Saudi People Research Articles

Knowledge and Attitudes of Saudi People Regarding Leukemia: A Cross-sectional Study Conducted in the Northern Border Region

ABSTRACT Aim: Leukemia is considered an important public health problem in Saudi Arabia for its impact on causing deaths among young people. Thus, the study’s objectives are to ascertain Saudi citizens’ degree of leukemia awareness and understanding as well as their attitudes on leukemia screening. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2 months in the Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia on a random sample comprised of 373 Saudi people, using electronic questionnaire in Arabic language specially designed for the research purpose. The data obtained were analyzed in terms of the study using descriptive statistics by SPSS program. Results: The mean score for having good understanding about leukemia, according to the survey, was 51%. The average person’s understanding of leukemia and its symptoms was 48%, while the average person’s knowledge of the disease’s risk factors was 47%. Furthermore, the mean score for positive attitudes about leukemia screening was 70%, and the mean score for having adequate information about leukemia diagnosis and treatment was 57%. Conclusion: Saudi residents in the northern border region have a moderate level of understanding about leukemia. The findings demonstrated a lack of knowledge of leukemia risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment methods. However, they have a positive attitude toward leukemia screening.

Saudi People’s Knowledge and Attitudes about Herbals’ Side Effects and their Interactions with Medications

Introduction: The safety of herbal medicines is of particular importance because the majority of these products is self-prescribed and is used to treat minor and often chronic conditions. If not used with caution, some herbals may cause side effects and interactions with drugs.
 Objective: To determine awareness, attitudes of Saudi people about side effects of herbs and herbal products, their interaction with medicines and to determine the common source of information about herbals. 
 Methodology: A cross-sectional study in the period from January to November 2023. on a random sample comprised of 530 Saudi persons living in different regions of Saudi Arabia using questionnaire in Arabic language. All data were analysed by descriptive statistics.
 Results: Among the study participants, there were 147 (28%) have medium interest in herbals and 36 (7%) have large interest, 150 (28%) believes that herbals have no side effects, 121 (23%) believes that herbals can be taken instead of medications, 82 (16%) believes that herbals have the same efficacy as medications, 103 (19%) take herbals with medications, 172 (32%) think that taking herbals with prescription medications may give better effect than taking each one separately, 78 (15%) don't know that taking medication with herbals can cause side effects, 87 (16%) don't know that herbals can interact with medications, only 73 (14%) reported that they told the doctor or pharmacist about taking herbals with medications. Laxative/constipation and carminative effect (19%), relieving pain (14%), cough and cold (13%), menstrual disturbances (8%) were the most conditions to be treated by herbal remedies among study participants. Only 12 (2%) had adverse effects from taking herbals. Anise (39%), Peppermint (37%), Ginger (21%), cinnamon (20%), cumin (19%), are among the commonly used herbs reported by participants. The source of information about herbals reported among participants were family and relatives (62%), media (12%).
 Conclusion: Although herbals are widely used, knowledge of their potential adverse effects and interactions with drugs is limited. There’s a need to increase public awareness of the community about risks of medical herbs.

Enhancing Awareness of Diclofenac as an Over-the-Counter Analgesic in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Diclofenac was identified by the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee of the European Medicines Agency as a high-risk NSAID in terms of its effects on the heart and circulation when administered systemically, i.e. capsules, tablets or injections.
 Objective: To evaluate the knowledge and awareness about over the counter analgesic medication (Diclofenac) among people living in northern border region – Saudi Arabia.
 Methodology: Self-administered cross-sectional study conducted during a period of two months (October and November 2023) on random sample of 430 Saudi people living in the Northern Border Region. The data was analyzed by Microsoft excel program by means of Descriptive statistics.
 Results: Toothache and headache were the most worried pain among participants (32%) and (31%) respectively, majority (72%) of participants buy OTC medication for pain from community pharmacy on the advice of pharmacist. Small percentage (20%) thought that medications containing diclofenac have very few side effects, 76% didn’t know any side effect of diclofenac, 47% didn’t know that diclofenac in high dose has adverse effects on kidney, 71% didn’t know that diclofenac cause gastrointestinal adverse effects. About one fifth of participants (21%) didn’t know the maximum dose of diclofenac when they use it, tablet is the preferred dosage form of diclofenac (27%) followed by granules (16%), dosage of 100 mg is the most frequently used (36%) followed by 50 mg (16%). 
 Conclusion: Saudi people’s knowledge about diclofenac as one member of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was insufficient. Knowledge about related adverse effects of diclofenac was lacked which exposes to misusage that may carry accidents and severe side effects especially among high-risk population.

