Saudi People Research Articles

Awareness and Knowledge Towards Pediatric and Adult COVID-19 Vaccination: A Cross Sectional Community-based Study in Saudi Arabia.

Background:As the covid-19 vaccination programs scaling up globally, there remains a growing concern about the community level awareness towards it. We aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness among general population towards covid-19 in adult and pediatric population.Objective:The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and awareness among adult Saudi people toward covid-19 vaccine for adults and children.Methods:We conducted a cross sectional, community-based study among a representative sample (N=1373) of adult population in Saudi Arabia during October 2021. A structured, closed ended and pre-tested questionnaire was used online to collect the quantitative data through non-random sampling.Results:A great majority (91%) considered the seriousness of covid-19. About 80% perceived the available vaccines to be highly protective against the COVID-19 infection and complications. While about 69.7% agreed that pediatric vaccination will reduce the spread of covid-19, about 77.3% agreed on encouraging the parents to vaccinate their children. Only 43% were aware that vaccination is safe for breast feeding women and about 50.6% considered the vaccination to be safe in pregnant females. About 52.8% responded that the pediatric vaccine has same safety as efficacy as that in adults. The association with knowledge items was observed to be significant (p<0.05) with occupation, education, income and being previously affected with covid-19.Conclusion:Overall, a high level of awareness was observed in our study, however, there were factors observed to be taken care such as vaccination in breast feeding and pregnant females as well as concerns related to safety and efficacy for pediatric vaccination.

A Deep-CNN Crowd Counting Model for Enforcing Social Distancing during COVID19 Pandemic: Application to Saudi Arabia’s Public Places

With the emergence of the COVID19 virus in late 2019 and the declaration that the virus is a worldwide pandemic, health organizations and governments have begun to implement severe health precautions to reduce the spread of the virus and preserve human lives. The enforcement of social distancing at work environments and public areas is one of these obligatory precautions. Crowd management is one of the effective measures for social distancing. By reducing the social contacts of individuals, the spread of the disease will be immensely reduced. In this paper, a model for crowd counting in public places of high and low densities is proposed. The model works under various scene conditions and with no prior knowledge. A Deep CNN model (DCNN) is built based on convolutional neural network (CNN) structure with small kernel size and two fronts. To increase the efficiency of the model, a convolutional neural network (CNN) as the front-end and a multi-column layer with Dilated Convolution as the back-end were chosen. Also, the proposed method accepts images of arbitrary sizes/scales as inputs from different cameras. To evaluate the proposed model, a dataset was created from images of Saudi people with traditional and non-traditional Saudi outfits. The model was also trained and tested on some existing datasets. Compared to current counting methods, the results show that the proposed model has significantly improved efficiency and reduced the error rate. We achieve the lowest MAE by 67%, 32% .and 15.63% and lowest MSE by around 47%, 15% and 8.1% than M-CNN, Cascaded-MTL, and CSRNet respectively.

CARBON MONOXIDE RELATED DEATHS IN ALQURAYYATE, SAUDI ARABIA FROM 2004 TO 2018

The current work aimed to study carbon monoxide (CO) related deaths in Alqurayyate during the period from 2004-2018. Among 461 autopsied cases, 52 cases [11.3%] show carboxy-hemoglobin (COHb) levels≥ 10%. Higher COHb levels were significantly more common among males, young and elderly and Saudi people [0.012, 0.009, and 0.3 respectively]. was the cause of death in 19 cases [4.1%] while CO poisoning was suggested as a contributing factor in another 33 [7.2%] deaths. The mode of deaths was mainly accidental [78.8%]. Houses were the most common place of death [63.5%] and most CO related deaths happened in the winter months [73.1%]. The most common suggested source for exposure to CO among carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) deaths were car exhaust [36.8%], followed by charcoal heaters [31.6%]. Regarding autopsy findings, the external appearance revealed cherry red hypostasis in only 26.9% of CO related cases. The most common findings were pulmonary edema, cerebral edema, and congested lungs [96.2,82.7, and 80.8 % respectively]. Therefore, COP remains a common cause of death, inspite of the safety precautions. More public awareness programs about COP are recommended. Also, COHb levels should be routinely estimated in the autopsied cases, especially with suggestive history and death scene.

