The triad of knowledge, regular medical consultation, and recommendations for enhanced breast cancer screening intention in Morocco.

PURPOSE: The low rate of breast cancer screening in Morocco is linked to delayed diagnosis and increased mortality rates. Furthermore, there is a lack of research on the association between screening intention and knowledge levels. Our objective was to assess the level of knowledge regarding breast cancer and screening, identify the determinants of this knowledge, and determine predictive factors for screening intention. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 1014 women in the city of Essaouira, Morocco, during the years 2018-2020. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors using SPSS software. RESULTS: We found an above-average level of knowledge (67%). These knowledge levels were associated with several personal characteristics. Moreover, these knowledge levels proved to be powerful predictive factors for the intention to undergo screening, along with regular medical consultations and recommendations to undergo screening. CONCLUSION: Women had a high level of knowledge about breast cancer and its characteristics. These knowledge levels were strongly associated with the intention to undergo screening. However, despite this, the low participation rate encourages the reinforcement of research to align knowledge, intention, and screening practices.

Knowledge and Attitudes about Mother-to-Child Transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in a Context of Social Vulnerability: The Case of the Province of Essaouira, Morocco.

Background: Despite health education efforts, pregnant women still face major health problems.The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women on measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus in a context of social vulnerability. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey of 384 pregnant women randomly selected from the 20 health districts in the province of Essaouira. This study was carried out from January 2022 to June 2022. A questionnaire was used, and bivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors associated with knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women about mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus. Results: Low knowledge (75.8%) and negative attitudes (72.7%) about preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV were observed in study participants. The knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women about the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV varied by education level, number of children, and source of information. There was a very significant correlation between knowledge and attitude (p=0.000). Conclusion: A significant number of pregnant women have incomplete knowledge and attitudes about preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Actions to increase the knowledge of pregnant women are essential. The capacity of healthcare providers should also be strengthened to improve the quality of care.

Factors Influencing Therapeutic Observance in Diabetic Subjects in the Province of Essaouira (Morocco): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Therapeutic observance remains a major problem in managing diabetic subjects, just like in other pathologies treated by medication and lifestyle modification. This study aims to determine the rate of therapeutic observance among diabetic subjects in the province of Essaouira and to identify the factors that influence it. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 498 type 1 and 2 diabetic subjects, regularly being checked at different health centers in the province of Essaouira (Morocco). Results: Almost a quarter of the surveyed subjects (23.3%) had poor observance. The results of the binary logistic regression model show that, in order of importance, observance is associated with six factors: Availability and access to medical treatment (Odds Ratio OR: 3; 95% CI confidence interval [1.78-5.03]); the side effects related to the treatment (OR: 2.60; 95% CI [1.65-4.09]); the family support (OR: 1.58 ; 95% CI [0.95-2.61]); duration of diabetes (OR: 0.55 ; 95% CI [0.34-0.88]); the age (OR: 0.50 ; 95% CI [0.30-0.82]); awareness level about the disease (OR: 0.43 ; 95% CI [0.21-0.90]). Conclusion: The results of the present study have allowed us to identify several factors that can influence therapeutic observance, that prove necessary to be considered and acted upon.

Observance of hygiene and dietary rules and the associated factors among diabetic subjects in Essaouira Province, Morocco: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: hygiene and dietary recommendations are a fundamental pillar of diabetes management. The objective of this study is to measure the rate of observance of hygiene and dietary rules and the factors associated with these among a group of Moroccan diabetic subjects. Methods: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 522 subjects with types 1 and 2 diabetes followed at different health centres in the province of Essaouira (Morocco). Results: non-observance of hygiene and dietary rules rate was assessed at 41,4%, (66.5% for diet, 32.4% for lifestyle and 30.8% for physical activity). Rural area (p<0.001), poor glycaemic control (p<0.001), ignorance of hygiene and dietary rules (p<0.001) and long duration of diabetes (p<0.01) are associated with non-observance of diet. Good family support (p<0.01) is associated with good observance of lifestyle recommendations, short duration of diabetes progression (p<0.01) is associated with good observance of physical activity recommendations. Conclusion: non-observance of hygiene and dietary rules is always a problem in the management of chronic diseases. Ignorance of hygiene and dietary measures, lassitude and difficulty in adapting to a new lifestyle are the main obstacles that diabetics must overcome in order to better manage their disease.

The North-East Moroccan physicians' management of menopause: Prescription vs. nonprescription of hormonal treatment.

This study examined the management of North-East Moroccan physicians of menopause. The poll was carried out on a representative sample of physicians in the Nador region. The sample included gynecologists and general practitioner physicians in both public and private medical sectors. The survey contained focused and open-ended questions on the good knowledge or not of physicians about menopause, their patient population, their prescribing practices, their perceptions, and the different medical approaches to managing the symptoms of menopause. Among the general practitioners interviewed, only 16% of physicians are very knowledgeable about the management of menopause and only 3 physicians have followed continuous training. The others have mainly acquired their information from the internet, medical journals, and scientific magazines. Only one-third of physicians interviewed prescribe menopausal hormonal treatment in this region. The treatment is mainly prescribed to cope with hot flashes (97.1%) and menstrual cycle disruption (85.7%). Others are in favor of non-hormonal treatments and advise women to change their bad daily habits to relieve symptoms. In this region of Morocco, hormonal treatment for menopause is not very common and the majority of general practitioners are not familiar with menopause.

Syndromes associated with sexually transmitted infections: Prevalence and risk factors among women of childbearing age in Morocco.

This research was designed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with syndromes of sexually transmitted infections in women of reproductive age in the province of Essaouira in Morocco. A questionnaire was distributed to 1100 women using a random sampling technique. Subsequently, a clinical and speculum examination was performed. In this study, 38.6% of the women examined had syndromes of sexually transmitted infections, of which 81.8% had a vaginal discharge. Diagnosed sexually transmitted infection syndromes have been influenced by a woman's level of education, socio-economic status, marital status, obstetric history, and whether the partner is suspected of having other sexual relations. This study revealed a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infection syndromes, and that demands more effort in diagnosis and management should be made.