Southern Saudi Arabia Research Articles

Farmers’ perceptions of organic agriculture in southern Saudi Arabia

The study assessed farmers' perception of organic agriculture and level of knowledge regarding organic farming practices. The study involved a random sample of farmers from the governorate. The farmers’ perceptions regarding organic agriculture were slightly positive, although they had a low level of knowledge about organic farming practices. More than half of the farmers had insufficient knowledge about practicing organic farming. Farmers who practiced organic farming had networks with other farmers, sourced of information, and had training in organic agriculture were more likely to have greater perception of the importance of organic agriculture. Similarly, farmers educated beyond high school and younger than 40 years were more positive about organic farming than other farmers. Understanding farmers’ perceptions of the subject will prepare extension agents to develop better programmes in organic agriculture practices. Extension agents and policymakers should concentrate on these factors in developing training programmes for farmers.
 Keywords: organic agriculture, farmers' perceptions, extension, Saudi Arabia

A novel coccidian (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from Scotophilus leucogaster (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in southern Saudi Arabia.

A novel species of coccidia, resembling a member of the genus Eimeria, was found in bats, Scotophilus leucogaster, collected in southern Saudi Arabia has been described on the basis of unsporulated oocysts and DNA sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) and partial 18S rDNA regions. Unsporulated oocysts of this form are ovoidal to spheroidal and had a 2-layered wall, 1.5-2.0 (1.9 ± 0.2); the outer layer was light blue with striations, and thicker than the inner, darker layer. No micropyle was present. Unsporulated oocysts (N = 150) measured 27.2 × 22.1 (25-30 × 20-25), length width ratio, 1.2 (1.1-1.4). There was no evidence of an oocyst residuum and/or polar granule. This parasite was detected in 2/7 (29%) S. leucogaster collected from southern Saudi Arabia. Oocysts incubated at 25°C in 2.5% K2Cr2O7 did not sporulate after > 1month. Unsporulated oocyst measurements were compared with other coccidian parasites of bats that discharge oocysts in their feces. Sequences of the ITS1 and the 18S rDNA regions obtained from the unsporulated oocysts grouped this coccidium from S. leucogaster with eimerian species from various rodent and squirrel species. It is critical that future investigators obtain fully sporulated oocysts of this coccidium for full description of the parasite recovered in our study so it can be correctly assigned to genus and given an accurate binomial.

PREVALENCE OF CYBERBULLYING AND TRADITIONAL BULLYING AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO SELF‐ESTEEM AMONG HEARING-IMPAIRED ADOLESCENTS

Purpose: bullying among students with disabilities, especially hearing impairment adolescents is a neglected problem in most Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.
 Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cyberbullying and traditional bullying and their relationship to self‐esteem in adolescent students in southern Saudi Arabia.
 Methods: Three questionnaires (cyberbullying, traditional bullying, and self‐esteem) were used to assess the studied parameters. They were distributed to 81 students with hearing impairment (10th and 12th grade), (M = 18.64, SD = 1.06).
 Main Findings: Findings indicated that 56.4% were exposed to traditional victimization, 52.9% bullied others at school, 44.6% were not exposed to victimization, while 47.1% had not participated. Concerning cyberbullying, 90.5% were not exposed to cyber-victimization, and 94.2% had not participated in cyber-bullying. Males were more exposed to traditional and cyber-victimization than females; besides, they were significantly higher in self-esteem than females. We found a statistically significant correlation between traditional victimization and traditional bully. We also found a statistically significant correlation between self-esteem and both traditional victimization and bully, while no significant correlation between self-esteem and cyber-bully/victims.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: Additional studies are needed to compare the traditional bullying and cyberbullying, and its relationship to psychological variables among Saudi children with disability and typically developing peers. Moreover, there is an urgent need for evolving prevention and intervention programs to overcome bullying and its negative effects among individual and society.

