Prevalence and Associated Factors of Nomophobia Amongst the General Population in Makkah Province and Al-Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Nomophobia is a public health issue that involves the fear of being without a mobile phone. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of nomophobia and its relation to psychological factors, including depression and insomnia, among the general population in Makkah Province and Al-Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted and data were obtained through a self-administered online questionnaire using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) for depression, the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results: A total of 1022 participants completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of nomophobia was 96.7%. Moderate nomophobia was prevalent (47.8%). Based on the PHQ-2, possible depression was identified in 47.3% of the respondents. 37.1% had sub-threshold insomnia. In terms of personal psychiatric history, the most common mental disorders in the participants included generalized anxiety disorder (9.9%) and major depressive disorder (9.7%). 61.6% of them used mobile devices for more than four hours per day. Conclusion: Nomophobia is prevalent in the Makkah and Al-Madinah provinces in Saudi Arabia. The risk of nomophobia was significantly higher for participants who spent more hours using mobile devices, those with possible depression, and those having irritable bowel syndrome.

The measured healthy lifestyle habits among Saudi university females in Medina, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Lifestyle plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's health outcomes, we aim to calculate the prevalence of lifestyle habits among female populations in the College of Medicine, Taibah University including poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity (PA), poor coping with stress, and impaired sleep patterns and to find factors that are correlated to them. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Saudi females at the College of Medicine, Taibah University, from January 1 to June 1, 2023. Data were collected through interviewing them using validated questionnaires assessing 5 different lifestyle domains. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0. A total of 263 cases were interviewed. The mean age was 22 ±â€…8.4 years old. The average sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index of 2.6 ±â€…1.1, suggesting relative difficulty in sleep quality. A total of 68.6% participated in moderate PA. Dietary habits indicated a high prevalence of consumption of sweets, and fast meals, alongside low intake of fruits and vegetables. Emotional well-being, as assessed by the World Health Organization-5 questionnaire, yielded an average score of 7.8 ±â€…5.7, 58.9% moderate stress, and 8% high perceived stress. Adequate sleep quality is crucial for well-being, necessitating lifestyle modifications, particularly weight management, to address sleep disorders. Varied PA levels (46% meeting recommendations) highlight the need for standardized guidelines and tailored interventions. The high prevalence of unhealthy dietary habits underscores the importance of targeted nutritional interventions. Stress prevalence (40%) emphasizes the need for individualized stress management strategies.

Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: Experience From a Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, investigational results, and management strategies in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Methods This retrospective cohort study included all adult and adolescent patients (aged 14 years or older) diagnosed with DRE who visited the adult neurology clinic at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from January 2019 to December 2021. DRE was defined as failure to achieve seizure freedom despite undergoing adequate trials of two well-tolerated and appropriately selected antiseizure medications. Results This study included 299 patients with DRE. Most patients were in their second to fourth decade, with a mean age of 37 ± 17 years. Focal onset epilepsy was diagnosed in 52.5% of the patients, and an etiology for epilepsy was determined in 44.1% of the patients. Findings in brain magnetic resonance imaging were abnormal in 49% of the patients, whereas abnormal findings in electroencephalograms were found in 27.5%. The most common antiseizure medication was levetiracetam (67.6% of cases). Conclusion The findings of this study confirm the challenges in diagnosing and managing patients with DRE and emphasize the necessity for careful and comprehensive patient evaluation. Further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness, safety, and accessibility of diagnostic and therapeutic resources for patients with DRE.

Psychosocial Impact of Malocclusion and Self-Perceived Orthodontic Treatment Need among Young Adult Dental Patients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the psychosocial impact of malocclusion and self-rated and clinician-rated orthodontic treatment need on young adult patients in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen- to 30-year-old patients (n=355) attending a tertiary dental care facility were included. Three instruments were used for data collection: (1) Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetic Questionnaire (PIDAQ), (2) aesthetic component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN-AC), self-rated and clinician-rated, and (3) clinician-rated Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Females were significantly more impacted than males on all domains with the exception of the dental self-consciousness domain. For both the self-rated and clinician-rated IOTN and the DAI, it was found that the more severe the malocclusion, the higher the impact on all domains except for the dental self-confidence domain, which showed that patients with mild malocclusions were more affected than those with moderate and severe malocclusions. Significant associations were observed between independent variables (age, sex, self-rated IOTN, and DAI) and total PIDAQ score. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics is directly related to severity of malocclusion (self-rated and clinician-rated) for all domains of the PIDAQ accept the DSC, and females showed higher psychosocial impact than males. Clinicians should consider the impact of malocclusion and certain demographic characteristics on the psychosocial well-being of an individual when determining the orthodontic treatment need.

