The Effects of Health Education on the Awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance Among High School Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia During 2023: A Quasi-experimental Study.

Introduction Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major health threat, recently declared a crisis by the WHO, and recognized as one of the top 10 threats to global health. One of the strategies to curb AMR is interventional education to raise awareness. Therefore, this study evaluated the impact of interventional education on awareness of antimicrobial resistance among high school students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This was a quasi-experimental study that included 120 high school students as a control group and 120 students as the experimental group. It used a questionnaire pre- and post-educational intervention, which was a lecture by trained healthcare workers. Pearson's Chi-square test and ANOVA were used to assess the effects of the intervention, and the p-value was set at <0.05 for significance. Results Over half (53.4%) of the controls reported no prior exposure to an antibiotic awareness campaign, compared to 46.6% in the intervention (experimental) group. Half of the participants in both groups were without a family relative who works in the healthcare sector. Almost half (51.2%) in the intervention group used antibiotics compared to 48.2% of controls; 53.3% in the control group reported self-medication compared to 46.7% in the intervention group. We found a statistically significant increase in the overall mean scores regarding knowledge of antibiotics resistance before and after the education intervention in the control group (p<0.001) and intervention group (p<0.001). Post-intervention, there was a significant reduction in the mean scores of misbeliefs about antibiotic use (p<0.001). We found an improvement in the perception scores toward AMR and antibiotic resistance post-educational intervention (P=0.008), and the perception difference remained significant between the two study groups (p=0.002). Conclusion These findings showed that interventional education effectively raises awareness, knowledge, and perceptions toward AMR. Therefore, public health, medical, and scientific professionals in Saudi Arabia are urged to emphasize education to fight AMR, in addition to other strategies.

Determinants of Flu Vaccine Uptake Among the General Population in Saudi Arabia: A Study Based on the Health Belief Model.

Background and objective Recently, influenza has emerged as a significant public health concern worldwide, including in Saudi Arabia. Vaccination against the flu is widely recognized as a crucial preventive measure to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the virus. However, the uptake of flu vaccines among the general population in Saudi Arabia still remains low. In light of this, this study aimed to examine the determinants of influenza vaccine uptake in Saudi Arabia by using the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among adults living in all regions of Saudi Arabia by using an online self-administered questionnaire based on the HBM. The questionnaire inquired about demographics, knowledge about influenza, knowledge about vaccines, and beliefs/barriers. It was distributed via social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 29 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for statistical analyses, and both the Chi-square test and logic regression analyses were applied to determine associations between explanatory and response variables, with the level of significance set at p<0.05. Results This study enrolled a total of 1040 participants, and the majority were Saudi nationals (96.9%). Of note, 66.2% of the participants were males, and the rest were females. Most of the participants were employed by governmental institutions (42.0%), had bachelor's degrees (58.4%), had never worked in the health sector (70.2%), and earned above 10,000 Saudi riyals per month (62.1%). Over half (55.7%) of participants had taken the flu vaccine at the time of this study. Working in the healthcare sector was associated with increased flu vaccine uptake [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.84, p<0.001]. The likelihood of getting the flu vaccines was greater among men (aOR: 1.38, p=0.027), and obesity was associated with lower flu vaccine uptake (aOR: 0.29, p=0.034). Having contact with people with flu, having had flu in the past, and experiencing severe flu complications (aOR: 4.71, p=0.029; aOR: 0.13, p=0.006; and aOR: 0.29, p=0.033, respectively) were significantly associated with the flu vaccine uptake among our study participants. Perceived potential risks of the flu vaccine were also associated with taking the flu vaccine (aOR: 0.213, p=0.042). There was a significant association between seeing an advertisement for the flu vaccine and the likelihood of taking the vaccine (aOR: 5.488, p=0.042). Conclusion This study found that certain sociodemographic factors are associated with flu vaccine uptake. These factors included contact with flu-infected individuals, past experiences with flu, perceived risks, and exposure to flu vaccine advertisements. Improving healthcare accessibility, conducting awareness campaigns, and implementing workplace initiatives are recommended to address the issues related to flu vaccine uptake.