Maxillofacial Bone Fracture Profiling amongst Adults and Elderly Population in Najran City, Southern Region of Saudi Arabia: A 20-Year Single Institutional Experience

Studies have shown that the pattern, incidence, and etiology of maxillofacial injuries differ between cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Maxillofacial injuries have not been extensively studied in southern Saudi Arabia, hence the justification for the present study.

Epidemiology and Pattern of Thromboembolism in Aseer Central Hospital, a Multispecialty Hospital in Aseer Region, Abha in Southern Saudi Arabia

Background: Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is a clinical disorder characterized by the pathological occurrence of single or many thrombi developing mainly in the deep veins of the lower limbs and pulmonary veins but also other parts of the venous circulation, albeit less. A frequently occurring venous thrombosis is a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is the presence of thrombus in deep veins of the lower extremity. Once this clot fragment is swept off (embolism), it moves along with the venous blood and flows to the pulmonary vessels, where it may result in a clinically significant disorder called pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Thrombosis occurring in the superficial veins would only cause discomfort but generally with insignificant consequences. Aim: This study aimed to assess patterns and risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among patients in the Aseer region. Methodology: A record-based descriptive analysis (retrospective) was used in this study. The clinical study targeted the patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE including PE & DVT) either admitted with the diagnosis or complicated during the hospitalization period in Aseer Central Hospital during the period from January 2010 to June 2019. Data extracted using pre-structured data collection sheet. The extracted data were patients' bio-demographic data, VTE related data, treatment received and relevant complications of treatment, and patient’s follow-up history. Results: The study included total of 207 patients with thromboembolism. The age of patients was between 15 - 100 years old with the average age being 57.3+12.9 years. Approximately 58% of the patients were female. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was recorded in 60.4% of the cases and 27.5% of them were diagnosed with pulmonary embolism (PE) while 12.1% had both PE and DVT. Exact of 59.6% of cases with PE had immobilization history for 24 to 72 hours as compared to 31.2% of DVT and 44% of patients with mixed thromboembolism. DM was recorded among 14% of PE cases and 21.6% of DVT. Warfarin with Enoxaparin was the most frequently given treatment in total (23.2%). Heparin followed by Warfarin was the second most common treatment. Conclusions and recommendation: The study revealed that VTE was commonly reported especially DVT and PE among the recorded cases and it was bilateral in a considerable number of cases. Immobilization with chronic disease and morbid obesity was noted as the most significant predictor for VTE.

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in southern Saudi Arabia: A retrospective observational study

Context: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common life-threatening emergency that carries considerable mortality and morbidity; it remains a common cause for admission to hospitals worldwide. UGIB is classified as variceal bleeding and non-variceal bleeding because of distinct etiologies and management. Aims: To describe present clinical manifestations in southern Saudi Arabian UGIB patients, including both endoscopic and basic laboratory parameters, to assess the risk factors, and compare the predictive power and clinical usefulness of three risk scoring systems (AIMS65 score, Glasgow-Blatchford score, Rockall risk score) for the management of patients presenting with UGIB. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. We included 283 patients admitted to the gastrointestinal unit at Abha city, southern Saudi Arabia, from November 2017 to October 2019. The study findings were the etiology of UGI bleeding, the endoscopic findings and clinical outcome of UGI bleeding. Results: Ages ranged from 18 to 97 years old with mean age of 54.5 ± 18.5 years. The majority of patients were males (72%; 203). Melina was the most common presenting symptom, in 66 (49.3%) patients. Diabetes mellitus was the most frequently recorded risk factor for UGIB (53.9%) followed by hypertension (44.9%), and aspirin use (35.7%). Endoscopic hemostatic treatment was applied in 70 patients (24.7%); 4.9% of patients re-bled, and 21 patients (7.4%) died during the study period. Conclusions: Comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes, in addition to some medicines including ASA, steroids and NSAIDs were identified as risk factors of upper GIT bleeding among this study casesa list of risk factors for severe UGIB, leading to hospitalization and even death.

