Northern Saudi Arabia Research Articles

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards Evidence-Based Medicine among Northern Saudi Primary Care Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The evidence-based practice of primary care physicians is essential because they are the first line of contact with the local community, and they cater to most of their communities' health needs. In the current study, in which we used a cross-sectional survey in northern Saudi Arabia, we assessed primary care physicians' knowledge, attitude, practice, and barriers regarding evidence-based medicine (EBM). Of the 300 physicians who participated, less than half had high knowledge (43.7%) and attitude (47.7%) toward EBM. The chi-square test revealed that the knowledge categories were significantly associated with the age group (p = 0.002) and EBM training received in the past five years (p < 0.001), and the attitude categories were significantly associated with nationality (p = 0.008). Of the respondents, 155 (51.7%) used EBM in their daily clinical practice. Through logistic regression analysis, we found that the identified predictors of including EBM in clinical practice were the 31-45-year-old age group (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.65-2.73) and EBM training received during last 5 years (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.35-2.94). We recommend enhancing primary care physicians' knowledge of EBM and its importance in clinical practice through appropriate training programs. A multi-centric mixed-method survey is warranted in other provinces of the KSA to recognize region-specific training demand.

Personal caution about some cancer-related lifestyle habits in Northern Saudi Arabia.

The present study aimed at assessing community familiarity with cancer-related lifestyle habits in Northern Saudi Arabia. This descriptive cross-sectional study involved a community-based sample of 442 civilians living in Hail, Northern Saudi Arabia. Data were collected during the period between October and November 2020. Data were randomly collected from different public gathering places regardless of age or sex. Higher nescience percentages were associated with physical inactivity followed by obesity and fast food, representing 328/390 (84%), 311/390 (80%), and 263/390 (67%), respectively. Northern Saudi Arabia has a high negative attitude toward cancer risk factors, necessitating the implementation of community-based health education and cancer awareness programs. Level of education and age have no significant role in the level of cancer awareness.

Self reported prevalence of eczema and associated risk factors among under five children in Northern Saudi Arabia: A population based cross sectional study

Self reported prevalence of eczema and associated risk factors among under five children in Northern Saudi Arabia: A population based cross sectional study

Psoriasis in Northern Saudi Arabia: Clinical features and implications for quality of life.

Introduction:Psoriasis is a chronic non-contagious inflammatory skin disorder, which might impair patient’s social relationships, limit leisure activities, and lower self-esteem. Psoriasis patients might be stigmatized leading to psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression.Objectives:This study aimed to outline the clinical features of psoriasis and its effects on quality of life, and the feeling of stigmatization among psoriasis patients.Methods:This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on 109 adult psoriasis patients in Arar City, Saudi Arabia. The study collected data on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of psoriasis patients, self-reported psoriasis severity using the self-assessment Simplified Psoriasis Index (sa-SPI-s), patients’ quality of life using the dermatological life quality index (DLQI), and the feeling of stigmatization using the six-items stigmatization scale.Results:The mean age of psoriasis onset in studied patients was 20 (±7.65) years, females represented 58.72%, and 22% were unemployed. Joint and nail affection were reported in 46.79% and 51.38%, respectively. One third of patients had positive family history of psoriasis. Seasonal variation, life stressors, smoking and skin injuries were frequent provocative factors for psoriasis lesions. The average sa-SPI-s was 10.08 (±10.41), which was correlated with patients’ ages, disease duration, obesity, and pruritis. The average DLQI and six-items stigmatization scale for psoriasis patients were 8.95 (±5.77) and 7.61 (±4.5), respectively that were correlated with sa-SPI-s.Conclusion:The clinical manifestations and chronicity of psoriasis impaired patients’ quality of life and accompanied with social stigma due to skin disfigurement. These effects need to be addressed for better care of patients.

Practice, Knowledge, and Awareness of the Diverse Effects of Diagnostic Radiology among Radiology Staff and Students in Saudi Arabia.

