The impact of social media on adolescent energy drink consumption.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of social media on energy drink consumption among adolescents in Saudi Arabia. An online survey including demographic characteristics (3 questions), consumption patterns of energy drinks (5 questions), and Social Media Effects Scale (4 questions) was completed by 860 Saudi Arabian adolescents. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science version 29, using descriptive statistics and correlation to measure the relationship between social media and energy drink consumption. The results showed that nearly 82% of the adolescent respondents consumed energy drinks once to twice a week. Social media was the most common source of information on energy drinks (42.0%). The major findings of this study showed a positive correlation (r = .592, P > .05) between social media use and consumption of energy drinks. The study found that the average score for the Social Media Effects Scale was 5.75 out of 8, or 71.87%, indicating that social media influences the energy drinks consumption of roughly two-thirds of the study participants. Tailored action plans are required to raise awareness of the negative effects of energy drinks and change consumption patterns among the adolescent population due to a lack of knowledge and poorly controlled legislation on energy drinks.

Awareness and Attitudes toward Health Education and Promotion among Physicians and Nurses: Implications for Primary Health Care.

Health promotion and education are collaborative efforts involving patients, healthcare providers, and society, crucial for preventing and managing disease outbreaks. However, in Saudi Arabia, the actual or perceived endeavors of physicians and nurses in health education and promotion are not widely understood, which holds significant implications for those working in the field. This study aimed to evaluate the level of awareness and attitude toward health education and promotion among physicians and nurses in primary healthcare centers in Najran, Saudi Arabia. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed, and 187 participants were incorporated into the analysis. Questionnaires were distributed to physicians and nurses at the primary health care centers. Participants completed a face-to-face survey questionnaire about their awareness and attitude toward health education and promotion. One of the authors was physically present at the primary health care centers to assist the participants with answering the questionnaire questions. Saudis and physicians had higher awareness than non-Saudis and nurses, respectively. Work experience and institutional factors did not significantly influence awareness. A positive correlation between awareness and attitude was observed. However, perceived shortcomings in current approaches were identified, including a lack of skills and training, poor communication, and inadequate leadership support. Despite these challenges, healthcare professionals held positive attitudes toward health education, recognizing its importance in behavior change, reducing disparities, and influencing community policies. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions, including research on effective models, training programs, and improved communication and leadership support, to address identified gaps and optimize health education implementation.

Cultural Challenges to Weight Management: A Qualitative Study of Saudi Women's Experiences.

PURPOSE: To explore and describe the experiences of Saudi women with obesity regarding cultural barriers that prevent them from following dietary and physical activity recommendations. DESIGN: Phenomenological qualitative study. METHODS: A focus group (4 participants) and individual interviews (13 participants) were conducted from seventeen women participating in a nutrition and weight management program. FINDINGS: Several themes were identified based on experiences and consequences of cultural restraints. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide an understanding of how cultural factors impede Saudi women with obesity from achieving effective weight management. CLINICAL EVIDENCE: Designing weight management programs that are individualized and consider the differences in how women are culturally affected provide more effective interventions for women with obesity.

Advocating for Nutrition Education, Promotion, and Care Among Dementia Residents: Considerations for Long-Term Care Professionals.

In 2015, a total of 5.3 million Americans had dementia. As the number of older adults continues to grow, the older adult population with dementia conditions is expected to increase from its current number of 5.1 million to 7.1 million by 2025, representing a 40% increase. This exponential growth places a tremendous burden on long-term care facilities at a rapid pace. Taking care of residents with dementia has already proven to be a costly undertaking with the care given to these individuals in 2014 amounting to 17.9 billion hours in unpaid hourly care. One area of care that is often neglected is the proper nutrition of dementia residents. Dementia residents often have problems with appetite and they may fail to completely consume their provided meals if no one is there to encourage them to eat. Proper nutrition is crucial for dementia patients not only to prevent weight loss, but also to slow the progress of the condition. Nutritional feeding helps to promote the health of dementia residents, and gives them the emotional stability that facilitates in coping with the condition. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to provide long-term care professionals with a listing of current rules and regulations for providing dietary rights to dementia residents as well as various strategies to advocate for nutritional education, promotion, and care policy changes for older adults in long-term care facilities with dementia. Additionally, this paper provides a collaborative framework for nutritional care delivery between long-term care communities and family members that healthcare professionals can implement at their facilities in the future.

Social barriers as a challenge in seeking mental health among Saudi Arabians.

BACKGROUND: To extend our knowledge of social barriers in relation to mental health, the present study was conducted to investigate the impact of social barriers on mental health help-seeking among Saudi Arabians aged 18 years and above. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 1632 participants in 2018 during the months of October and November. The participants completed self-administered online surveys about the demographic characteristics, social barriers, and knowledge and attitudes about mental health. RESULTS: The majority of the participants agreed that social barriers could prevent them from seeking mental health help. Stigma was chosen as the most common social barrier among the participants (76.3%), followed by culture (61.5%) and negative perceptions (56.2%). CONCLUSION: Social barriers are a challenge in seeking mental health. Increasing public awareness of available services and resources as well as developing programs to fight stigmatization should be initiated to create more positive attitudes toward people with mental illness and promote holistic well-being.

Knowledge and intentions regarding the Pap smear test among Saudi Arabian women.

BACKGROUND: The knowledge of Pap smear and uptake of preventive behaviors to prevent cervical cancer are the most important contributors to the advanced stage of the disease. Knowledge is one of the most leading factors to predict the health behaviors and a helpful factor in performing screening procedures. This study aimed to investigate Saudi Arabian women knowledge of Pap testing in relation to their intention to undergo the test. METHODS: An online survey including demographic characteristics (3 questions), knowledge (13 questions), and intentions (3 questions) towards Pap smear was completed by 467 Saudi Arabian women. Data were analyzed through SPSS version 22, using descriptive statistics and correlation to measure the relationship between knowledge, demographic factors, and intention. RESULTS: The study found that average level of knowledge was 1.3 which is between high and moderate knowledge, and the average score for the intention was 2.88, to indicate that the intentions to uptake Pap smear among the participants were above the average. The study revealed a significant correlation between demographic factors and intention (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Findings from the current study can inform health care providers about Saudi Arabian women knowledge of Pap smear and the intention to uptake the test. Strategies to motivate women to undergo Pap screening should be introduced.