Farmers’ Beliefs and Concerns about Climate Change: An Assessment from Southern Saudi Arabia

Climate change constitutes a major threat to agricultural production, food security, and natural resource management. Saudi Arabia is particularly susceptible to increasing temperatures and extreme climatic events, such as arid weather and drought. The purpose of this study is to assess farmers’ beliefs and concerns as regards climate change. Extensive interviews were conducted with 164 farmers in the Jazan region. Results revealed that 89.6% of the farmers believed that climate change is due to human activities and 93.3% believed that it is because of natural change. Seventy-five percent of the farmers were concerned about insects and 73% about the prevalence of weeds on their farms. Findings of cluster analysis revealed that farmers who are more likely to believe in climate change are more in agreement with the role of extension services in capacity building. Farmers’ beliefs about climate change were significantly influenced by membership of agricultural cooperatives, access to loans, use of extension services, age, farm size, and level of soil fertility. Access to loans was the only significant factor to explain the differences in farmers’ concerns. These results suggest the need for capacity-building activities targeted at improving farmers’ adaptability to manage climate variability.

Analysis of amphetamine and methamphetamine contents in seized tablets from Jazan, Saudi Arabia by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) and chemometric techniques

A number of illegal amphetamine tablets were seized from three different cities of Jazan province of southern Saudi Arabia and were analyzed for amphetamine and methamphetamine contents using LC-MS/MS technique. Analyses were performed using a previously reported method taking 0.1 M ammonium formate buffer (85%) and 15% acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid as mobile phase with a total runtime of 12 min. This method was successfully applied for the routine analysis of amphetamine and methamphetamine in the seized tablets using amphetamine-D5 and methamphetamine-D5 as internal standards. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to establish the similarity between samples. The retention times (RT) for internal standard, amphetamine and methamphetamine were observed to be within 6.0–7.1 min. Ten tablet samples from each city were subjected to analysis and the amount of amphetamine in all the samples were found to be in the range of 9.07–14.77 mg, whereas, the amount of methamphetamine ranged from 0.12 to 0.24 mg in each tablet. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed presence of five clusters of samples indicating different characteristics and possible sources of amphetamine tablets. The largest cluster consisted of 15 samples which are expected to be of the same origin. Both amphetamine and methamphetamine are considered to be illegal products and their illegal trade and use is banned in many countries including Saudi Arabia. Therefore, there is an urgent need of strict regulations worldwide to check the illicit trafficking of these psychoactive substances and should be considered on priority.

Description of a new snake eel Ophichthus olivaceus (Teleostei: Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae) from the Red Sea.

A new species of snake eel Ophichthus olivaceus is described based on two specimens trawled from a depth of 35-63 m from a soft substratum off Jizan, Red Sea coast of southern Saudi Arabia. It differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: vertebrae 141-145; tail moderately short (2.15 in TL); head short (9.6-11.1 in TL); uniserial teeth in jaws and on vomer; pectoral fins slightly elongate, not lanceolate, upper rays longer than the lower; dorsal-fin origin above middle of pectoral fin; and a generally uniform, dark tan body with an olivaceous hue shading to tan or pale orange ventrally, with two pale yellow blotches above pectoral-fin base, snout and lower jaw dark brown, and olivaceous median fins. Its divergence from other mitochondrial-analyzed species is shown by phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI barcoding region. A key to the Indian Ocean species is provided.

