Assessing the Dependence and Perceptions of the Harm and Addictiveness of Electronic Cigarettes among Saudi University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: The rising prevalence of e-cigarette use among university students necessitates a comprehensive understanding of dependence levels and associated factors. This study investigates e-cigarette dependence among Jazan University students in Saudi Arabia. (2) Methods: With the use of a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 1187 students through an online survey from January to April 2024. Dependence levels were assessed using the Penn State Electronic Cigarette Dependence Index (PS-ECDI), and the Arabic version of the questionnaire was validated through pilot testing. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with e-cigarette dependence. (3) Results: The results indicated that among current e-cigarette users, 37.4% had low dependence, 34.4% had medium dependence, and 13.8% had high dependence. A significant proportion of current and ever users regarded e-cigarettes to be less harmful (50.6% and 44.4%, respectively) and less addictive (37.9% and 32.3%, respectively) than cigarettes. Significant factors influencing dependence included gender, with males showing higher odds of medium (AOR = 12.8, 95% CI: 3.4-47.6) and low dependence (AOR = 9.7, 95% CI: 2.5-37.3) compared to females. Longer duration of e-cigarette use (>2 years) was strongly associated with high dependence (AOR = 50, 95% CI: 7.7-324). Daily use and multiple quit attempts were also significant predictors of higher dependence levels. (4) Conclusions: These findings highlight the substantial e-cigarette dependence among university students and underscore the need for targeted interventions to address this growing public health concern.

Shifting spatial, temporal and demographic patterns of dengue incidence and associated meteorological factors in Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia from 2015-2020.

BACKGROUND: Dengue poses a considerable public health threat in Saudi Arabia, with escalating outbreaks in Jazan, where seasonal rains create ideal mosquito breeding conditions. Elucidating local epidemiological dynamics is imperative to strengthen evidence-based prevention policies. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal, demographic, and meteorological patterns of dengue in Jazan from 2015-2020. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study utilized surveillance records for 3427 confirmed dengue cases. Descriptive analyses characterized geographic, seasonal, age, sex, and nationality distributions. Forecasting models project expected epidemics through 2025. Regression analysis identified climate factors associated with monthly case counts. RESULTS: Dengue exhibited shifting seasonal peaks, transitioning into year-round transmission by 2019, indicating endemic establishment. Cases clustered in different high-burden sectors annually, requiring localized vector control. The majority of affected individuals were young male adults, with gender gaps narrowing over time. Saudi nationals had an escalating incidence, but non-citizens showed a higher risk, signaling importation threats. Seasonal outbreaks were associated with temperature, wind speed, and direction. CONCLUSION: Enhanced surveillance, outbreak forecasting, targeted control activities, and integrated prevention policies grounded in continuous evidence assessment can effectively address endemic dengue transmission in Jazan. This study provides key insights to optimize data-driven decision-making for dengue control in Saudi Arabia.

Diabetes-Related Distress and Depression in Saudis with Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM)-related distress and depression and their associated factors in Saudi people with type 2 DM (T2DM) in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. It also aims to assess the association between glycemic control and DM-related distress and depression. METHODS: This is an analytical, cross-sectional study which recruited 300 Saudi patients with T2DM randomly from primary healthcare centers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. DM-related distress and depression were measured by valid questionnaires, the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. Logistic regression and an independent t-test were performed in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 52.7 years, with a range of 23-83 years. The number of males was 147 (49%) and females was 153 (51%) in the study population. The prevalence of DM-related distress and depression in Saudi patients with T2DM in Jazan was 22.3% and 20%, respectively, and about 7.7% had both. Of DM-related distress, 12.3% had interpersonal-related DM distress, 11.7% had physician-related DM distress, 10.7% had emotional-related DM distress, and 7% had regimen-related DM distress. After adjusting for covariates, being female, patients aged <45, physical inactivity, DM duration <5 years, and smoking were significantly associated with DM-related distress and depression. There was also a significant association between DM-related distress and depression, OR = 3 [95% CI: 1.8, 6.4]. Furthermore, we found that glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels were significantly higher in those with DM-related distress (small effect size, eta squared = 0.04) and depression (moderate effect size, eta squared = 0.06) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: DM-related distress and depression are prevalent in patients with T2DM in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Both these conditions need to be screened for and addressed in clinical settings. Establishing the causality of DM-related distress and depression in T2DM is an important aim for any future studies.

Vitamin D deficiency and glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Jazan City, Saudi Arabia.

Background: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is predicted to be high in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the exact figure is not known in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Emerging data suggests that VDD plays a role in glycemic control. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of VDD among T2DM patients and to investigate its association with patients' characteristics and glycemic control in Jazan. Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study which recruited 309 patients with T2DM randomly from primary health care centers in Jazan. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the VDD predictors and to examine the association of VDD and glycemic control. Results: The VDD prevalence was found to be 60.8% in patients with T2DM. Age, gender, diabetic retinopathy (DR), dyslipidemia, glycemic control, and obesity were significantly associated with VDD, and all except obesity were independent predictors of VDD. There was a significant negative correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and HbA1c. VDD was a significant independent predictor of poor glycemic control after adjustment for hypertension, DR, diabetic neuropathy, type of diabetes medication, diabetes duration, and education level. Conclusion: In this Saudi Arabian population, VDD is highly prevalent in people with T2DM and is associated with poor glycemic control. Health education targeting patients with T2DM and national strategies regarding vitamin D fortification are needed to prevent VDD in Saudi Arabia. Earlier VDD diagnosis by health care providers may help to improve the outcome for patients with T2DM. Establishing the causal association between VDD and glycemic control and clarifying the biological role of vitamin D in T2DM are important aims for future studies.