Knowledge, attitude and motivation toward stem cell transplantation and donation among Saudi population in Riyadh: Are Saudi people aware enough about the importance of stem cell transplantation and donation?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and motivation toward stem cell donation among Saudi population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted at different malls in Riyadh. Selection of malls was done randomly according to the geographical distribution of Riyadh, in which sample size was calculated and distributed equally. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that addressed their knowledge, attitude and motivation toward stem cell transplantation and donation. Results: Results of this study showed that population knowledge about stem cell transplantation and donation is considered to be low. Only (37.8%) has enough information about stem cell transplantation and donation. There is a positive correlation between level of education and participant’s knowledge regarding stem cell transplantation and donation. The study revealed that 39.3% of participants have willingness for stem cell donation. Conclusion: It has been found that two third of population expressed lack of knowledge about stem cell transplantation and donation. Also, only 40% of participants showed willingness for donation, and the most common reason for not donating stem cell was the lack of information about stem cell and the value of donation While, increasing level of education was associated with better understanding of stem cell donation and its role in therapy and saving lives. Therefore, suitable campaign, advertising and counseling program for population is recommended to increase level of knowledge and motivation toward stem cell donation.

Societal knowledge of stuttering in Saudi population.

Stuttering is a common disease that exists in all societies and ethnic groups of differing incidence rates. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the social awareness of stuttering in the Saudi community on the basis of a questionnaire. We will try to examine the incidence, triggers and duration of stuttering in the Saudi community. This study is descriptive, a questionnaire-based analysis involving the active participation of the Saudi community. The questionnaire, exposure to Stuttering, was addressed and balanced in terms of ethnicity, age and schooling. A total of 1,000 Saudi people was invited to participate in this questionnaire-based survey, with only 878 participants between 18 and 65 years of age participating in the study; most of them were males. In this survey, 79.5% of the Saudi population studies, most of them male (60.5% vs. 25.0% female) claimed that more than 6% of the population had stutters. There was also a substantial correlation between the degree of schooling, sex, and person experience and attitudes towards stuttering. It was often assumed that younger ages were prone to higher instances of stuttering relative to older ages (≤18 years vs 18 years of age). In comparison, handiness and IQ scores did not indicate any correlation with the occurrence of stuttering among the Saudi community. In conclusion, this questionnaire-based analysis, participants of both sexes claimed that more than 6% of the Saudi population were impaired by stuttering, which increased dramatically in males relative to females. They also claimed that both handiness and IQ ratings had little impact on the rate of stuttering. However, scant research on the effects of stuttering has scarcely been reported. Future experiments of effective public education preparation and health actions for stuttering are also welcome.

Scenarios for the Development of China Studies in Saudi Arabia in Correspondence With Contemporary Saudi Values

