Knowledge of Back Pain and Spinal Disorders Among the General Population in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia.

Introduction  Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common global health problems and the second most common reason for seeking medical advice. However, most LBP does not indicate a serious disorder. Over half of the Saudi Arabian population experiences LBP at least once in their lives. Therefore, it is important to assess and understand how people manage this health problem. This study assessed back pain and spinal disorder knowledge among the general population in Saudi Arabia's western region. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of the general population in western Saudi Arabia. The data were collected using an online, self-administered, Arabic version of the validated questionnaire about LBP. A statistical analysis of the collected data was performed using a software program. Results A total of 754 eligible participants completed the questionnaire. Less than half of the participants could correctly define acute and chronic LBP and sciatica. Only 19.2% of participants were aware that medical history and clinical examinations are used to diagnose LBP. Young participants, university graduates, and unmarried participants had good LBP knowledge. Conclusion This study showed that the general population of Saudi Arabia in the Western region needs more knowledge about the definitions of acute and chronic LBP. However, they had fair knowledge about the aggravating factors and triggers of LBP. Young participants had better knowledge about LBP. Awareness campaigns with brochures and flyers can be used to increase the population's knowledge.

Assessment and Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Primary Care Settings: A Systematic Review.

Atopic dermatitis is a complex, recurrent, chronic inflammatory skin condition. It frequently begins to manifest in early childhood and may last throughout adulthood. The need for clinical practice guidelines that are based on evidence is critical for efficient and secure care. Little is known about how primary care providers (PCPs) should handle pediatric and adult atopic dermatitis cases and whether they should follow national recommendations. Our systemic review aimed to examine management strategies for treating adult and pediatric (family) atopic dermatitis, including topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), topical corticosteroids (TCS), skin emollients, oral antihistamines, and diet. Data sources were PubMed (MEDLINE) and Embase. Our review investigated English-language articles from 2014 to 2023 that studied the management of adult and children atopic dermatitis. Overall, there were 15 articles included. Surveys and analyses of national databases were the most widely used methods (n=7). The use of TCS by PCPs was common, but they also overprescribed nonsedating antihistamines, favored low-potency drugs, and avoided TCIs. Most studies relied on healthcare personnel reporting their typical behaviors rather than looking at specific patient encounters and it is considered a limitation. Finally, there are gaps in knowledge and management of critical topics such as prescribing TCIs and understanding the safety profiles of TCS, when it comes to treating adult and pediatric atopic dermatitis. Future research in this area is urgently needed because the current systemic assessment is mostly restricted to small studies that assess prescribing behaviors with scant information describing nonmedication management.

Awareness of Epidural Analgesia Among Childbearing Women in Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Labor pain is one of the most excruciating experiences that women can go through. Epidural anesthesia (EDA) is the most prevalent form of labor analgesia considered as a secure and effective method of pain relief for women during active labor. The EDA works by numbing the nerves that cause pain. To our knowledge, only a few studies have been conducted on the use of EDA in Saudi Arabia. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness of EDA among childbearing women in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional study using a self-administered online questionnaire to measure awareness about EDA. The study targeted the general population of women from the western region of Saudi Arabia who were aged between 18 and 50 years. A total of 1,137 questionnaires were returned and analyzed. Results This study assessed the perspectives of 1,137 women. The results revealed that 52.6% of women who received EDA showed a good level of knowledge of the procedure, while 26.1% of women had not experienced EDA (P = 0.001). Good knowledge of EDA was detected among 39.3% of women aged 36-50 years. This rate was significantly higher than that of women younger than 20 years old, of which 24.3% had good knowledge (P = 0.038). Conclusion This study shows that women in this particular region have a lack of knowledge about EDA. Therefore, it is recommended that more education about EDA be provided during antenatal visits to improve awareness.

An Evaluation of the Effect of Social Media Platforms on the General Population's Decision-Making About Cosmetic Procedures in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia.