Clinical pattern of inflammatory bowel disease in Southern Saudi Arabia: a retrospective cohort study

Clinical pattern of inflammatory bowel disease in Southern Saudi Arabia: a retrospective cohort study

Assessment of groundwater quality in Southern Saudi Arabia: case study of Najran area

Groundwater is the most important source for domestic and agricultural usage. Surface water supplies are meager in Saudi Arabia; therefore, it depends on the available groundwater reserves. Twenty-two groundwater samples were collected from different locations in Najran area according to the standard protocol recommended by the American Public Health Association (APHA, 1995). The study physio-chemical parameters of groundwater including pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, and chloride parameters were measured and compared with the WHO standards. The results illustrate the concentration ranges of cations and anions as follows: pH (7.03–7.48), electrical conductivity (240–877 μS cm−1), total hardness (560–808 mg L−1), total dissolved solids (1287–1848 mg L−1), total alkalinity (107–183 mg L−1), Fe2+ (0.02–1.08 mg L−1), Cl− (341–601 mg L−1), Ca+2 (323–508 mg L−1), Mg+2 (132–316 mg L−1), and SO4 (250–680 mg L−1). Results indicate that the quality of groundwater in the study area is not suitable for drinking but can be safely used for agricultural purposes.

Sero-prevalence and risk factors of brucellosis among suspected febrile patients attending a referral hospital in southern Saudi Arabia (2014\u20132018)

BackgroundHuman brucellosis is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by Brucella spp. It is one of the most public health problems that remains largely neglected in developing counties, including Saudi Arabia. Brucellosis is particularly prevalent among rural people who have constant contact with livestock.MethodsA cross-sectional sero-epidemiological study conducted in Aseer Central Hospital, South Saudi Arabia, between 2014 and 2018 among 7567 patients. Serum samples were analyzed for Brucella antibodies using slide agglutination test. Serology results and patient’s demographic data were analyzed by GraphPad Prism. Results were presented as mean ± SEM and differences between two groups were assessed by t-test and p < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsThe prevalence of brucellosis among the admitted suspected 7567 cases was 12.8% (10.4–15.7%; CI 95%). The highest prevalence rate was detected during 2015, the rate decreased to the lowest level during the last three years (p < 0.05). Higher rate of brucellosis was observed among males than females (p < 0.05) and most cases were reported during summer season (p < 0.05). The highest prevalence rate was observed in age group 21–40 year old (40.5%) followed by 41–60 years (27.7%). The lowest prevalence rate was noticed in old and young children (15 and 3%, respectively). Cross-transmission of brucellosis was seen within family (1%) and high titers (> 1280) was noticed in 22% of the hospitalized patients. The major symptoms were fatigue, hyperhidrosis, fever and joint pain.ConclusionOur findings showed a high prevalence of human brucellosis among suspected patients in Aseer region. This indicates that clinical suspicion is a valid criterion and the endemic nature of the disease. The disease status requires early laboratory detection and confirmation to start prompt treatment to decrease patients suffering.

Orofacial trauma awareness among sports teachers in Southern Saudi Arabia.

Dental trauma is a major public oral health problem owing to its high prevalence. The school sports teachers who observe children when they participate in sports have a key role in the prevention and management of traumatic injuries. The present study aims to determine the awareness of sports teachers on the occurrence and prevention of oral-facial trauma in southern Saudi Arabia. The present study was a cross-sectional study design among sports teachers in a southern subpopulation of Saudi Arabia. A draft questionnaire with 11 items was constructed under three domains: occurrence pattern, prevention, and management of dental trauma. A total of 191 sports teachers from various schools participated in the survey. The majority (88%) of the teachers had encountered orofacial trauma among children during sporting activity in schools. The most common orofacial structure involved in injury was the teeth (33.5%) and lips (25.2%). Only 50.8% of subjects knew stock tray as a type of mouthguard and 27.7% of teachers responded that they do not recommend mouthguards for children during sporting activities. Nearly 80.6% teachers were aware of the possibility of reimplanting an avulsed tooth. About 72.8% teachers had poor knowledge of immediate action necessary for successful outcomes of reimplanted teeth. Orofacial trauma was commonly encountered by sports teachers among children during sporting activities in the school. There was poor awareness regarding types of mouth guards and its significance among the sports school teachers. The knowledge related to the management of emergency oral injuries was inadequate.