The Saudi decision to incorporate Chinese language into its national education system has been a catalyst for the potential development of China studies in Saudi Arabia. After giving a quick review on Saudi Arabia’s previous experiences related to foreign language teaching and Western studies and also the origins and the early germination of China Studies that have appeared during the past decades, the article finds a series of contemporary values of dialogue that Saudi Arabia has tried to interpret and disseminate in its nation-building progress especially since the new millennium, which forms a benign interactive relationship with the possible development of the Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) program, which should be regarded as a tool of China studies, together they become new elements worthy of attention in the modernisation process with Saudi characteristics. By bringing forward several potential scenarios for the future development of the new elements mentioned above, the article concludes with the idea that the future existence of China Studies in Saudi Arabia will contribute to the sustainable and in-depth development of Sino-Saudi relations, while a new type of ‘social norm’ is to be formed gradually through the operating Saudi transformation, under which the Saudi people will more likely be focussed on their commonalities and diversities with Eastern societies and civilisations, so as to seek deeper mutual understandings through inter-cultural communications.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Awareness about Colorectal Cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in Saudi Arabia, ranking first among men and third among women. Colorectal cancer can be easily prevented through CRC screening which can detect the disease during its early stages when the survival rates are high. The aim of this study was todetermine the level of knowledge, awareness and attitudes about colorectal cancer among Saudi people. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among general population of different regions of Saudi Arabia from 1st of January 2018 to 28th of February 2018. The study questionnaire, containing 25 items, was adapted from surveys identified in the relevant literature. The CRC awareness questionnaire consisted of an awareness section, knowledge section and attitude of participants toward colorectal cancer screening. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 521 general populations answered the questionnaire. Majority of participants (82%) were bachelor’s degree holders and females represent (60%). Symptoms such as change in bowel habit, blood in the stool, weight loss and abdominal pain were recognized by only 54%, 41%, 45% and 52% of the respondents, respectively. Common risk factors such as positive family history, obesity and old age were acknowledged only by less than 34%, 29% and 33% of the respondents. More than one-third of the participants (45%) had received information material regarding CRC from their curriculum and by social media and nearly 30% from other sources such as TV, hospital and mass media. Attitude regarding colorectal screening was positive for 71%, Almost 71% of the respondents willing to have a screening test for the bowel cancer, even without any symptom. Conclusion: Although majority of the respondents had positive attitude toward concept of cancer screening but their knowledge and awareness about colorectal cancer was low which indicate the need for promotion of cancer education among public. Key words: Colorectal cancer, Saudi Arabia, Questionnaire, Awareness, Knowledge.

A Survey of Public Knowledge and Attitude Related to Antibiotic use and Antibiotic Resistance among Saudi People in Northern Region of Saudi Arabia

: Background: The antibacterial resistance is emerging problem worldwide. This phenomenon is nowadays affecting public health dramatically on the global level. Public knowledge is considered a prerequisite for appropriate use of antibiotics and limited spread of antibiotic resistance. Our aim was to evaluate the level of knowledge, beliefs, attitude and behaviors toward antibiotic resistance among Saudi public in northern border region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in northern border region of Saudi Arabia using a self-administeredquestionnaire in Arabic language and all data were analyzed by means of descriptive analysis. Results: More than two thirds of study subjects reported that they heard about antibiotic resistance and 35% of them mentioned the social media as the source of information about this issue, only 44% of study subjects were aware that antibiotic resistance means that bacteria would not be killed by antibiotic, 42% were aware that antibiotic resistance bacteria is difficult to eradicate, 58% were aware that indiscriminate use of antibiotics is the cause of bacterial resistance, 34% were aware that use antibiotic when there is no need is a cause for bacterial resistance,38% were aware that incomplete course of antibiotic lead to bacterial resistance,43% of study subjects take antibiotic without prescription, 42% stop antibiotic when symptoms improve and47% of study subjects believed that influenza and common cold can be treated with antibiotics. Conclusion: Our community still has some misconception and insufficient knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance. There is great concern surrounding the development and spread of resistance resulting from poor knowledge about the dangers of self-medication and misuse of antibiotics.Key words: Knowledge, Attitude, Antibiotics, Saudi Arabia, Antibiotic resistance.

Weight Lowering Medications to Alter Morphological Indices: A Cross-Sectional Study among Saudi Females

Introduction: Obesity has become a large health problem globally and a major risk factor contributing to a number of diseases. It is suggested in Saudi Arabia for obese adults to use Orlistat and Metformin; in addition to dieting and doing physical activity. However, there are limited studies on the regular practices of weight-loss among Saudi people especially with the aid of weight lowering medication. Objectives: The aims of this study are to evaluate the practice of using weight lowering medications and to describe self-reported side effects of using these medications among Saudi females. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out on Saudi females whom were approached to answer a set of self-administered questionnaires. The survey covers several aspects that will aid the study’s topic such as the demographic data, previous or current use of weight loss medication and any side effects from using the medication. The collected data were then analyzed using SPSS program. Results: There were 820 participants (647 electronic submissions and 173 by paper). The results showed that among them 21.3% were using weight lowering medication, while dieting and exercising were the main methods used to lose weight (64.1% and 61.5% respectively). In addition, the most common drug used for losing weight was Orlistat (26.4%). Furthermore, the most frequent self-reported side effect for using these kinds of drugs was oily spotting (25.9%). Interpretation and conclusion: Saudi females were found to use weight lowering medications and it was related to several factors such as the BMI and the ages of participants, however dieting and exercising were the main methods reported for weight loss.