Background and objective Aesthetic procedures are one of the most commonly performed medical procedures. Surgical and non-surgical cosmetic treatments that are routinely performed include breast augmentations, rhinoplasty, botulinum toxin, and fillers. Several factors contribute to the increase in the popularity of these procedures, including body image dissatisfaction, the opinion of peers, and surgeon-related factors such as the surgeon's reputation, board certification, or years of experience. In addition, recent evidence suggests that active and passive usage of highly visual social media that focus on appearance-centric content have been positively associated with the acceptance of, and desire for, cosmetic procedures. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of social media on individuals' decision-making in terms of cosmetic procedures. Method The setting for this population-based cross-sectional study was public places in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia, and it was conducted from September to November 2021. Our study included adults above the age of 18 years. The exclusion criteria were as follows: non-Arabic speakers and individuals with congenital anomalies or dysmorphic dermatological diseases. The final sample consisted of 364 participants. All analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Continuous and categorical variables were compared using ANOVA and Pearson's Chi-squared test. Result A total of 364 participants were included in the study, and 80% of them used their phones on a daily basis for >4 hours per week. The mean age of the participants was 27.4 ± 8.3 years, and they had a mean BMI of 25.0 ± 6.4 kg/m2; 60% of the participants were female. Participants with a history of cosmetic procedures or a desire to undergo cosmetic procedures reported a similar pattern of daily phone use. There was no significant association between the reported history of cosmetic procedures and the daily duration of selected social media platform use. Conclusion We found no significant correlation between the hours spent on social media and the participants' history or desire for cosmetic procedures. Only 54 subjects compared themselves to social media celebrities. These findings could be attributed to the fact that the Makkah population is conservative in their religious attitudes and traditions, which makes them less susceptible to social media influences.

Prevalence of Iatrogenic Vitamin D Toxicity Among the Saudi Population of Vitamin D Users Due to Overcorrection.

Background Despite abundant sunlight exposure, vitamin D deficiency remains a major challenge in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the widespread use of vitamin D supplements has prompted concerns about toxicity, which although rare, can have severe health consequences. Objective The objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the prevalence and associated factors of iatrogenic vitamin D toxicity among the Saudi population of vitamin D users due to overcorrection. Methods An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 1,677 participants across all regions of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included responses on the prescription, duration of vitamin D intake, dosage, frequency, history of vitamin D toxicity, symptom onset, and duration. Results One thousand six hundred and seventy-seven responses were included across all regions of Saudi Arabia. A majority of participants were female (66.7%) and around half were aged 18-25 years. A history of vitamin D use was reported by 63.8% of participants, and 48% were still using vitamin D supplements. Most participants (79.3%) consulted a physician, and 84.8% had taken a vitamin D test before using the supplement. Commonly reported motives for taking vitamin D included vitamin D deficiency (72.1%), lack of sun exposure (26.1%), and hair loss (20.6%). Symptoms of overdose were reported by 6.6% of participants, with 3.3% having an overdose and 2.1% experiencing both overdose and symptoms. Conclusion This study showed that although a large portion of the Saudi population is taking vitamin D supplements, the prevalence of vitamin D toxicity is relatively low. However, this prevalence should not be ignored, and further research is needed to understand the factors contributing to vitamin D toxicity in order to minimize its occurrence.

The Public's Knowledge of Osteoarthritis and Its Related Risk Factors in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic progressive disease that leads to the destruction of the articular cartilage inside the joint. OA is a common everyday musculoskeletal disorder worldwide, and it is believed that OA is triggered by genetics and environmental factors, including age, which is the most significant risk factor. This study aimed to investigate the general population's knowledge of OA and its related risk factors in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology This cross-sectional study was performed between December 2022 and January 2023 among the general population of Makkah, Saudi Arabia using an online survey using Google Forms. An appropriate statistical analysis was then conducted on the collected data. Results A total of 1,087 participants enrolled in this study. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, 48% (n = 789) of the participants reported that OA occurs due to joint cartilage age and use. In total, 69.7% of the participants knew that OA is a chronic problem, 84.4% knew it is a common disease, and 39.3% thought that all types of joints can suffer from OA. Over half (53.1%) of the participants knew that joint stiffness is a sign of OA, and 63.4% thought that OA may lead to the loss of joint motion. Over four-fifths (82.5%) thought that advancing age is a risk factor for OA, and 27.5% incorrectly thought that the incidence of OA is equal between men and women. Overall, 62.9% of the participants knew about clinical examinations and X-rays. Moreover, 78% thought that physiotherapy can improve the symptoms of OA, and 65.3% thought that some types of exercise can help. Finally, 35.8% of the participants had an overall awareness of OA, while 64.2% had poor awareness. Conclusions The general public of Makkah showed low knowledge of OA and its associated risk factors. Many misunderstandings about the causes, risk factors, and treatment of OA were acknowledged. Awareness campaigns with brochures and flyers can be used to raise the population's knowledge.

