Predictors of Foot Ulcers Among Diabetic Patients at a Tertiary Care Center, Egypt.

Background And Purpose: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) markedly contribute to morbidity and mortality of diabetic patients. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the predictors of foot ulcers among Egyptian diabetic patients.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted among 488 diabetic patients attending the inpatient departments and outpatient clinics at the National Diabetes Institute in Egypt.

Perceived Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening among Saudi Women at Primary Care Setting.

Background: Screening for breast cancer (BC) is of low rate in Saudi Arabia; although it is provided in the country free of charge to the population. This cross-sectional study aimed at investigating the perceived barriers towards BC screening in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia. It is crucial for increasing the rate of utilization of screening to identify the possible barriers for seeking BC screening in order to enhance early diagnosis and improve outcome.

Perceived Risk of Cervical Cancer and Barriers to Screening among Secondary School Female Teachers in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

Background: No previous studies had addressed the perceived risk of cervical cancer (CC) and its influence on screening practices and perceived barriers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 506 randomly selected Saudi female secondary school teachers in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia to assess their level of knowledge about risk factors and signs of CC in relation to perceived risk and to characterize CC screening compliance using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Of the included female Saudi teachers, 65.

Role of Leisure Time Physical Activity in Cancer Prevention: Awareness and Practice among Medical Students at Cairo University.

Background: Physical inactivity is accountable for a sizable proportion of breast and colorectal cancers and other non-communicable diseases. The higher the individual’s awareness about the protective role of physical activity (PA) in reducing chronic disease, the greater the adoption of PA will be. Objectives: To determine the level of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and awareness towards the role of LTPA in cancer prevention among a sample of Medical students at Cairo University, Egypt.

Cancer Screening Knowledge and Attitudes of Under- and Post-Graduate Students at Kasr Al Ainy School of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

Background: Increasing knowledge and awareness of cancer screening significantly influence health promotion behavior which could markedly reduce incidence rates. In many countries, health care providers are the principal source of information concerning cancer screening. This study was carried out to assess the level of knowledge concerning cancer screening among medical students, house officers and residents and to explore their attitude towards cancer screening practices.

Colon Cancer among Older Saudis: Awareness of Risk Factors and Early Signs, and Perceived Barriers to Screening.

Background: Colon cancer screening (CRCS) uptake is markedly affected by public awareness of the disease. This study was conducted to assess levels of knowledge of CRC, to explore the pattern of CRCS uptake and identify possible barriers to screening among Saudis older than 50 years of age and primary care providers (PCPs) in Al Hassa region, Saudi Arabia.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected primary health care (PHC) centers, 884 Saudis and 39 PCPs being enrolled for data collection.

English language proficiency and academic performance: A study of a medical preparatory year program in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: All medical schools in Saudi Arabia have English as the primary official medium of instruction. Most of the high school education, however, is delivered in Arabic and hence the transition to an English based learning environment tends to be difficult for some students. Our study aims to correlate English language proficiency with academic performance among medical students in their preparatory year.

Specialty preferences of 1(st) year medical students in a Saudi Medical School - Factors affecting these choices and the influence of gender.

Background And Aims: In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the issues of career preference in medicine as it affects student learning and academic performance. Various factors influence the specialty choices of medical students. Some specialties tend to attract students more than others.

Profile of non-communicable disease risk factors among employees at a Saudi university.

Background: There is paucity of studies defining the prevalence of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in Saudi Arabia despite the surging epidemic of obesity, change in dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of NCDs risk factors among employees at King Faisal University in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia and to determine the possible correlates for clustering of NCDs risk factors among them.

Materials And Methods: All employees were invited to participate; the World Health Organization STEPwise approach was used for data collection which consisted of a personal interview to collect socio-demographic characteristics, NCD history, tobacco use, vegetables and fruit consumption, and physical activity (PA), followed by anthropometric measurements namely weight, height and waist circumference and blood pressure measurements, subjects were finally subjected to biochemical tests with determination of fasting plasma glucose, serum triglycerides, cholesterol and high density lipoproteins.

Physical activity and cancer prevention: awareness and meeting the recommendations among adult Saudis.

Background: There is a scarcity of information about the proportion of the adult Saudi population that meet the recommended guidelines of physical activity (PA) to reduce cancer risk. Moreover, their awareness about the role of PA in cancer prevention is unclear.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed at estimating the proportion of adult Saudis meeting the PA guidelines, specifically those recommended by American Cancer Society (ACS) for cancer prevention, and to assess the public awareness about the role of PA in cancer prevention.

Mobile teledermatology--patient satisfaction, diagnostic and management concordance, and factors affecting patient refusal to participate in Saudi Arabia.

We evaluated the use of a 4G smart phone for mobile teledermatology. A dermatologist took pictures of skin images with a mobile phone (8 Mpixel camera resolution) and made a face-to-face diagnosis. The images were transmitted to a second dermatologist who viewed them on a similar mobile phone and made an independent diagnosis for comparison.

Toxoplasmosis preventive behavior and related knowledge among Saudi pregnant women: an exploratory study.

Introduction: Many cases of congenital toxoplasmosis can be prevented provided that pregnant women following hygienic measures to avert risk of infection and to reduce severity of the condition if primary prevention failed.