Diagnostic radiology has been linked to several health consequences. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the practice, knowledge, and awareness of the diverse effects of diagnostic radiology among radiology staff and students in Saudi Arabia. In this study, 107 participants were recruited from August to December 2020. The study included 56 radiology personnel (staff from Hail City Hospitals) and 51 radiology medical students (students from the University of Ha'il). To the question, "Have you ever been informed of radiation and its effects?" about 6/107 (5.6 %) answered "No," among which 5/6 (83.3 %) were the staff. In response to the question, "In your opinion, how hazardous is radiation to your body?" about 8/104 (7.7 %) indicated it as nonhazardous (3 were staff and 5 were students). To the question, "Do you believe that radiation in medical sites is harmful?" about 20/104 (19.2 %) answered, "No" (8 were staff and 12 were students). There is a lack of awareness, knowledge, and practice towards ionizing radiation protection measures among radiology medical students and radiology department staff in Northern Saudi Arabia. The paper notifies the health system advisors to include stressing guidelines regarding radiation hazards. More actions are deemed necessary for the safety of patients and radiation workers.

Prevalence of stroke and myocardial infarction among patients with deteriorated GFR.

Serval modifiable risk factors have been linked to stroke and myocardial infarction, including chronic Kendy disease. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of stroke and myocardial infarction among patients with deteriorated GFR (GFR < 60 mL/min). A total of 1185 Saudi participants were enrolled during a cross-sectional survey conducted in Hai'l region, Northern Saudi Arabia. Volunteers were enrolled based on their GFR estimation. Only those with Stage III, Stage IV, or Stage V CKD were included. The overall prevalence of stroke was 2.4%. The risk of stroke associated with deteriorated GFR, the relative risk (RR) and the 95% confidence interval (95% CI), RR (95% CI) = 2.1371 (0.9804-4.6584), p = 0.0561. The prevalence rates of males and females were 3.7% and 1.2%, respectively. The overall prevalence of myocardial infarctions was 3.2% (4.7% in males and 2% in females). Deteriorated GFR <60 mL/min is significantly associated with stroke and myocardial infarction. Stroke and MI are more prevalent among men than women. Stroke and MI are more prevalent in middle-aged adults and older individuals.

Potential Active Constituents from Opophytum forsskalii (Hochst. ex Boiss.) N.E.Br against Experimental Gastric Lesions in Rats.

Opophytum forsskalii (O. forsskalii) is a desert plant that belongs to the Aizoaceae family. Although it is a natural food source for Bedouin tribes in northern Saudi Arabia, there is little information on its active metabolites. Therefore, the secondary metabolites of the hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of this species were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass chromatography (LC-MS). LC-MS identified a total of 30 secondary metabolites. These compounds represented two main categories among sixteen classes. Among them, flavonoids represented the largest proportion with eleven metabolites while fatty acids provided seven compounds. In addition, the extract was evaluated for its gastroprotective effect against gastric lesions induced by different models, such as indomethacin, stress, and necrotizing agents (80% ethanol, 0.2 mol/L NaOH, and 25% NaCl), in rats. For each method, group 1 was used as the control group while groups 2 and 3 received the leaf extract at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. The ulcer index (UI) and intraluminal bleeding score (IBS) were measured for each method. In addition, gastric tissue from the ethanol method was used for the analysis of nonprotein sulfhydrates (NP-SH), malondialdehyde (MDA), total protein (TP), and histopathologic evaluation. Pretreatment with O. forsskalii significantly decreased UI (p < 0.01) and IBS (p < 0.01) at 400 mg/kg. Pretreatment with O. forsskalii significantly improved total protein levels (p < 0.01) and NP-SH (p < 0.001) compared to the ethanol ulcer groups. MDA levels increased from 0.5 to 5.8 nmol/g in the normal groups compared to the ethanol groups and decreased to 2.34 nmol/g in the O. forsskalii pretreatment. In addition to the gastroprotective markers, histopathological examination of gastric tissue confirmed the gastroprotective potential of O. forsskalii extract against ethanol.

An insight into the prevalence rates of obesity and its related risk factors among the Saudi community in the Hai'l Region.

Obesity/overweight is a major preventable cause of morbidity responsible for various health disorders. Thus, the present investigation aimed to estimate the prevalence rates of obesity and its related risk factors among the Saudi community in the Hai'l Region. In this study, 2,438 participants were randomly recruited in the Hai'l region during a cross-sectional survey. Participants were included based on their body mass index (BMI). Only those with BMI >25 weight (kg)/height (m)2 were included. The overall prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 61% and 39%. The prevalence rates of males' overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity were 69%, 19%, and 12%, respectively. The prevalence rates of overweight, obesity and morbid obesity among females were 50%, 28%, and 22%, respectively. Overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity are prevalent in Hai'l region, Northern Saudi Arabia. Overweight/obesity is more prevalent among women, rural inhabitants, less educated people, and adults aged 26-40 years. Hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are significantly obesity-associated risk factors in Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards bio-medical waste management among healthcare workers: a northern Saudi study.