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Body Dysmorphic Disorder Among Adults in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition where a person spends much time worrying about flaws in their appearance. The international prevalence of BDD had been reported, and it was about 1.9-2.2%. OBJECTIVES: The current study aims to explore the prevalence of BDD among the general population in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that used an electronic questionnaire. It was distributed to the general population using the convenience sample technique between September 2021 to November 2021. BDD was assessed among the participants using an Arabic-validated tool. The sample size was calculated to be 385 participants. RESULTS: The study included a total of 392 participants. Most of them were female (59.7%), 18-27 years old (62.8%), and had bachelor or post-graduate degrees (67.6%). Among all the included participants, only 28 met the criteria of BDD (7.1%). The BDD population had an equal gender ratio, and most included respondents between 18 and 27 years old (78.6%), college students (60.7%), those with the lowest income level (< 5,000 SR) (78.6%), and who had a normal body mass index (46.4%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of BDD in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, was 7.1%. No significant differences were noticed between BDD and non-BDD groups in age, obesity, and gender.

Transcriptional analysis of Rhazya stricta in response to jasmonic acid

BACKGROUND: Jasmonic acid (JA) is a signal transducer molecule that plays an important role in plant development and stress response; it can also efficiently stimulate secondary metabolism in plant cells. RESULTS: RNA-Seq technology was applied to identify differentially expressed genes and study the time course of gene expression in Rhazya stricta in response to JA. Of more than 288 million total reads, approximately 27% were mapped to genes in the reference genome. Genes involved during the secondary metabolite pathways were up- or downregulated when treated with JA in R. stricta. Functional annotation and pathway analysis of all up- and downregulated genes identified many biological processes and molecular functions. Jasmonic acid biosynthetic, cell wall organization, and chlorophyll metabolic processes were upregulated at days 2, 6, and 12, respectively. Similarly, the molecular functions of calcium-transporting ATPase activity, ADP binding, and protein kinase activity were also upregulated at days 2, 6, and 12, respectively. Time-dependent transcriptional gene expression analysis showed that JA can induce signaling in the phenylpropanoid and aromatic acid pathways. These pathways are responsible for the production of secondary metabolites, which are essential for the development and environmental defense mechanism of R. stricta during stress conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and aromatic acid synthesis pathways were upregulated during JA stress. However, monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA) was unaffected by JA treatment. Hence, we can postulate that JA plays an important role in R. stricta during plant development and environmental stress conditions.

Tetramethylpyrazine ameliorates indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats: Impact on oxidative, inflammatory, and angiogenic machineries.

Available antiulcer medications reveal partial efficacy and numerous adverse reactions. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) was known for its potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and angiogenic properties. The aim of current study was to investigate the potential gastroprotective effect of TMP against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats with possible underlying mechanisms. TMP was tested at 3 doses (15, 30 & 60 mg/kg/d po) three days before indomethacin challenge (25 mg/kg ip). Gastric tissue was evaluated morphologically and histopathologically. Oxidative statuses were assessed via glutathione content (GSH), malondialdhyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT) activity, while TNFα and IL-6 were measured as inflammatory mediators. Gastric PGE2 was investigated in addition to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). TMP was effective (at 30 and 60 mg/kg/d) in promoting mucus secretion and preventing histopathologic changes induced by indomethacin. Mechanistically, TMP significantly enhanced GSH content and CAT activity while reducing lipid peroxidation as expressed by MDA concentration. Moreover, TMP effectively reduced TNFα, IL-6 and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) concentrations. On the other hand, TMP enhanced both COX-1 and PGE2 and encouraged angiogenesis via increasing VEGF expression. In conclusion, TMP possesses a protective effect against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer. This could be explained - at least partly - by its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and angiogenic effects.