Diabetes-Related Distress and Depression in Saudis with Type 2 Diabetes.

ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM)-related distress and depression and their associated factors in Saudi people with type 2 DM (T2DM) in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. It also aims to assess the association between glycemic control and DM-related distress and depression.MethodsThis is an analytical, cross-sectional study which recruited 300 Saudi patients with T2DM randomly from primary healthcare centers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. DM-related distress and depression were measured by valid questionnaires, the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. Logistic regression and an independent t-test were performed in the statistical analysis.ResultsThe mean age of the study population was 52.7 years, with a range of 23–83 years. The number of males was 147 (49%) and females was 153 (51%) in the study population. The prevalence of DM-related distress and depression in Saudi patients with T2DM in Jazan was 22.3% and 20%, respectively, and about 7.7% had both. Of DM-related distress, 12.3% had interpersonal-related DM distress, 11.7% had physician-related DM distress, 10.7% had emotional-related DM distress, and 7% had regimen-related DM distress. After adjusting for covariates, being female, patients aged <45, physical inactivity, DM duration <5 years, and smoking were significantly associated with DM-related distress and depression. There was also a significant association between DM-related distress and depression, OR = 3 [95% CI: 1.8, 6.4]. Furthermore, we found that glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels were significantly higher in those with DM-related distress (small effect size, eta squared = 0.04) and depression (moderate effect size, eta squared = 0.06) (P < 0.001).ConclusionDM-related distress and depression are prevalent in patients with T2DM in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Both these conditions need to be screened for and addressed in clinical settings. Establishing the causality of DM-related distress and depression in T2DM is an important aim for any future studies.

Public Attitude and Perception about Analgesic and their Side Effects

Introduction: Analgesics are substances which work in various ways to relieve different types of pain experienced in the body. Non-prescription over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are widely used by patients to control pain and fever.&#x0D; Study Objective: To evaluate of knowledge, attitudes and practices about analgesic and their side effects.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted during a period of three months from September to December 2017 in Rafha and Riyadh - Saudi Arabia on a random sample of 237 Saudi people, the data was collected by using a self-administered questionnaire in the Arabic language. Statistical analysis was done by using MS EXCEL using descriptive statistics and chi-square test.&#x0D; Results: A total of 237 participants out of 260 consented to be interviewed and completed the questionnaire with a response rate (91%). Their ages ranged between 18 years and 54 years with a mean (28) and standard deviation (7.9). Majority of participants were females (92%) and about two thirds (66%) were highly educated. A quarter of study participants (25%) do not read leaflet of analgesic before use. About one-fifth of respondents (20%) reported that they cannot stop taking analgesic even if the pain is mild. 12% and 36% of respondents always and sometimes, respectively, use more than one type of analgesic for pain relief. 10% of respondents reported the occurrence of side effects from analgesic. The respondents use analgesic mainly for headache (43%) and toothache (25%). The chronic disease for which participants take analgesic were mainly arthritis (39%) and migraine (30%).&#x0D; About three-quarters of respondents (74%) were aware that the use of analgesic is accompanied by side effects. The respondents believed that the reasons for analgesic misuse are that analgesic easily obtained without a medical prescription (40%) and there is no educational or awareness program regarding analgesic use (33%). Majority of participants believed that there is no sufficient awareness about analgesic. The source of information about analgesic for participants is physician (24%). Panadol analgesic is the most commonly used analgesic (48%) reported by participants.&#x0D; Results showed that there is a significant statistical difference between male and female regard analgesic use (P=0.048) and between different level of educations and analgesic use (P=0.334).&#x0D; Also, there is a highly significant statistical difference between male and female regard reading the leaflet before taking analgesic (P=0.0001) and between the educational level of participants regarding reading the leaflet before analgesic use (P=0.0008).&#x0D; Conclusion: The over-the-counter (OTC) analgesic drugs are commonly used and many patients are unaware of their side effects. The findings of this study showed that people's knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding analgesic use is poor. Also, it is important to improve people's knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding analgesic use to reduce the misconceptions and misguided expectations contributing to inappropriate analgesic use. Therefore, health professional practice should play a major role in people's awareness of the appropriate use of OTC analgesic drugs.