BackgroundHealth care workers (HCWs) involved in day-to-day care and other healthcare activities play a significant role in biomedical waste (BMW) management. The World Health Organization stated some of the causes for the failure of BMW management, namely, lack of awareness of the health hazards related to BMW and inadequate trained HCWs in BMW management. The present study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards BMW management among the HCWs in northern Saudi Arabia.MethodologyThe present study assessed KAP through a self-administered and validated questionnaire. Using a multistage probability sampling method, 384 HCWs from different healthcare facilities participated in this survey. We performed binomial logistic regression analysis to find association between KAP subscales and sociodemographic characteristics. Spearman’s correlation test was performed to find the strength and direction of correlation (rho) between KAP scores.ResultsOf the population studied, high knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were found in 47.1%, 65.1%, and 49.5% of the HCWs, respectively. The present study found that knowledge score was significantly higher among the age group from 30 to 39 years (ref: age less than 30 years: AOR = 2.25, 95% CI [1.05–4.85], p = 0.04) and non- Saudi nationals (ref: Saudi: AOR = 2.84, 95% CI [1.63–4.94], p < 0.001) The attitude score towards BMW management was significantly lower among the HCWs working in tertiary care settings (ref: PHC: AOR = 0.38, 95% CI [0.12–0.69], p = 0.01). Regarding the practice score, the male categories had a significantly higher score (ref: female: AOR = 1.82, 95% CI [1.19 –2.99], p = 0.02), while pharmacist (ref: physicians: AOR = 0.39, 95% CI [0.18–0.58], p = 0.02) and lab technicians (ref: physicians: AOR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.11–0.53], p = 0.02) had a significant lower practice score. The test results revealed a weak positive correlation of knowledge with the attitude scores (rho = 0.249, p = 0.001), and a moderately strong positive correlation was found between attitude and practice scores (rho = 0.432, p = 0.001).ConclusionThis study suggests that a regular training program for the HCWs on BMW management is necessary through symposiums, role play, interactive lectures, and other feasible training methods. Furthermore, a multicentric prospective exploratory study is to be conducted in other regions of the KSA to understand the region-specific training needs of HCWs.

Female Healthcare Workers' Knowledge, Attitude towards Breast Cancer, and Perceived Barriers towards Mammogram Screening: A Multicenter Study in North Saudi Arabia.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries. This analytical cross-sectional study assessed knowledge, attitude towards breast cancer, and barriers to mammogram screening among 414 randomly selected female healthcare workers from multiple healthcare facilities in northern Saudi Arabia. Of the studied population, 48.6% had low knowledge, and 16.1% had a low attitude towards breast cancer risk factors and symptoms. The common barriers to mammogram screening were fear to discover cancer (57.2%) and apprehension regarding radiation exposure (57%). Logistic regression analysis found that lack of awareness regarding mammogram was significantly associated with age (p = 0.030) and healthcare workers category (ref: physicians: p = 0.016). In addition, we found a significant negative correlation between knowledge and barrier scores (Spearman’s rho: −0.315, p < 0.001). It is recommended to develop target-oriented educational programs for the healthcare workers, which would empower them to educate the community regarding the risk factors and the importance of mammogram screening. Furthermore, a prospective study is warranted in other regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to understand the region-specific training needs for the healthcare workers.

Histopathologic metrics of breast tumors in Northern Saudi Arabia

The alarming liability of breast cancer, mainly among younger Saudi women, has been attributed to diverse factors requiring a manageable valuation. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the types of tumors and breast cancer presentation stages in Northern Saudi Arabia. In the present study, retrieved data regarding breast biopsies were received from the Department of Pathology at King Salman Hospital, Hail, Northern Saudi Arabia. Included data referring to breast cancer biopsies patients (including 131 females and two males) diagnosed during the period from November 2019 to November 2020. Out of the 133 patients, breast cancer was diagnosed in 49/133(36.8%) patients included 45/49(91.8%) invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), 2/49(4.1%) invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), and 2/49(4.1%) papillary carcinoma. The remaining 84 benign breast lesions included 40/84(47.6%) fibroadenoma, 11/84(13%) ductal hyperplasia, 9/84(10.7%) fibrocystic disease, 8/84(9.5%) adenosis, 4/84(4.8%) chronic mastitis, 3/84(3.6%) breast abscess & intraductal papilloma, 2/84(2.4%) duct ectasia & phylloides tumor, and 1/84(1.2%) lactating adenoma & lipoma. Breast cancer is highly prevalent in Northern Saudi Arabia with predominantly invasive ductal carcinoma. There is an increase in the incidence of younger patients with advanced stages of initial presentation. Fibroadenoma is the commonest benign breast lesion, followed by fibrocystic diseases in Northern Saudi Arabia.

