach to achieving near-zero energy performance for an existing house.

A Brief History of the Internet in Saudi Arabia

While the Internet has developed into a pivotal tool in world communications, Saudi Arabia was quite late in connecting it to the public, compared with developed or even other developing countries (Al-Hajery 2004). The delay in launching the Internet in Saudi Arabia came from the government's concerns and reservations about the effects of such a new service on their conservative culture. In Saudi Arabia, academic institutions were the first sectors to use the Internet before it was available to the public. According to Al-Tawil (2001).“King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran was the first institution to connect to the Internet in 1993 through the College of Computer Sciences and Engineering”(p. 2). However, due to the low speed of the connection, only email was provided to KFUPM. Later, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), an

Life Style Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Disease: Exploring the Knowledge of Cardiovascular Disease among University Teachers in Saudi Arabia

Background/Objectives: To describe the perception and awareness of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) among university teachers of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and to compare if there were differences between high and low risk groups on knowledge of cardiovascular disease. Method: A questionnaire consisting of 44 statements adopted from Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire -2 (HDFQ -2) and Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was distributed to 87 teachers of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) to assess knowledge of Cardiovascular Disease among participants. The study took place between 1st January 2012 and 1st January 2014 at KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. An exploratory study design was used to describe the perception and awareness towards of teachers towards CVD. T -Test was employed to compare knowledge of heart disease between risk groups. Results: Results revealed no significant difference between low and high risk groups on knowledge of Cardiovascular Disease (t = -.372, p = .711). The mean knowledge scores for low risk group were (72.97) while high risk group was (74.31). From results it was evident that greater awareness and knowledge of heart disease does not affect life style or risk factors of heart disease. Application/Improvement: There was no relation between knowledge of Cardiovascular Disease, lifestyle habits and risk factors among teachers. Teachers misperceived their general health and body mass. Higher risk group teachers were unable to perceive their heath correctly.