Wahhabisme vis-à-vis Reformasi Arab Saudi: MBS, Agensi, Moderasi, dan Diversifikasi Ekonomi

This research tries to look at and to analyze social, economic, and also religion political conditions at Saudi in the last few years after Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) launched ideas for 2030 vision. This study will also analyze how the SBM agency as an authority changes the socio-religious construction of the Saudi people which then impacts the existence of Wahhabism and other religious groups in Saudi Arabia. This research uses qualitative research and is analytical descriptive. To explore academic problems in this study, the author uses the theory of authority R.B. Friedman and combined with Pierre Bourdieu's social praxis theory. As a result of this research, SBM as an authority has succeeded in overhauling the system and regulations that have been in force in Saudi Arabia so far, starting from the royal family, oil, and also religious conservatism which has a Wahhabi style. The Specifically for last SBM has never specifically intended to leave Wahhabi, but it will firmly eradicate extremism that arises from puritanical religious dogma, be it from Wahhabis or other religious groups. MBS wants to change Saudi Islam to the Islamic moderate, where all religions, races and cultures are acceptable. All parties must obey, including wahhabi muslim’s-style or other.&#x0D; Key Word: MBS, Vision 2030, Wahhabi, dan Moderation.

Assessment on the perceived self-esteem of Saudi adults with deafness and hard of hearing

Background: Hearing is an important sense that individuals depend on in their day-to-day activities. However, labeling and stigmatization can disturb the perceived self-esteem of a deaf person, particularly in a predominantly hearing environment. As such, this study explored the of deaf Saudi people’s perceived self-esteem.Methods: One hundred and one participants took part in the study and answered the questionnaire sent to each participant online. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23.Results: This study showed that about half of them felt proud to belong in the deaf community. In terms of their perceived self-esteem, they wish to have more self-respect although half of them strongly disagreed that they feel useless at times. Likewise, 50% of the study group felt the sense of belongingness as they interact with the hearing community. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between perceived self-esteem and age, gender, and having hearing loss at birth, regardless whether with oneself, or with deaf or hearing community. On the other hand, there is a significant difference in the degree of hearing when using hearing aid upon interaction with the deaf community and in the mode of communication with their parents.Conclusions: The use of hearing aid plays a great role in improving the communication skills of deaf people. Likewise, increased communication with their family, whether deaf or not, can potentially increase their self-worth. Introduction of deaf or hard of hearing role models and the use of other senses, such as sight and sensation, can be utilized to improve positive self-esteem.

&lt;p&gt;Khat Chewing and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus&lt;/p&gt;

ObjectiveKnowledge about the effects of khat chewing on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) development and glycemic control is very sparse. Emerging data suggest that khat chewing may increase the risk of T2DM occurrence. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the prevalence of khat chewing in Saudi people with T2DM in Jazan, Saudi Arabia and to determine the association of khat chewing with T2DM development and glycemic control in T2DM.MethodsThis is an analytical, cross-sectional study that included 472 Saudi participants selected randomly from primary healthcare centers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A chi-square test and logistic regression were performed in the statistical analysis.ResultsThe prevalence of khat chewing in Saudi patients with T2DM in Jazan was 29.3%. After adjusting for covariates, khat chewing was significantly associated with T2DM (odds ratio 3.5), indicating that khat chewers had a more than three times higher risk of developing T2DM than those who do not chew khat. However, there was no association between khat chewing and glycemic control in T2DM.ConclusionKhat chewing was highly prevalent in Saudi people with T2DM in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. There was an association between khat chewing and the development of T2DM. Establishing the causal association of khat chewing with T2DM development and glycemic control and clarifying the biological role of khat in T2DM are important aims for future studies.