Assessment of knowledge and perception towards vitiligo in Northern Saudi Arabia

Assessment of knowledge and perception towards vitiligo in Northern Saudi Arabia

Expression of ER, PR, HER2, and Cadherin tumor markers in a series of Saudi patients with BC.

Breast cancer (BC) tumor markers have an important implication in the subsequent BC management and survival determinants. Thus, the present study aimed to formulate the expression of ER, PR, HER2, and E-cadherin tumor markers in a series of Saudi patients with BC. About 133 BC biopsies were retrieved from the Department of Pathology at King Salman Hospital, Hai'l, Northern Saudi Arabia, from November 2019 to November 2020. Out of the 133 biopsies, 50 (37.6%) were diagnosed with BC, including 46 ductal carcinoma, 2 lobular carcinomas, and 2 papillary carcinomas. ER was expressed in 30/44 (68.2%), 2/2 (100%), 2/2 (100%) of the cases of DC, LC, and PC, respectively. PR was expressed in 27/43 (63%), 2/2 (100%), 2/2 (100%) of the cases of DC, LC, and PC, correspondingly. HER2 was expressed in 13/31 (42%), 0%, and 0% of DC, LC, and PC cases, respectively. Correspondingly, E-cadherin was expressed in 11/21 (52.4%), 0%, 1/1 (100%) of the cases of DC, LC, and PC. Triple-negative BC and HER2+ve among Saudi women are among the higher globally reported ranges, associated with poorer response to treatment and prognosis. Luckily, only one patient was found with ER-ve PR+ve, the subtype usually associated with poorer survival outcomes. E-cadherin loss is lower among Saudi BC patients, which suggests a less rate of invasion in these patients. The current study's findings may help improve Saudi guidelines for the treatment of breast cancer.

Geological and geochemical evaluation of phosphorite deposits in northwestern Saudi Arabia as a possible source of trace and rare-earth elements

The Sirhan-Turayf region in northwestern Saudi Arabia hosts one of the largest Paleogene phosphate-bearing deposits in the Middle East and forms part of the world’s largest accumulation of Neo-Tethys Oceanic phosphorite. The Hazm Al-Jalamid and Umm Wu’al areas in the north and northeastern parts of the Sirhan-Turayf region are the largest and most famous phosphorite deposits in Saudi Arabia. The studied phosphorite localities are essentially carbonaceous phosphorites with similar major constituents (P2O5 and CaO), but different trace element and REE compositions. Umm Wu’al phosphorites are highly enriched in trace and ∑REEs contents compared with Hazm Al-Jalamid phosphorites. In Hazm Al-Jalamid phosphorites, P2O5 as well as most trace elements and REE contents progressively increased from the coarse- to fine-size fractions (<1 mm). The negative correlation between the terrestrial components (SiO2 + Al2O3 + TiO2) and the authigenic components (P2O5 + CaO + Na2O), as well as the very low Th contents of the studied phosphorites indicate pristine formation from seawater rather than derivation from detrital input. The low to moderate ∑REEs contents and their distribution patterns, substantial negative Ce-anomaly, and characteristic redox indices of the studied phosphorites all are indicative of formation from oxygenated seawater under fairly oxic marine conditions during early diagenesis. Compositional characteristics of the studied phosphorites, in terms of trace and REE, are similar to those of the Eastern Mediterranean phosphorites, but clearly different from those of the North African phosphorites. The low to intermediate ∑REEs contents and other redox proxies in the studied phosphorites, along with the Eastern Mediterranean phosphorites, compared to those in the North African phosphorites, are attributed to the relatively shallow water depth of eastern paleo-Tethys and global warming and greater water depth in the western side of paleo-Tethys in the North African countriesduring the Paleocene – Eocene time. Based on the ∑REEs contents and considering the outlook coefficient (Koutl) of REE composition, and the percentage of critical elements in ∑REE (REEdef), an attempt has been made to evaluate the economic potentialof the studied phosphorites as a source for U and REE. Despite of the low to intermediate REE contents and considering the huge phosphorite resources, as well as the big Wa’ad Al-Shamal Phosphorite Project in northern Saudi Arabia, studied phosphorites can be considered as promising to highly promising REE ores representing a valuable and profitable alternative source for critical REE.