Erratum to "Factors Associated with Long-Term Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2016/2109542.].

The effects of an educational program on depression literacy and stigma among students of secondary schools in Jazan city, 2016: A cluster-randomized controlled trial study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a serious mental health disorder and characterized by sadness, loss of interest in activities, and decreased energy. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the school intervention program on depression literacy and stigma among students of secondary schools. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cluster randomized trial will be conducted on sample of 360 students to assess the depression literacy and stigma towards depression before and after a designed intervention educational program. The intervention consists of a package of 2 lectures, 1 video contact, and group discussion of 5 myths about depression, posters, and brochure. The target population consists of all secondary school students in Jazan, where there are 13 secondary schools will be stratified according to sex (6 schools for boys and 7 schools for girls). EXPECTED IMPACT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: The results of the study will provide evidence of the efficacy of educational intervention programs on increasing depression literacy among students of secondary schools in Jazan City. The expected outcome of this study is to increase the depression literacy rate among high school students in the intervention group.

The Self-Stigma of Depression Scale: Translation and Validation of the Arabic Version.

BACKGROUND: Self-stigma may feature strongly and be detrimental for people with depression, but the understanding of its nature and prevalence is limited by the lack of psychometrically validated measures. This study is aimed to validate the Arabic version self-stigma of depression scale (SSDS) among adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study involved 100 adolescents randomly selected. The analyses include face validation, factor analysis, and reliability testing. A test-retest was conducted within a 2-week interval. RESULTS: The mean score for self-stigma of depression among study participants was 68.9 (Standard deviation = 8.76) median equal to 71 and range was 47. Descriptive analysis showed that the percentage of those who scored below the mean score (41.7%) is shown less than those who scored above the mean score (58.3%). Preliminary construct validation analysis confirmed that factor analysis was appropriate for the Arabic-translated version of the SSDS. Furthermore, the factor analysis showed similar factor loadings to the original English version. The total internal consistency of the translated version, which was measured by Cronbach's alphas ranged from 0.70 to 0.77 for the four subscales and 0.84 for the total scale. Test-retest reliability was assessed in 65 respondents after 2 weeks. Cronbach's alphas ranged from 0.70 to 0.77 for the four subscales and 0.84 for the total scale. CONCLUSIONS: Face validity, construct validity, and reliability analysis were found satisfactory for the Arabic-translated version of the SSDS. The Arabic-translated version of the SSDS was found valid and reliable to be used in future studies, with comparable properties to the original version and to previous studies.

Arabic Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Depression Literacy Questionnaire among Adolescents.

Background. Depression is a serious mental health disease. Globally, it is estimated that almost 350 million people suffer from depression. It is important to assess depression literacy including knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders among adolescents. Objective. This study was conducted to validate the Arabic version of the Depression Literacy Questionnaire (D-Lit) among adolescents. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample size of 120 adolescents. Statistical analysis included face validation, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability testing. A test-retest was carried out within a two-week interval. Results. The mean score for depression literacy among participants was 8.6 (SD = 4.48), the median was 8, and the interquartile range was 7. Preliminary construct validation analysis confirmed that factor analysis was appropriate for the Arabic version of D-Lit. The total internal consistency was measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and split-half test and the results were 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. The test-retest reliability measured by Pearson's correlation was 0.92 and spearman rho was equal to 0.91. Conclusions. Face validity, construct validity, and reliability analysis were found satisfactory for the Arabic version of D-Lit. The Arabic D-Lit was found valid and reliable to be used in the future studies.

Factors Associated with Long-Term Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Aims. This study assessed factors associated with glycemic control among Saudi patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study, which included a random sample of 288 patients with T2DM proportional to the diabetes population of each primary health care center in Jazan city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Results. More than two-thirds (74%) of patients had poor glycemic control. Lack of education, polypharmacy, and duration of diabetes ≥ 7 years were significantly associated with higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Moreover, patients who were smoker or divorced were significantly more likely to have higher HbA1c. The patients who did not comply with diet or take their medications as prescribed had poor glycemic control. The study found lower HbA1c levels among patients who received family support or had close relationship with their physicians. Similarly, knowledgeable patients towards diabetes or those with greater confidence in ability to manage self-care behaviors had a lower HbA1c. In contrast, risk factors such as depression or stress were significantly correlated with poorer glycemic control. Conclusion. The majority of T2DM patients had poor glycemic control. The study identified several factors associated with glycemic control. Effective and tailored interventions are needed to mitigate exposure to these risk factors. This would improve glycemic control and reduce the risks inherent to diabetes complications.