Prevalence of Canine Impaction among Saudi Population at Al Qassim Area in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: One of the most reported dental problems is a tooth impaction which is defined as the infraosseous position of the tooth after the estimated time of eruption [1]. Thus, the most notable tooth impaction is canine impaction which is a frequently encountered clinical problem. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of impacted canines among Saudi people from the 5-year period of 2013-2018 in Al Qassim area in the KSA. Methodology: A retrospective research designed was utilized in the study. A retrospective study simply means to “look back” in the past and usually done by obtaining data from medical records of the targeted population with common characteristics [2]. Results: This 5-year study covered year 2013 to 2018. In this study, there were 1500 who seek dental health in King Fahd Specialist Hospital. Thus, out of these clients, only 89 were identified with cases of impacted canine using the OPG with a prevalence rate of 5.9 %. In addition, it was found that out of 89 patients identified, the patients have impacted canines in different locations: maxillary, mandible, right side and left side. It was found that there were 187 impacted teeth in different locations among 89 clients affected. There were 48 cases (25.7%) of impacted canines on the right side while 64 cases (34.2%) were reported on the left side of the total group. Moreover, impacted maxillary canine were 68 cases (36.4%) and mandibular impacted canine were only 7 cases (3.7%) of the total group. Conclusion: The early detection and treatment approach of impacted canines among affected individuals is vital in order to prevent different problems that may arise during impaction of canine teeth. Awareness, early detection, proper diagnostic test and multiple treatment approaches are needed to prevent different sequelae due to canine impaction.

Increasing the awareness of overweight among Saudi people using different social media networks such as Twitter and Snapchat: A Case of PSAU

The development of the internet infrastructure has generated a new phenomenon and lead to some changes in business strategies as it allowed two-way communications among consumers and com-panies. At present, social media play a key role in communicating information to people around the world and clearly play a vital role in increasing interaction and awareness in an important way. At present, awareness of diseases has disappeared with new methods. Social networking sites like Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook may change the roles the meanings of information delivery and play a superior in that scope. This research investigates the main factors of the power of social media activities (customization, and e-WOM) towards increasing Saudi’s awareness on using m-healthcare apps. The results indicate that customization had a positive and direct influence on increasing Saudi’s awareness towards using m-healthcare apps (Brand Awareness). e-WOM had a positive and direct influence on increasing Saudi’s awareness toward using m-healthcare apps (brand awareness), confirming that the power of social media activities was an imperative contributor to brand equity (brand awareness).

Public knowledge and awareness about food–drug interactions in the northern border region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Food–drug interactions (FDIs) are underreported which could be due to a variety of factors such as lack of food history, follow-ups, or unawareness. Objective: The present study intended to investigate the degree of existing knowledge and awareness of FDIs among the Saudi people. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the Northern Border Region, Arar city of Saudi, among a random convenient sample of 223 people. Voluntary participants filled a predesigned self-administered questionnaire comprising 22 close-ended questions and 1 open-ended question. Data were collected for a duration of 2 months and descriptive analysis was performed to obtain frequencies of responses. Results: The overall response rate was 89% with a larger number of females and 79% belonging to the 20–30 age group. Of the study population, only 6% reported having experienced such FDIs at least once in their lifetime. Almost 97% believe that they should read the label of any drug before consuming it. More than half of the participants (52%) agreed that acidic foods and beverages such as tomato sauce, tea, coffee, and citrus juices affect drug absorption and may cause food/drug interaction. About 62% believe that alcohol and drugs should never be clubbed. Conclusion: It is hereby shown that FDIs' awareness and knowledge were poor among the Saudi population. This, however, can be addressed as a high proportion of respondents had a positive attitude toward reading the drug label before use.