Impact of sedimentary fabrics on small-scale permeability variations within fine-grained sediments: Early Silurian Qusaiba Member, Northern Saudi Arabia

The main aim of this study is to constrain the range of reservoir properties observed in various depositional environments of the fine-grained sandstones of the early Silurian middle Qusaiba Member, Qalibah Formation, northwestern Saudi Arabia. Facies analysis, micro-X-ray fluorescence (μXRF), lamina-scale permeability measurements, automated helium porosity-permeability measurement, and pore system visualization were integrated to observe variations in these various environments. Seven main facies were recognized and interpreted to be deposited in an offshore “turbiditic-influenced” to lower shoreface paleoenvironments. These facies include current rippled siltstone (F1); Contorted silty sandstone (F2); current rippled fine-grained sandstone (F3); planar-laminated fine-grained sandstone (F4); Bioturbated to current-rippled argillaceous siltstone to silty sandstone (F5); Current rippled silty sandstone (F6); bioturbated sandstone (F7) facies. These facies were clustered into several fabric classes; 1) contorted fabrics associated with load casts flame structure that is characteristic of F2: These typically revealed slightly higher porosity and permeability values than the surrounding media with a spherical and relatively low anisotropy. 2) Planar-laminated fabrics in F4 that overlain by cryptic bioturbation: It comprises of clay mineral-rich laminae with higher porosity and permeability and the quartz-rich laminae with lower porosity and permeability probably due to abundant calcite cement associated with detrital quartz. Higher anisotropy, associated with this fabric, was observed. Cryptic bitourbated interval showed relatively low permeability. 3) In F7, three types of rock fabrics were observed, (1) Vertical sand-filled Piscichnus trace fossil: The burrow fill shows significantly higher porosity and permeability values than the laminated matrix; this fabric reveals an elliptical and highly anisotropic variance map. (2) Horizontal sand-filled Thalassinoides burrow (with iron oxide cement).: The internal core of this fabric was highly porous and permeable compared to the laminated fabric. Thalassinoides fabric had the most elliptical and highest anisotropic variance map in F7. (3) Entirely laminated fabric with bed-parallel gypsum veins: The permeability of the veins was slightly higher than that of the matrix, this resulted in a less anisotropic variance map. μCT scanning was used for F5 and F6; In the F5 facies, more significant porosity associated with quartz-rich lamina than iron oxide (e.g., siderite) and gypsum-rich lamina were observed probably due to higher chlorite alignment in the iron oxide-rich lamina. We found lower porosity and permeability within the vertical mud-filled burrows (Piscichnus) than the laminated fabric; this was also observed in the 3D pore system imaged by μCT scanning. These findings could have significant implications for different fabric types in fluid flow conduits in argillaceous sandstone and siltstone systems.

Prevalence of Nocturnal Enuresis Among Children and Its Association With the Mental Health of Mothers in Northern Saudi Arabia.

BackgroundNocturnal enuresis (NE) is troubling for children and their families. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of NE, its associated health problems, and the outcome of the provided management among children aged 6-18 years and to assess the impact of NE on the mental health of mothers in Northern Saudi Arabia.MethodologyA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia, among children aged 6-18 years old. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including a Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Means ± standard deviations (SDs) were used to represent quantitative data, and frequencies and percentages were used to represent qualitative data. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the association of NE with perceived stress.ResultsA total of 420 participants were included in this study. Nocturnal enuresis was reported in 24% of the respondents’ children. Around 51% of the mothers know about the causes of NE. Nocturnal enuresis caused embarrassment and social shame to 71% of the mothers. Two-thirds (66%) of the mothers wake up the child at night for urination. Three-quarters (76%) of the participants reported improvement on decreasing fluid intake before sleeping. Of the mothers, 19% perceived low stress, 78% perceived medium stress, and 3% perceived high stress. NE was associated with a higher risk of stress (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-4.37).ConclusionAbout a quarter of the children suffer from NE, of which a large proportion of mothers face embarrassment and shame. There was a significant association between NE and a higher level of stress. Mothers of children with NE should be provided with counseling and social support to ensure good mental health.