Beliefs About the Use of Herbs Before and After COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia.

The COVID-19 pandemic was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization on March 12, 2020. Natural products and herbal medicine have been used since ancient times to relieve and treat disorders and infections, as well as increase immunity. Despite the beneficial effects of herbal medications, there are many side effects or interactions with other medications or foods that might occur. This study aims to explore the beliefs of Saudi people towards the use of herbal medicine for COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia between January 2021 and January 2023. This survey was generated based on a deep review of the literature on COVID-19 as well as the use of medicine and herbal medicine to treat this infection. SPSS software was used to analyze the data, with a significance level of p < 0.05. A total of 1,230 individuals participated in this study. More than half (67.6%, n = 831) were females. Around 32.4% (n = 399) of the participants were aged 20-40 years. The majority were married (77.2%, n = 947), Saudi (96.5%, n = 1186), and living in central provinces (62.5%, n = 768) of the Kingdom. More than half of them (70.0%, n = 861) were bachelor's degree holders; 42.3% and 2.4% (n = 29) reported that they had been or were currently infected with COVID-19. Around 33.0% (n = 405) of the participants reported that they had used herbal products or nutritional supplements during the pandemic period to protect themselves from the disease. Our study showed that Saudi Arabia's public takes dietary supplements or herbal products to fight against the illness. We recommend that the Ministry of Health conduct more educational efforts to raise public awareness about disease transmission pathways and preventive actions. Furthermore, to guarantee patient safety, the use of herbal products should be supported by a professional counselor.

The Relationship Between Knee Osteoarthritis-Related Pain Severity and Daily Activities Involving the Upper and Lower Limbs in Saudi Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Earlier research has shown an association between pain intensity and everyday activities in adults. However, it is vital to examine the relationship within the context of Saudi people who have knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the connection between pain intensity and daily activities involving the lower and upper limbs among patients with knee osteoarthritis in Saudi Arabia. Methods This study enrolled 209 individuals aged 55 years and above who were diagnosed with radiographic knee osteoarthritis by physicians from five hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between March 2016 and March 2017. Participants were divided into two groups based on their pain intensity, measured using the visual analog scale. The first group included 141 individuals with mild or moderate pain, while the second group comprised 68 individuals with severe pain. The study assessed the physical functioning of these individuals by evaluating their ability to perform daily activities involving the lower and upper limbs, using the Physical Functioning Subscale of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, which includes 10 items. Results Adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals experiencing severe pain related to knee osteoarthritis were more likely to encounter difficulties in climbing several flights of stairs (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.29), and one flight of stairs (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06-1.34), with challenges in bending, kneeling, or stooping (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05-1.23), walking more than one mile (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.06-1.25), walking several blocks (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.08-1.27), and walking one block (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06-1.34) than those with mild or moderate pain. Conclusion Our study results highlight the significant impact of severe pain on activities like climbing stairs, bending, kneeling, stooping, and walking longer distances among people with knee osteoarthritis in Saudi Arabia.