Objectives: This descriptive exploratory study aimed to assess the risk behavior and knowledge related to toxoplasmoisis among Saudi pregnant women attending primary health care centers (PHCs) in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia and to determine socio-demographic characteristics related to risk behavior and knowledge.

Methods: All Saudi pregnant women attending antenatal care at randomly selected six urban and four rural PHCs were approached.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia: epidemiological trends from 2000 to 2010.

Objective: To study epidemiological trends related to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Al Hassa, an endemic area in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This retrospective study included the spatial/temporal analysis of the reported cases of CL using the available surveillance database for the disease at the regional Vector Control Unit, from 2000 to 2010.

Results: The incidence of CL was declining at a stable rate especially during the last 3 years of the study (2008-2010).

Standard precautions and infection control, medical students' knowledge and behavior at a Saudi university: the need for change.

Background: No previous studies have reported the knowledge of Saudi medical students about Standard Precautions (SPs) and infection control.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess medical students' knowledge in clinical years at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia about SPs' and to explore their attitudes toward the current curricular/training in providing them with effective knowledge and necessary skills with regard to SPs.

Subjects And Methods: This cross sectional study targeted students in clinical stage at College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

Osteoporosis among older Saudis: risk of fractures and unmet needs.

Unlabelled: Using FRAX®, this study aimed at estimating 10-years probability of osteoporosis (OP)-related fractures and identifies those in need of OP treatment among primary care attendees in Saudi Arabia. Of those aged ≥ 60 years, 14.4 and 18.

Prevalence and pattern of refractive errors among primary school children in Al Hassa , Saudi Arabia.

Some 12.8 million in the age group 5-15 years are visually impaired from uncorrected or inadequately corrected refractive errors. In Saudi Arabia, the size of this public health problem is not well defined especially among primary schoolchildren.

Saudi women's interest in breast cancer gene testing: possible influence of awareness, perceived risk and socio-demographic factors.

Background: Development of effective educational strategies should accompany increases in public awareness and the availability of genetic testing for breast cancer (BC). These educational strategies should be designed to fulfill the knowledge gap while considering factors that influence women's interest in order to facilitate decision making.

Objective: To determine the possible correlates of Saudi women's interest in BC genes testing including socio-demographics, the level of awareness towards BC genes, the family history of BC and the perceived personal risk among adult Saudi women in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

Leisure time physical activity in Saudi Arabia: prevalence, pattern and determining factors.

Background: Identification of reliable predictors of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) will enable healthcare providers to intervene and change the patterns of LTPA in the population to improve community health.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine prevalence and pattern of LTPA among adult Saudis aged 18-65 years, and to define the socio-demographic determinants that correlate with LTPA in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

Subjects And Methods: A cross-sectional study of 2176 adult Saudis attending urban and rural primary health care centers were selected using a multistage proportionate sampling method.

Patients' profile, clinical presentations and histopathological features of colo-rectal cancer in Al Hassa region, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Patients' demographics, presenting clinical and histopathological features for colo-rectal cancer (CRC) are important factors for patients' outcome and disease prognosis. This study aimed to describe the pattern of CRC in terms of patients' demographics, main presenting symptoms and histopathological features in Al Hassa region of Saudi Arabia.

Subjects And Methods: A retrospective hospital records-based study which included reviewing of patients' records diagnosed with CRC at three general hospitals in Al Hassa region, Saudi Arabia.

Health related quality of life among adolescents with sickle cell disease in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Increased life expectancy due to recent medical advances has increased the need to understand more fully the quality of life (QoL) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and factors predicting disease adaptation .The objectives of this study were to assess the impairment of health related quality of life (HRQoL) domains in a sample of Saudi Arabian adolescents with SCD.

Methods: A non-probability sample composed of Saudi adolescents with SCD (n=180) aged 14-18 years and comparable age and gender matched healthy controls (n=202).

Pattern, prevalence, and perceived personal barriers toward physical activity among adult Saudis in Al-Hassa, KSA.

Objectives: To determine patterns of physical activity (PA) along domains of work-transport-leisure among adult Saudis, sociodemographic correlates of PA and perceived personal barriers to leisure-time-related physical inactivity in Al-Hassa, KSA.

Methods: A cross-sectional study in which 2176 adult Saudis attending urban and rural Primary Health centers were selected using multistage proportionate sampling method. Participants were personally interviewed to gather information regarding sociodemographics, PA pattern using Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), and perceived barriers toward recreation-related PA.

Predictors of waterpipe smoking among secondary school adolescents in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

Background: There has been a global upsurge of waterpipe (WP) smoking over the past several years. This can be attributed at least partly to various factors like lack of knowledge regarding its health effects, social acceptability, and intensive preventive programs focusing selectively on cigarettes smoking.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and psychosocial determinants of WP smoking among secondary school adolescents in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia, and also to assess their attitudes toward WPs smoking and knowledge regarding the related health effects.

Psychosocial predictors of smoking among secondary school students in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of the current smoking status among secondary school students in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. A total of 1,652 secondary school adolescents were selected by multistage proportionate sampling method. Data collection was carried out through self-administered anonymous questionnaire including: Arabic version of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, modified Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and Patient Health Questionnaire to asses for anxiety and depressive disorders.