Seroprevalence of Brucellosis among Patients Attending a Teaching Hospital in Southern Saudi Arabia

Seroprevalence of Brucellosis among Patients Attending a Teaching Hospital in Southern Saudi Arabia

The Tooth Size Discrepancy among Orthodontic Patients and Normal Occlusion Individuals from Saudi Arabia: A Three-Dimensional Scan Analysis of Diagnostic Casts.

Background/Purpose:Tooth size discrepancy is one of the causative factors of malocclusion. This study aimed to establish the TDS among various malocclusion classes and normal occlusion subjects in a Southern Saudi population.Materials and Methods:The study casts of orthodontic patients from Southern Saudi Arabia (mean age: 19.6 years ± 2.45; n = 120) were randomly selected and grouped into eight equal classes based on Angle's classification and gender. An additional 30 study casts, devoid of malocclusion, having excellent intercuspation and class I occlusion, were grouped into two controls (n = 15) based on gender. The study casts were three-dimensional scanned to measure mesiodistal widths of all the teeth. The calculated anterior ratios (AR) and overall ratio (OR) were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance and t-tests.Results:There were no significant differences in “OR” and “AR” between the genders (P > 0.05) and among the malocclusion and control subgroups (P > 0.05). The mean “OR” (92.01 ± 0.18) and “AR” (78.60 ± 0.27) of the malocclusion group were significantly higher than that of Bolton's ratios (P > 0.05). The “AR” of the control group was significantly higher than Bolton's standards (P = 0.048). However, “OR” was no different (P = 0.105). Malocclusion patients displayed a discrepancy (±2 standard deviation) in “AR” of 22.5% and 'OR' of 6.7% from Bolton's mean (BM). Similarly, the control group displayed a discrepancy in “AR” of 20% and “OR” of 10% from BM.Conclusion:The mean “OR” and “AR” of the Southern Saudi population showed no sexual dimorphism and no significant difference among various malocclusion and control subgroups. The “AR” of the malocclusion and control subgroups did not comply with Bolton's standards.

Adherence of heart failure patients to heart failure medications and its determinants in the Aseer region, Southern Saudi Arabia.

Background:Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome of cardiovascular disease. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is weakened and cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. It is characterised by several attacks of dyspnoea, chest pain, orthopnea and pulmonary or systemic congestion. The heart inability to fulfill the demands of the body further failure of heart to pump the blood with normal efficiency. Lack of patients’ adherence to their treatment may affect their clinical compensation.Aim:To assess the extent of assessing the level and predictors of medication adherence among patients with heart failure in the Aseer region.Methodology:A descriptive cross-sectional approach was used for targeting all registered heart failure patients attending the cardio clinic and chronic diseases clinic in Aseer region hospitals. Data were collected using a direct interview questionnaire that was developed by the researchers with the help of experts. Questionnaire included the patients’ sociodemographic data, co-morbidities, disease-related data and drugs.Results:The study included 151 patients diagnosed with heart failure. About 66% of the patients were above the age of 60 years and 62.3% were males. Exact of 47% of the cases had the disease for less than 3 years and 43.7% of the patients had the treatment for more than 3 years. About 49% of the patients forget to have their medication at least once while 34.4% had problems remembering to take your medication. Totally, more than half of the patients had poor medication adherence and only 7.3% had a high adherence rate.Conclusions and Recommendations:In conclusion, the adherence rate for the patients’ medication was poor due to forgetting to have the medications. Poor adherence was related more with single patients who are not working with poor income.

The pattern of iron deficiency with and without anemia among medical college girl students in high altitude southern Saudi Arabia.