Hijama (wet cupping therapy) enhances oral and dental health by improving salivary secretion volume and pH in adult patients at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, KSA: A controlled trial study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the potential effect of Hijama in promoting oral health by analyzing its effects in modulating saliva flow and pH. Method: An open-label, non-randomized controlled trial design was conducted at the Hijama clinic of Y.A. Jameel Scientific Chair of Prophetic Medical Applications at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, KSA. Forty-one healthy volunteers were divided into two groups: Hijama (intervention, N = 21) and control (N = 20). Saliva volume and pH were measured in salivary samples collected in a standardized fashion, 1 h before admission to the Hijama room (pre-Hijama) and 30 min after the procedure (post-Hijama) in both groups. The Hijama group underwent an additional salivary collection 7 days after Hijama. Result: Early post-Hijama assessment showed an increase in saliva volume by an average of 1 mL in the Hijama group, whereas that in the control group decreased by 0.6 mL (p < 0.001; large effect size, Cohen's d = 1.24). Saliva pH also increased in the Hijama group by an average 0.22 but decreased by 0.08 in controls (p < 0.001; large effect size, Cohen's d = 1.22). The multivariate model demonstrated that Hijama explained 48.8% of the variability of both pH and volume together (group × time effect, eta squared = 0.488, p < 0.001), whereas time and sex had no effect. At 7 days post-Hijama, both the volume and pH of saliva had increased in the Hijama group with respect to the early post-Hijama time point; however, only the volume increase was statistically significant. Conclusion: Hijama enhanced salivary function and induced a significant increase in saliva volume and pH, which was maintained 7 days after the intervention. Further studies are warranted to identify other effects of Hijama on salivary glands and explore its long-term efficacy and clinical applications.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among the General Adult Population in Saudi Arabia Based on the Health Belief Model: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Many studies have been conducted worldwide and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to assess the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. However, only some of these studies have adopted the Health Belief Model (HBM). This study aimed to assess the demographic characteristics and socio-psychological variables affecting the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among the general adult population in the KSA using the basic elements of the HBM. Methods A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted. A Google Form questionnaire comprising 30 questions was distributed electronically using social media platforms. A univariate analysis using chi-square testing identified candidate variables for the multivariate logistic regression at a p-value of <.05 at 95% confidence interval (CI) set as a cut-off point. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between multiple predictor variables and the dichotomized COVID-19 vaccine acceptance variable. Results A total of 1939 individuals participated in the current study. More than 73% were willing to take the vaccine, while the rest were either not willing (14.6%) or not sure (12.1%). The results showed that men were 1.29 times more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than women (odds ratio, or OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.01-1.64, p = .04); those who were or had been a healthcare worker (HCW) were 1.43 times more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine compared with those who had never been a HCW (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.10-1.87, p = .01). We found that perceiving the risk of contracting COVID-19 (OR = 2.86, 95% CI = 1.47-5.55, p = .00) and perceiving the severity of the disease (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.08-3.96, p = .03) were positively associated with the willingness to receive the vaccine. Perceived barriers such as ineffectiveness of the vaccine (OR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.18-0.44, p < .001), or believing the vaccine is just a media advertisement (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.35-0.87, p = .01) were negative predictors of acceptance of the vaccine. Moreover, perceiving the benefits, such as life going back to normal (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.37-3.77, p = .00) and recognizing the importance of the annual flu vaccine (OR = 3.43, 95% CI = 2.29-5.14, p < .001), were found to be positive predictors of acceptance of the vaccine. Finally, we also found that cues to action were positively associated with vaccine acceptance, that is, participants who were encouraged by their doctors (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.17-2.60, p = .01), and family members or friends (OR = 2.89, 95% CI = 1.94-4.32, p < .001) were more willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than those who were not. Conclusions The current study provides valuable insights into the determinants of vaccine acceptance and hesitancy based on the HBM from a cognitive perspective. This could be useful in helping the government establish public health programs aimed at addressing barriers and false beliefs among the adult population, which could enhance the public's willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines and, ultimately, accelerate achieving herd immunity.

Vaccine Hesitancy in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: vaccine hesitancy can put the public's health at risk from vaccine-preventable diseases. This study aimed to address vaccine hesitancy in Saudi Arabia and understand the problem's magnitude and causes. (2) Methods: this was a descriptive observational study using quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods conducted in Saudi Arabia between December 2020 and February 2021. Public survey forms, exit interviews, and healthcare professional survey forms were used. (3) Results: our study involved 2030 public survey participants, 119 exit interviews of caregivers, and 500 healthcare professionals, demonstrating that vaccine hesitancy was relatively low. Ninety percent of the participants agreed that it was essential for everyone to receive the recommended vaccines with their children (p < 0.001), 92% believed that vaccines are safe for their children (p < 0.001), 91% of the participants agreed to give their new children all the recommended doses (p < 0.001), 86% welcomed mass/school vaccination campaigns (p < 0.001), and 81% were willing to pay for additional vaccines for themselves and their children (p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: vaccine hesitancy is low in Saudi Arabia, and a positive attitude toward vaccination was detected among most of the participants. Vaccination decision-making is complex and includes emotional, cultural, social, spiritual, and political aspects.

The effect of wet-cupping therapy (hijama) in modulating autoimmune activity of Hashimoto's thyroiditis: A pilot controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible effects of wet-cupping therapy (hijama) on autoimmune activity and thyroid hormonal profiles of Hashimoto's disease (HD) patients. METHODS: A prospective pilot controlled trial was carried out among adult females following HD at the Endocrinology Clinic of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from February 2014 until March 2017. A total of 13 patients (intervention group) underwent 3 hijama sessions at 3-week interval with a 6-month follow-up. Blood tests were carried out for both pre- and post-hijama, including: thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO), thyroglobulin antibody (TG), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine-4 (T4), and prolactin. Control group included 13 randomly selected HD patients following usual care with 2 consecutive measurements of TPO and TG at 2-3 months interval. RESULTS: Changes in anti-TPO and anti-TG showed a decrease in hijama group versus an increase in control group, and intervention group comparison was statistically significant. On a fixed thyroxine supplement for each patient, significant decrease in levels of anti-TPO, anti-TG, TSH, prolactin, and erythrocyte sedi-mentation rate (ESR) occurred. CONCLUSION: These findings are presumptive to the efficacy of hijama on the pathogenesis of HD in modulating the immune inflammatory process demonstrated by the reduction in ESR, TPO, and TSH levels on a fixed thyroxin supplementation dose, along with patient-reported clinical improvement and positive changes in ultrasound including regaining of gland physiological size, echogenicity, and vascularity.