Thyroid Cancer Knowledge and Awareness in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Thyroid cancer incidence has been increasing worldwide over the last few decades. It is the most common endocrine cancer and is most common among females. The study contributes to filling the knowledge gap among Saudi people regarding thyroid cancer. Objectives This research aims to investigate the level of thyroid cancer knowledge and awareness in Saudi Arabia, identify potential knowledge gaps, and develop targeted strategies for enhancing public awareness and education. Methods A cross-sectional, voluntary online survey was conducted from 1st August 2023 to 1st October 2023 among residents living in Saudi Arabia over 18 years of age. The participants included were 2030 respondents. Data analysis was performed using RStudio (R version 4.3.0; R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). Results Among the participants, the majority were female (60.4%). A total of 49.7% of the individuals reported having a moderate to high level of knowledge about thyroid cancer. While 63.9% knew the association of a lump in the neck to thyroid cancer, 82.6% affirmed to consult a doctor upon discovering a lump, 72.1% knew that regular monitoring of neck lumps is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment of precancerous conditions, 38.7% were aware of females being prone to thyroid cancer, and 59.2% were aware of the link between lifestyle and increased risk. Higher awareness scores were positively associated with female gender, previously having thyroid function tests done, and previously undergoing a US scan of the thyroid. Conclusion In this study, Saudi individuals are reported to lack some aspects of knowledge and perception of thyroid cancer. This study emphasizes filling the existing knowledge gap in thyroid cancer awareness in the Saudi population.

Stereotyping and biased language in online environments: Misconceptions, decontextualization, and identity projections

Stereotypes are overgeneralized assumptions about different groups of people based on their nationality, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, or other social categories. This study examines the role of context in stereotypes found on online media. In particular, the study focuses on stereotypes of the Lebanese and Saudi people by examining the reactions of YouTube users to 30 YouTube videos. Ten of these videos present Lebanese and Saudi individuals positively, 10 neutrally, and 10 negatively. The data was collected from YouTube users’ comments on these 30 videos and analyzed mainly by identifying common themes and patterns. The findings showed that stereotypes were virtually absent in the YouTube users’ comments on the positive and neutral videos. However, they were prevalent on the negative videos. Most of the stereotypes found in the data were factually inaccurate, reductionistic, or decontextualized in nature. Only a few seemed to be based on real-life experiences or actual encounters with Lebanese or Saudi people. Overall, the findings suggest that, although some may be based on real-life experiences, stereotypes are often emotionally triggered and represent an overreaction to context-specific narratives, events, or actions. The findings will be discussed in terms of identity dynamics in the Arab World.

Knowledge about stem cell sources and obstacles in donation of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells: a cross-sectional survey from Ha’il city to track the prospects of regenerative medicine in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundPromoting stem cell donation behaviors could be crucial in advancing stem cell-based treatment, research and improving public health in Saudi Arabia. Donation of stem cells can be considered an act of social welfare just like blood donation because stem-cell-based therapies are emerging as a hope for those suffering from chronic health conditions and/or terminal illnesses.AimThis study aims at assessing levels of awareness about sources of stem-cells, donor organizations and predictors of stem cell donation behavior in target population.MethodsThe study employed a cross-sectional online survey method. The study sample comprises 1325 educated Saudi people living in Ha’il city. The survey questionnaire collected data about respondents’ demographic background, awareness about various sources of stem cells and stem-cell donor registries, willingness to donate stem cells, registration status and obstacles in stem cell donation registration. Percentages, Chi-square analysis and Odd Ratios were computed to analyze the data.ResultsIn this sample, (n = 696; 52%) were males and (n = 629; 48%) were females. Although (n = 1308; 98%) percent of respondents reported willingness to donate stem cell, less than one percent (n = 6; 0.5) were registered with Saudi Stem Cell Registry. Over 50% of respondents hold inaccurate perceptions about sources of stem cell. Odd Ratio (OR) values from binary logistic regression model identified four factors as significant predictors of non-registration status. These included (i) unaware about donor agencies and procedures (OR = 10.07; p < 0.05), (ii) unaware about possibility to donate stem cells (OR = 8.08; p < 0.05) (iii) concerns about impact on health (OR = 10.01; p < 0.05) and (iv) have health issues that does not permit donation (OR = 10.50; p < 0.05).ConclusionStem cell registrations can be enhanced through appropriate health education programs that focus on increasing awareness about donation procedures, trustworthy donor organizations and reducing people apprehensions related to donation.