Synthesis and characterisation of some new non-conventional materials as low-cost adsorbents for removal of nitrates from groundwater in Al-Qurayyat city northern Saudi Arabia

Groundwater in Saudi Arabia contains high concentrations of nitrates. Nitrates are respected as the main groundwater pollutant causing dangerous health and environmental influences. The removal of nitrate from groundwater in Al-Qurayyat, Saudi Arabia, was investigated in this work using palm wastes. Palm fibers (PFI) and palm fronds (PFR) were initially employed as feedstock for the manufacturing of adsorbents, which were activated by heating to 300 °C. The activation of PFI and PFR resulted in an increase in surface area. Batch tests were used to determine the best environment for nitrate adsorption on PFI and PFR. The best factors for nitrate removal were as follows: the contact time was 20 min, the initial concentration of NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;–&lt;/sup&gt; was 20 mg/L, the dose was 2 g/L and the pH was 6. The adsorption capacity of the PFI and PFR was 72% to 77%. In terms of nitrate removal effectiveness under local optimal circumstances, comparisons with commercial activated carbon (CAC) and anion exchange resin (Purolite A 520E) revealed that PFI and PFR are inferior to CAC and Purolite A 520E. However, the PFI and PFR were able to remove nitrate economically even under the most basic operating parameters.

Technical and Economic Evaluation for Off-Grid Hybrid Renewable Energy System Using Novel Bonobo Optimizer

In this study, a novel bonobo optimizer (BO) technique is applied to find the optimal design for an off-grid hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) that contains a diesel generator, photovoltaics (PV), a wind turbine (WT), and batteries as a storage system. The proposed HRES aims to electrify a remote region in northern Saudi Arabia based on annualized system cost (ASC) minimization and power system reliability enhancement. To differentiate and evaluate the performance, the BO was compared to four recent metaheuristic algorithms, called big-bang–big-crunch (BBBC), crow search (CS), the genetic algorithm (GA), and the butterfly optimization algorithm (BOA), to find the optimal design for the proposed off-grid HRES in terms of optimal and worst solutions captured, mean, convergence rate, and standard deviation. The obtained results reveal the efficacy of BO compared to the other four metaheuristic algorithms where it achieved the optimal solution of the proposed off-grid HRES with the lowest ASC (USD 149,977.2), quick convergence time, and fewer oscillations, followed by BOA (USD 150,236.4). Both the BBBC and GA algorithms failed to capture the global solution and had high convergence time. In addition, they had high standard deviation, which revealed that their solutions were more dispersed with obvious oscillations. These simulation results proved the supremacy of BO in comparison to the other four metaheuristic algorithms.

Acne Vulgaris among Adolescent Females in Arar City, Northern Saudi Arabia

We aimed to assess the prevalence of Acne Vulgaris, factors aggravating the appearance of acne vulgaris and its psychological impact on adolescent females in Arar city, Saudi Arabia. From May 1 to October 30, 2020, community-based cross-sectional research was steered in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia. Adolescent females from a secondary school that was chosen at random made up the study population. The SPSS program was used to assemble and analyze the data, and the findings were examined using freq

Adverse Drug Reactions Awareness Among Sample of People in Northern Region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Drug reactions are a fundamental issue in many branches of medicine. Adverse drug reactions result in high mortality and morbidity globally. There is always the risk of unwanted side effects associated with the use of any substance that has a therapeutic effect. The safe use of drugs remains a critical issue for all health care professionals. Objective: The current study investigates the level of drug reaction awareness among the public in northern Saudi Arabia. Materials/methods: This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Data were collected using Google Forms, which were coded and processed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 23. Results: Altogether 475 people participated in this study including 382 women [80.4%] and 93 men [19.6%]. Of the 475 participants, 83.6% were aware of drug reactions, 40.4% believed drug reactions are hereditary, 50.9% had received a previous skin allergy test, and 21.3% had received a previous blood test for an allergy. Conclusion: The public in northern Saudi Arabia are aware of drug reactions. We found that only half of the participants in our study had received a skin allergy test. It is the responsibility of physicians to provide the community with a valuable database of information on the adverse effects of drugs. We recommend that health care institutions carry out more studies with a larger sample to improve the understanding and awareness of drug reactions.