Introduction:The prevalence of iron deficiency, latent and symptomatic, is heterogeneous worldwide. In this study, we aim to explore the prevalence of iron deficiency, with and without anemia, among medical college females at the high Altitude Aseer region of Southwestern Saudi Arabia.Methodology:200 female medical students were randomly sampled, between the ages of 19 and 27 years. Blood samples were collected for complete blood count (CBC) values and serum ferritin determination. Questionnaires were completed in order to collect demographics, medical history, and socioeconomic information of the participants.Results:Prevalence of overall iron deficiency was high (63%, serum ferritin <20 μg/L, 52.5%, ferritin <15 μg/L). Anemia, adjusted for high altitude (defined as less than 13 g/dL was present in 41 participants (20.5%) and 12 (6.5%) have Hb <12 g/dL. Iron-deficiency anemia (Hb <13 g/dL and serum ferritin <15 μg/L) was present in 35 (17.5%). Personal and family history of anemia and poor animal product containing meals were positively correlated with the presence of iron deficiency state. Neither symptoms of anemia, nor the presence of menorrhagia correlate with the presence of iron deficiency anemia.Conclusion:Iron deficiency with and without anemia is a very common and condition in young females’ population at high altitude. Implementing a lab method to screen for anemia on vulnerable populations is needed. Frequently asymptomatic, the primary care providers should maintain a high degree of suspicion in order to initiate screening for iron status.

Awareness and Attitude to the Risk of Cervical Cancer and Screening Method among Women in the Najran Region of Southern Saudi Arabia

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the major health problems in the world. It is the second most common cancer in women living in less developed regions. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness among women regarding the risk factors for cervical cancer and screening methods, their information sources, and general attitudes toward Pap smear screening tests and human papillomavirus vaccination. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted through an electronic questionnaire among women in Najran city from March 1, 2019, to June 30, 2019. The data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics for Windows. Result: A total of 3,387 women participated in this study. Less than 10% of the participants had good awareness, and 70% had low awareness about the risk factors for cervical cancer. In terms of the significant barriers in taking the Pap smear test among married women, 968 (56.7%) did not know about the test, and 338 (19.85%) considered it unnecessary. Significant associations were observed between the level of awareness about cervical cancer and Pap smear test and the age of women, occupation, family history of cancer, monthly income (p < 0.001), and education level (p = 0.003). Conclusion: The current study showed a lack of awareness about risk factors for cervical cancer and early detection benefits among women in this region. Healthcare providers should implement policies or programs for cervical cancer screening and vaccination throughout all primary healthcare centers.

Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Essential oil of Mentha longifolia Leaf from Albaha Area Southern Saudi Arabia

Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Essential oil of Mentha longifolia Leaf from Albaha Area Southern Saudi Arabia

Psychological Burn- out among teachers working at faculties of education and colleges in the Southern region Saudi Arabia and its relationship to some demographic variables

This research goal to Identify the psychological Burn- out among teachers working at faculties of education and colleges in the Southern region Saudi Arabia and its relationship to some demographic variables. The researcher used descriptive total sample. The sample consisted of (238)teachers selected by using stratified random sampling method. The research tools comprised primary information form and the psychological Burn- Out scale designed by Kristina Maslash and Susan Jackson (1979). The researcher used statistical package for Social Sciences (spss).The search has reached the following conclusions: 1- the Burnout among teachers working in colleges of education and setting parameters، South Saudi Arabia to rise. 2- There is a direct correlation function between burnout and the lifetime of teachers workers education parameters setting parameters in southern Saudi Arabia. 3- There is a direct correlation function between burnout and years of experience of working parameters of the colleges of education and setting parameters in southern Saudi Arabia. 4- no statistical function relationship between burnout and qualification for teachers employed in colleges of education and setting parameters in southern Saudi Arabia. 5- There are no statistical differences in Burnout depending on the social situation of working parameters of the colleges of education and setting parameters employed in colleges of education and setting parameters in southern Saudi Arabia. 6- There are no statistically significant differences in Burnout depending on the nationality of the working parameters of the colleges of education and setting parameters in southern Saudi Arabia.