COVID-19 Vaccination Knowledge and Attitude Among the General Population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Background The population's hesitancy to get the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination may pose a risk to public health worldwide. However, the causes and contributors to vaccine hesitancy in the Saudi people need to be understood. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination among the general population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online structured questionnaire titled "Knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination." The questionnaire collected demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination among the general population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was distributed through links on various sites, including Twitter and WhatsApp. Results A total of 544 participants were included in the present study. Overall, 64.9% were males, and 35.1% were females. Most of the population had received three doses (83.6%) of the COVID-19 vaccine. About half of the participants had a university education (56.8%), 17.5% of respondents were postgraduates, and 14.2% had secondary education. Overall, 41.4% of the population had a low knowledge level, and 58.5% had a low attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the population's knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, the education level substantially affected the knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination had a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with the attitude toward the vaccine. Conclusions Despite the high prevalence of the population who received the three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Jeddah city, the study showed insufficient knowledge and attitude among the population toward COVID-19 vaccination. However, fortunately, education plays an essential role in improving the knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination.

Evaluation of the impact of health policies on the provision of health

The Government of Saudi Arabia has made expanding access to quality medical care a top priority in all three phases (primary, secondary, and tertiary) through health policies, starting with primary care. As a direct result of this, there has been a significant rise in the general level of health among Saudi citizens over the past few decades. However, several issues present challenges to the healthcare system. These include a shortage of Saudi health professionals, the multiple roles played by the Ministry of Health, limited financial resources, changing disease patterns, high demand due to free services, the absence of a national policy for crisis management, poor access to some health services, and the need for a national health information system and the condition to utilize the potential offered by e-health strategies. The study found that primary, secondary, and tertiary health care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has progressed significantly in recent years thanks to the continuous focus and funding from the government. Thus, the health of the Saudi people has improved dramatically. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has implemented several service improvements, focusing on Primary Health Care (PHC).

Saudis Perceived Severity of Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Preventive Measures

While the world is struggling with a Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, one country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been tackling a different strain of the Coronavirus, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), since 2012. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been working to ensure the safety and health of Saudi residents, particularly during the annual pilgrimage season. This study examined information-seeking behaviours among Saudi people regarding MERS-CoV and the level of adherence to health preventive measures during the Hajj season. The study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) to assess perceived severity among Saudis. The study aimed to measure Saudi’s levels of fear from being infected with MERS-CoV. Snowball sampling and simple random probability sampling methods were utilized. A total of 1,206 participated in the study. Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Chi-Square test of independence, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient tests were conducted. The study found that the MOH needed to be more effective in sharing MERS-CoV information and that most Saudis had high perceived severity of MERS-CoV but did not fear contracting MERS-CoV, nor did it impact decisions to attend Hajj. Further results found that respondents with high perceived severity of contracting MERS-CoV were less likely to seek Coronavirus information than those with lower scores.

The Usage of Digital Health Mobile-Based Applications among Saudi Population.

This study aimed at assessing the extent to which the general Saudi population has embraced digital health medical applications to meet their health-related needs so that the Saudi Ministry of Health and government can appropriately be guided on scaling up digital health across the country. As such, this study was guided by the question of to what extent the Saudi people use digital health mobile-based applications. This was a cross-sectional study utilizing snowballing sampling approach. Frequencies, Chi-square, and Spearman rank correlation statistics were used to offer descriptive and inferential analysis of the variables. The majority of the participants were economically able to afford smart devices that have medical apps, had at least an app on such devices, and highly regarded the benefits of the apps. Unfortunately, their understanding of how to use such apps was limited, and this posed a barrier to embracing digital health alongside difficulty downloading apps and medical ethical concerns. Although there is a willingness, extra effort is needed from the Saudi Ministry of Health and the government to promote the uptake of digital health in Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions toward COVID-19 Vaccinations in Saudi Population

