A population-based study of 15,000 people on Knowledge and awareness of lung cancer symptoms and risk factors in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Lung cancer is currently the most fatal form of cancer worldwide, ranking as the fourth most prevalent type in Saudi Arabia, particularly among males. This trend is expected to increase with growing population, lifestyle changes, and aging population. Understanding the awareness of the Saudi population regarding the risk factors and symptoms of lung cancer is necessary to attenuate the predicted increase in cases. Method: A cross-sectional, population-based survey was performed using a previously validated questionnaire (Lung CAM). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess variables associated with deficiency in knowledge and awareness of risk factors and symptoms of lung cancer. Results: Majority of the 15,099 respondents were male (65%), aged between 18 and 30 years (53%), 50% of which were educated up to a bachelor's degree level. Overall awareness of lung cancer signs and symptoms was 53%, with painful cough and coughing up blood being the best-known symptoms. Conversely, persistent shoulder pain (44%) and clubbing fingers (47%) were the least known lung cancer symptoms. Also, 60% of the respondents showed low confidence in identifying the signs and symptoms of lung cancer. The overall awareness of the risk factors for lung cancer development was 74%, with first-hand (74%) and second-hand (68%) smoking being the most known risk factors. However, only ≤ 62% know the other non-smoking risk factors. Awareness of the risk factors and symptoms of lung cancer depended on age, gender, education, marital and employment status (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Public awareness of the risk factors and symptoms of lung cancer in Saudi Arabia is inadequate and heavily dependent on education and socio-economic status. Awareness can be improved through campaigns to raise awareness about other lesser-known lung cancer risk factors and symptoms.

Prevalence and Determinants of Social Media Addiction among Medical Students in a Selected University in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Social media addiction has become a serious public health concern due to its adverse psychological effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of social media addiction among medical students in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was designed. Participants (n = 326) from King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia completed the sociodemographic information, patient health questionnaire-9 scale, and the generalized anxiety disorder-7 tool to measure explanatory variables. The Bergen social media addiction scale (BSMAS) was used to measure social media addiction. A multiple linear regression model was fitted to investigate the predictors of social media addiction. The prevalence of social media addiction among study participants was 55.2% (mean BSMAS score: 16.6). According to the adjusted linear regression, male students had higher social media addiction scores than their female counterparts (ß = 4.52, p < 0.001). Students' academic performance was negatively associated with social media addiction scores. Moreover, students with symptoms of depression (ß = 1.85, p = 0.005) or anxiety (ß = 2.79, p = 0.003) had a higher BSMAS score compared to their counterparts. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to identify the causal factors of social media addiction, which would assist intervention initiatives by policymakers.

Accumulation of heavy metals in a macrophyte Phragmites australis: implications to phytoremediation in the Arabian Peninsula wadis.

Heavy metal-polluted wetlands could be remediated by harvesting metal accumulating plants, i.e., using phytoextraction. We studied a macrophyte Phragmites australis and assessed its potential to be utilized in the phytoremediation of heavy metal-polluted wetlands, specifically in wadis in the Arabian Peninsula. We sampled six polluted wadi sites and measured Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb concentrations in the roots, rhizomes, stems, and leaves of P. australis, as well as in sediment and water. We analyzed the correlations between different plant organs, water, and sediment, and calculated the accumulation and translocation of the metals to the plant organs. We found indications for the accumulation of Cd, Zn, and Pb into P. australis and somewhat contradictory indications for the accumulation of Cu. We suggest that P. australis is a good candidate to be utilized in the phytoremediation of heavy metal-polluted wadis in the Arabian Peninsula where the few wadis offer many valuable ecosystem services for urban citizens.

Preterm singleton breech delivery in a teaching hospital of saudi arabia: vaginal versus cesarean delivery.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of singleton preterm breech babies born in a teaching hospital, and to study the influence of the mode of delivery on perinatal outcome in preterm births with breech presentation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis from the medical records of patients who had preterm singleton breech delivery (24 - 36 weeks gestation) was undertaken in a tertiary care hospital in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia between January 1992 and December 2001. All the patients with intrauterine fetal death, multiple pregnancies and lethal congenital fetal malformations were excluded from the study. Intrapartum and neonatal morbidity and mortality in vaginal versus cesarean delivery groups were the main outcomes measured. RESULTS: Of 24,708 deliveries that occurred in the hospital during the period of study, there were 195 preterm singleton breech deliveries, giving an incidence of 0.08%. One hundred and forty-eight (75.9%) patients delivered vaginally and did not have any medical or obstetric complications. Forty-seven (24.1%) patients underwent caesarean section. While the neonatal morbidity was similar in the two groups, the neonatal mortality was significantly higher for vaginal delivery than cesarean section (p<0.00069). CONCLUSION: In view of the significantly higher neonatal mortality found in vaginal delivery, the present study favors abdominal delivery for a singleton preterm breech fetus.

Characteristics and risk factors of tobacco consumption among University of Sharjah students, 2005.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, patterns and risk factors of tobacco consumption among a stratified random sample of students at University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), during 2005. The overall reported smoking prevalence among 1057 sampled students was 15.1%; cigarette smokers were 9.4% and waterpipe smokers 5.6%. While women comprised only 8.9% of cigarette smokers, they were 26.2% of waterpipe smokers. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the most important predictors for smoking among the students were: male sex, having a smoking friend, having a smoking family member (father/mother/both), non-UAE nationality and older age. There is a need to intensify efforts to prevent young people from starting smoking and to help young smokers to stop.