Adult-Onset Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia 15 in a Saudi Patient with A Compound Heterozygous Variant in the ZFYVE26Gene.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) 15 is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused by homozygous or heterozygous point mutations in the ZFYVE26 gene that encodes the spastizin protein, located on chromosome 14q22-q24. Hereditary spastic paraplegia has been rarely reported in Saudi Arabia. In this article, we reported a rare case of adult-onset HSP 15 with a pure form of the disease in a Saudi patient with a compound heterozygous variant in the ZFYVE26 gene. The present case suggests that a compound heterozygous mutation in the ZFYVE26 may be associated with a later-onset disease and a milder phenotype. Given the low prevalence of the disease as well as heterogenicity and variability of its presenting symptoms, HSP 15 may be difficult to diagnose. However, early diagnosis is important to prevent unnecessary extensive investigations, facilitate early symptomatic management and provide genetic counseling for family planning to those affected and their first and second-degree relatives.

Antibacterial Resistance Patterns Among Common Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Background The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria threatens the control of infectious diseases by reducing treatment effectiveness, prolonging illness duration, and increasing healthcare costs. This study aimed to identify the common rate of bacterial resistance against antibacterial agents in tertiary healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia. Methodology This retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted from May 2016 to December 2019 on 1,151 urinary tract infection (UTI) and respiratory tract infection (RTI) positive cultures collected from participants aged 15 years or older who received antibiotic treatment. The obtained variables included age, gender, diagnosis, antibiotic type, specimen source, culture results, and sensitivity test results. Results The most common bacteria in UTI were Escherichia coli (46.7%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (30.5%). Moreover, E. coli was most resistant to ampicillin (56.4%), followed by ceftriaxone (33.8%). Among the respiratory cultures, the most frequently isolated pathogen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (28.5%), followed by K. pneumoniae (17.6%). The 162 respiratory P. aeruginosa isolates were most resistant to piperacillin/tazobactam (51.9%), followed by ciprofloxacin (25%) and ampicillin (10.6%). Conclusion High levels of antibiotic resistance were observed in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. This indicates a need for better implementation of antibacterial stewardship and increased awareness of appropriate antibiotic use to limit the rapid spread of antibacterial resistance.

The Quality of Life in Patients With Implantable Cardiac Devices: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and their complications are one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Implantable cardiac assistive devices (CADs) play a significant role in preventing dreadful outcomes, and the complication rate of these implanting procedures is minimal. These cardiac devices require some adaptation and could affect the patients' quality of life psychosocially and financially. This study is aimed to identify the impact of implantable cardiac assistive devices on patients' quality of life in the National Guard Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This is an observational cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. It was conducted on patients who underwent cardiac assistive device implantation in National Guard Hospital. The patients were interviewed face-to-face and were requested to fill the Implanted Device Adjustment Scale (IDAS). Descriptive statistics were carried out. Chi-square test for independence was conducted to examine the associations between qualitative variables with the level of significance was taken as p-value <0.05. Results There was a statistically significant association between IDAS score and gender (p=0.03), monthly income (p=0.009), and type of cardiac implantation device (p=0.041). Females with an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) and individuals with low socioeconomic status reported alongside divorced participants have higher IDAS scores, which correlates to worse adjustment. However, most of our patients scored 21-50 in IDAS score, which indicates a mild psychosocial effect after the cardiac assistive device implantation. Conclusion This study confirmed that most individuals adjust positively to implanted devices. It showed a significant association of gender, type of device, monthly income, and duration. Attention must be drawn to females and divorced patients in regards to psychological and emotional support.

COVID-19 Infection in Academic Dental Hospital Personnel; A Cross-Sectional Survey in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Close patient contact is an essential component of clinical dental education, which can expose students and faculty to risk of COVID-19 and its sequelae. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted among faculty and clinical students at an academic dental hospital in Al Madinah western Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was distributed to collect data on prevalence, risk factors, clinical manifestations, and long-term health and socioeconomic complications of COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: Prevalence of COVID-19 was 19.6% among a total of 316 students and faculty. Participants cited family and friends as the primary source of infection (40.3%). Among cross-infection control practices, they cited failure to practice distancing as the primary reason for infection transmission (61.3%). The disease was symptomatic in 85.5% of infected personnel. Most frequently reported clinical manifestations were: fever, cough, malaise, and diarrhoea (74.1%, 56.5%, 40.3%, 32.3%, respectively). A proportion of 37.1% of infected personnel stated that they had long COVID-19, and 58.3% of infected students reported deteriorated academic achievement. CONCLUSIONS: One in five of clinical dental students and their faculty had COVID-19. Most cases were symptomatic, and a large proportion developed long COVID or adverse socioeconomic consequences. Regardless of the severity of symptoms encountered during the acute stage of COVID-19 infection, all infected dental healthcare personnel should be followed, especially those who report long COVID. Continuous follow-up and assistance for infected students may be warranted to mitigate the potential academic and mental drawbacks caused by the pandemic. Dental schools should adopt clear policies regarding COVID-19 transmission and prevention and should implement them in their infection-control education and training.