AIM: The objective is to explore the general perception, knowledge, and attitude of people in Saudi Arabia toward the COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: An observational and cross-sectional study was conducted with 332 Saudi adult population attending primary health centers in King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between May and July2021 using a self-administered questionnaire. All adults, equal, or older than 18 years old of both genders during the period of the study were included and the only exclusion criteria are the age and patient with psychiatric disorder. We use convenience-sampling technique, due to the difficulty to generate sampling frame. Data are going to be entered and analyzed using Statistics Package for the Social Science version 21 software in August 2021. RESULTS: Majority of participants (93.4%) had good knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines, regarding attitude more than 50% have positive attitude toward vaccination. Despite this high level on acceptance 48.5% of the participant in this study disclosed that they are not aware of vaccine side effects. With regard to perception, 66.9% of our study subjects believed that vaccination is necessary to eradicate COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, 72.4% thought that everyone should be vaccinated, starting with general public 74.5%, then health worker 57.9%. CONCLUSION: Almost most of Saudi population aware about the COVID-19 vaccines. Most Saudi people knew about it through media. A long-term side effect of getting vaccines is the main obstacles toward vaccine acceptance.

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Saudi Consumer Behavior

The Covid-19 represents a global disease that made up a great upheaval, and unstable environment and created a number of challenges to consumers around the world. The spread of this virus makes a remarkable change in consumer behavior in the form of new buying patterns such as online shopping, storing non-perishable food, bulk buying, avoidance crowd, and seeking to low contact commerce. Consumers facing this serious threat shifted their consumption patterns and generated various responses all over the world. In Saudi Arabia as in the entire world, the pandemic situation has led to significant and tangible changes about consumer behavior, however, there are no previous studies investigating the impact of the new coronavirus on Saudi consumer behaviour, and scarce are the researches examining this topic in other countries. Hence, in order to fill this academic gap and in order to better understand the impact of this pandemic situation on consumption, this study aims to describe how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced Saudi consumer behavior and to investigate the consumption patterns of Saudi people during the Covid-19. To discuss the emergent trends of consumer buying decisions due to the pandemic, an online survey was conducted with 385 Saudi consumers. The findings revealed that the mental health and the well-being of Saudi consumers were negatively influenced by the pandemic which affected clearly their consumption behavior, and consumers showed a high level of panic buying and health-conscious consumption.

Bariatric Surgery as Treatment Strategy of Obesity in Saudi People: Effects of Gut Microbiota

Obesity prevalence is rising globally, as are the number of chronic disorders connected with obesity, such as diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Bariatric surgery is also becoming more common, and it remains the most effective and long-term treatment for obesity. This study will assess the influence of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) on gut microbiota in people with obesity before and after surgery. The findings shed new light on the changes in gut microbiota in Saudi people with obesity following LSG. In conclusion, LSG may improve the metabolic profile, resulting in decreased fat mass and increased lean mass, as well as improving the microbial composition balance in the gastrointestinal tract, but this is still not equivalent to normal weight microbiology. A range of factors, including patient characteristics, geographic dispersion, type of operation, technique, and nutritional and caloric restriction, could explain differences in abundance between studies. This information could point to a novel and, most likely, tailored strategy in obesity therapy, which could eventually be incorporated into health evaluations and monitoring in preventive health care or clinical medicine.

A Framework for Cybersecurity Awareness in Saudi Arabia

The rapid advancement in technology has improved people's lives, but it has also increased the risks that come with using the Internet, including cybercrimes. Lately, Saudi Arabia, a booming economy, has become one of the prime targets of cyberattacks. The massive amount of cyberattacks targeting Saudi Arabia can be attributed to the lack of cybersecurity awareness among Saudi people. The objective of this study is to propose methods on the national level to increase the awareness of cybersecurity among Saudi people. We conducted a cybersecurity assessment survey to assess the cybersecurity awareness among Saudi people. The survey result indicated negligent behavior and lack of awareness. To address this issue, we proposed a cybersecurity awareness framework which targets all strata of Saudi Arabia demography. The proposed framework not only emphasized training programs in schools, universities and organizations but also addresses the awareness issue in people from informal backgrounds. The framework also includes the importance of incident response and its role in reducing incidents.

