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Background Headache problems are among the most common medical conditions. There are major gaps in understanding headaches among healthcare practitioners. This study aimed to determine challenges and barriers to headache training among neurology residents in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in Saudi Arabia. The target population was all Saudi neurology residents who were currently registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS). Statistical analysis was conducted using RStudio (R version 4.1.1). A chi-squared test is used for categorical variables whenever applicable. The statistical differences for continuous variables were assessed using a Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results A total of 227 respondents were included. More than half of the residents were male (56.8%). Large proportions of residents self-rated their knowledge as good for migraines (62.6%) and tension-type headaches (60.4%). The most experienced challenges included difficult diagnosis (30.4%) and treatment difficulties due to comorbidities (19.8%). The most stated barriers to optimal treatment of headache patients were the existence of challenges in collaboration between patient and therapist (24.7%). Most residents rely on the use of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) in diagnosing and managing headache patients instead of the Saudi guidelines. The most reported reason for headache referral was suspicion of an underlying serious disease (31.7%). The most recommended non-pharmacological interventions were exercise (15.9%). Conclusion We found that residents reported the diagnosis of headache as the most challenging barrier. The overuse of analgesics played a role in causing the headache. The most often cited barrier to providing headache patients with the best possible care was difficulties in patient-therapist collaboration. Ongoing headache education and comprehensive academic training are recommended to enhance knowledge during neurology residency training and offer competent care for their patients.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Gynecomastia, defined as a benign proliferation of the breasts in males, is a common pathology of breasts among adolescent males. The root cause behind the condition is the hormonal imbalance between androgens and estrogens at the time of puberty. Different treatment options can be used; however, surgery is the preferred option. The quality of life (QoL) of affected Individuals is usually affected in all aspects. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to assess the QoL of male Saudi patients diagnosed with gynecomastia and their desire to undergo surgical treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an Arabic self-administered online questionnaire that targeted males in Saudi Arabia and was distributed throughout the kingdom. RESULTS: A total of 681 participants were involved in this study. Most of the participants were Saudi (n = 607; 90.6%) and married (n = 158; 79%). Approximately, half of the participants were between 18 and 29 years of age (n = 337; 49.5%), while 41.1% and 9.3% were between 30 and 49 years and more than 50 years old, respectively. About 29.5% of the participants were from the middle region, while 26.7% of them were from the northern region, followed by 19.5% of participants from the western region, and only 14.4% and 9.8% from the eastern or southern region. On analysis of different domains, there was no statistically significant difference between participants with gynecomastia and the control group in QoL. CONCLUSIONS: Patients showed no statistically significant change in the QoL between those diagnosed with gynecomastia and those in the control group. Also, more than one-third of our patients did not want to undergo breast reduction surgery.