Practices and attitudes concerning expiration date, unused, and expired medication disposal

Background: According to the product type, the date of expiration is set after manufacturing or after dispensing of the medication or after opening of the medication’s container. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess practices and attitudes concerning unused, disposal, and expiration date of medications among Saudi population in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted during a period of 9 months from April 2019 to January 2020 on a random sample, all data were analyzed by means of descriptive analysis. Results: The total number of people answered the questionnaire during the study period were 529, nearly all the participants (99%) keep medication in their homes at the study time. Only half of the participants (53%) were aware that expiry date on the bottle differs after bottle opening. About 24% of participants do not check the expiry date while purchasing medications. The main cause mentioned for not checking the expiry dates while purchasing medicines were that pharmacist already checked (71%), about half of study participants (56%) check the expiry date of stored medicines at the time of usage. About 34% and 41% of participants reported that if they buy eye/ear drops and ointment/cream respectively, they will keep it in bedroom. About 74% of study participants throw away expired medicine in household garbage as it is. Conclusion: It is obvious that Saudi people have a sufficient level of awareness of the expiry date of medication; however, their practices are poor. In light of the study findings, there is a great need to improve public awareness toward the storage and disposal of drugs and its bad consequences.

Changes in Maternal Lifestyle during Ramadan Altered Placental Development

People born with low birth weight are at a greater risk of developing later life diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer. Recent studies have pinpointed the placenta as a critical factor involved in developmental programming. Changes in maternal lifestyle or dietary habits can alter placental development and increase the risk of developmental programming of adult diseases. Saudi people, including pregnant women, change their lifestyle and eating habits during the holy month of Ramadan. Previous studies found that the exposure to Ramadan lifestyle reduces placental weight; however, effects on other placental aspects remained unknown. We aimed to further examine the effects of exposure to Ramadan lifestyle on full-term placental morphometrics, histology and gene expression of key glucose transporters. To examine this, fresh placentas were collected from 60 healthy Saudi women. Samples were equally classified into two groups; not exposed to Ramadan lifestyle (control) or exposed to Ramadan lifestyle in the first. Placental weight, length and breadth were recorded and placental surface area was calculated. Placental tissue was processed and stained with eosin and hematoxylin for histological examination. Apoptosis was assessed using TUNEL assay. The gene expression of the glucose transporters GLUT1 and GLUT3 was evaluated. The results show that women exposed to Ramadan lifestyle have more elongated placentas with less central cord insertion. Placental weight and surface area were significantly lowered in women exposed to Ramadan lifestyle. Placental length was not affected but the breadth was significantly smaller in than control. Placentas exposed to Ramadan lifestyle had fewer and less-developed syncytial knots and thicker syncytiotrophoblast cells. Apoptosis was detected in placentas exposed to Ramadan lifestyle. GLUT1 mRNA expression was unaltered, but GLUT3 was increased compared to control group. These findings suggest that changes in maternal lifestyle during Ramadan can alter placental structure at morphometric, histological and molecular levels. These structural changes are indication of placental adaptations for a suboptimal maternal environment. Such adaptations have been linked to adult diseases in various populations worldwide. Further studies are required to evaluate the possible link between exposure to Ramadan lifestyle and the risk of developing adulthood chronic diseases in the Saudi population.

The knowledge about coronavirus (COVID-19) among populations in two different Arab countries.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most patients infected with the COVID-19 virus experience mild to moderate respiratory symptoms and heal without any special treatment. This survey aimed to assess the knowledge of Syrian and Saudi populations about the general information, symptoms, and methods of prevention of coronavirus (COVID-19).Materials and Methods:A standardized questionnaire composed of four sections (demography, general information about COVID-19, symptoms of COVID-19 infection, and methods of prevention) including 34 questions divided between the four mentioned sections were sent online to different social media in the Syrian Arab Republic and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a Google drive form. The collected data were coded, computerized, and analyzed using methods of descriptive statistics by SPSS 25. A Chi-square test was done.Results:The total number of participants was 790; most of them were in the age group of 18–30 years (60.3%) wherein females formed about 59.2% of the whole sample. About 94.6% of the respondents from Syria agreed that several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections while 45.6% of Saudi people knew that diarrhea is one of the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). The good results of this current study were clear in the section of coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention as most of the information was correct in more than 60% of answers.Conclusion:The knowledge of Syrian and Saudi populations about the general information, symptoms, and methods of prevention of coronavirus COVID-19 was very good to excellent except in very limited points.