Measuring Knowledge and Awareness of the Psychobiotics Role in Mental Health Among Some Groups of Society of Saudi People

Measuring Knowledge and Awareness of the Psychobiotics Role in Mental Health Among Some Groups of Society of Saudi People

Editorial

Umm Al-Qura University has experienced growth and distinction throughout its history. Improving the future of the Saudi people through participating in national and international academic and scientific activities is one of the important goals. In order to build a professional environment for faculty and students to serve the community, Umm Al-Qura University has been making progress in that direction by bolstering infrastructure and sowing the seeds of academic and research activities. The transmission of scientific knowledge is the goal of scientific publications. In addition, scientific publications serve as a repository, promote inquiry, and offer a permanent record of facts. Umm Al-Qura University publishes and disseminates the Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Medical Sciences (JUQUMS), published twice yearly since 2020. While published articles are made available in an online Open Access format, articles are subject to a rigorous peer-review. Original articles, review articles, short communications, and case reports are all publication formats for contributions describing original research that shows relevance to the medical sciences. The editors, authors, and readers work together to improve the quality of the journal content and presentation to top international standards in scientific publishing. The journal is recognized by international authors and reviewers and is currently under indexing in Scopus, Google Scholar, and DOAJ databases.

Formulation, biopharmaceutical evaluation and in-vitro screening of polyherbal phytosomes for breast cancer therapy

Saudi Arabia has a rich culture of folk medicines and three such common herbs used by Saudi people for therapy of breast cancer are Turmeric (Kurkum) Curcuma longa, Chamomile (Babunaj) Matricaria chamomilla, and Aswaghantha (Aswaghadh) Withania somnifera. Hence, the present study aims to develop a polyherbal phytosome formulation by thin film hydration technique with a synergistic anti-cancer effect for the treatment of breast cancer. The phytosomes were standardized for their phytoconstituents by HPTLC and showed the best optimal properties with a mean vesicle diameter of less than 200 nm, zeta potential in the range of −24.43 to −35.70 mV, and relatively integrated structure with fairly uniform size on TEM. The in vitro MTT assay on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines and MDA MB 231 breast adenocarcinoma cell lines was carried out. MTT assay on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines indicated that plant extract-loaded phytosomes exhibited enhanced cytotoxic effects at IC50 values. of 55, 50, 45, 52, 42, 44, and 20 µg/mL compared to the extracts of C. longa, M. chamomilla, W. somnifera, and their combined extracts (80, 82, 74, 60, 70, 60, and 35 µg/mL respectively). Moreover, intracellular reactive oxygen species production was found to be higher for phytosomes treated cells at respective IC50 concentrations when compared to extracts. Overall, the developed polyherbal phytosomes were found to be effective and afford synergistic effects for breast cancer therapy.

Predictors of Mortality in Home Health Care Service: Data from Saudi Arabia.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to 1) report the prevalence of chronic conditions among Saudi people receiving long-term home health care (HHC) services, 2) identify the predictors of mortality among individuals receiving long-term HHC services, and 3) study the association between frailty and poor health outcomes among HHC users.DesignRetrospective cross-sectional descriptive study.Setting and ParticipantsA total of 555 participants were recruited from HHC services at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We collected the data from electronic health records (EHR), patient charts, and caregiver interviews for 555 participants included in HHC program from the year 2019 to 2022.MethodsOnly individuals fulfilling the HHC program’s eligibility criteria were included to the study. A total of 555 participants were included in the analysis. We assessed the functional performance by the Katz activity of daily living and Bristol Activity of Daily Living Scale (BADLS). A trained health care provider assessed frailty using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). We calculated the means and frequency to describe the prevalence of chronic conditions and variables of interest. A Chi-square test or independent-samples t-test was run to determine if there were differences between the alive and deceased individuals. A binary logistic regression model was performed to predict mortality of HHC service recipients.ResultsThe mean age for deceased individuals in HHC was 78.3 years. Over twenty percent of individuals receiving HHC services were readmitted to the hospital. We found that the strongest predictors for mortality were pressure ulcers with an odds ratio of 3.75 and p-value of <0.0001, and the Clinical Frailty Scale, which had an odds ratio of 1.69 and p-value of 0.002, using multivariate regression analysis.Conclusions and ImplicationsIn conclusion, our study found that pressure ulcers and frailty are the strongest predictors of mortality for individuals receiving home health care services.