Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Breast Cancer Screening Among Women in Saudi Arabia.

Background: According to the World Health Organization, by the end of 2020, an estimated 7.8 million people was living with breast cancer diagnosed between 2015 and 2020; in Saudi Arabia, more than fifty percent of cancer cases are detected in late stages, which results in increased mortality rates and reduces the chances of remission. Breast cancer screening using mammography in women fifty years and older worldwide and in women forty years and older in Saudi Arabia shows a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality. However, screening rates are not satisfactory and require further investigation. Methods: This cross-sectional study included women aged 40 years and older. Data was collected through an online survey distributed via social media platforms to all regions of Saudi Arabia. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to examine the difference in the distribution of study variables among women who had received breast screening and those who had not. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the risk of not having breast cancer screening. Results: A total of 973 participants completed the survey. Among respondents, 476 (48.9%) had been screened at least once in their lifetime. The main motivators for screening were: receiving an advice from a physician (41.8%), interest in early detection (39.8%), and receiving free mammography (29.7%). On the other hand, the main barriers to receiving breast cancer screening were: finding screening unnecessary (24.2%), believing screening to be painful (22.1%), and fearing abnormal results (18.6%). Conclusion: We found that nearly half of the targeted screening group had never received mammography screening. These results warrant urgent attention, as early detection is key to better outcomes. Our study's results aid in better understanding the public's points of view and inform interventions to improve breast cancer.

Social anxiety disorder and its associated factors: a cross-sectional study among medical students, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Social Anxiety disorder (SAD) is common worldwide. However, data from Saudi Arabia is deficient. This study aims to determine the prevalence of SAD across Saudi medical students and its associations with sociodemographic factors and their academic performance. METHODS: The main outcome was presence/absence of SAD and the secondary outcome was its level of severity. These were assessed from the Social Phobia Inventory. Associated factors included sociodemographic variables, as well as educational characteristics of students. Descriptive statistics were reported as counts and percentages, and unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed through bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 5896 Saudi medical students who participated in the study, the prevalence of SAD was almost 51%. While 8.21% and 4.21% had reported severe and very severe SAD, respectively. Older age students were at lower risk of developing SAD (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.89 - 0.96). In contrast, females (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.01 - 1.26), students enrolled in private colleges and colleges implementing non-problem-based learning (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.09 - 1.52 and OR = 1.29. 95% CI = 1.15 - 1.46 respectively) were at higher risk. A significant elevated risk of SAD was found among students who had previously failed, and had a low GPA. CONCLUSION: SAD is prevalent among the sampled population, and different associated factors were identified. Current results could raise the awareness of faculty members and healthcare providers towards early detection and management of these cases.

ABO and Rhesus Blood Group Distribution and Blood Donation Willingness Among First-Year Health Students in a Saudi University.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the distribution of blood groups and blood donation willingness in a population is crucial in managing blood banks and transfusion services. Moreover, awareness of one's own blood group is essential especially in emergencies that mandate blood donation. This study aimed to determine the distribution of ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood groups among health students, the students' knowledge about their blood group, and their willingness to donate blood. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included all newly accepted health students in a large university in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (N=1145) during August 2020. The data included a self-administered questionnaire and the serology results of ABO and Rh factors. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were performed followed by a multivariable binary logistic regression analysis which identified the predictors of willingness of blood donation. RESULTS: Blood group O was the most frequent type among students (51.1%), followed by group A (24.5%) and B (20.4%). The majority (93.3%) of students had Rh-positive factor. When we compared students' answers with their sample results, most students (75.5%) correctly reported their ABO and Rh blood groups. Male students and those with a previous history of blood donation correctly reported their blood group more than others. Of the total sample, 47.3% were willing to donate blood within the next year. Positive predictors of the willingness of student to donate blood included being male, and those with a history of blood donation. Interestingly, students with a family member in the healthcare field were significantly less likely to donate blood. CONCLUSION: Blood group O and Rh positive were the most frequent blood groups. Most students had a good knowledge about their blood groups, and about half of students were willing to donate blood. Efforts to encourage the young population to participate in blood donation are crucial.

Assessment of the stroke-specific quality-of-life scale in KFHU, Khobar: A prospective cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the overall and domain-specific quality of life (QOL) in post-stroke patients using the stroke-specific quality of life (SS-QOL) scale and to identify variables that may affect the QOL after stroke. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study, included 80 stroke patients, was conducted in the Neurology department at King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU), Khobar, Saudi Arabia, from December 2019 to February 2020. Stroke patients were interviewed using the Arabic version of the SS-QOL questionnaire and modified Rankin scale (mRS). RESULTS: The overall quality of life in the surveyed participants was at the level of 3.72 points, which is above the average recognized in the middle of the scale that ranges from 1 to 5. The overall quality of life was not significantly correlated with sex, age, type of stroke, recurrence of stroke, and time since stroke (p>0.05). Hypertension and atrial fibrillation were the only comorbidities that were determined to be significantly associated with the overall quality of life at the level of (3.53), and (2.97) respectively (p<0.05). There was a statistically significant correlation between the mRS score and the overall quality of life (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Performing a comprehensive assessment of the overall QOL in post-stroke patients will result in better health outcomes, particularly in terms of quality of functioning in psycho-social aspects.

Physical exercise among radiologists in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The practice of clinical radiology has become more sedentary in the era of the Picture Archiving and Communication System. Physical inactivity is a well-known risk factor for various chronic diseases. This study aimed to determine the frequency and pattern of physical exercises among radiologists in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and the association between physical exercises and the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms. METHODS: An online survey was sent to radiologists in all hospitals (academic, public, and private) in the major cities of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It covered information about demographic characteristics and the frequency and pattern of physical exercises. It also included an evaluation of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. This survey of 263 radiologists was conducted in April 2019. The study outcome was the presence of disabling musculoskeletal symptoms in any body region which restricted the performance of normal activities within the last 12 months. The study results were analyzed descriptively using the Chi-square test. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 198 participants (111 men and 87 women) with a response rate of 75.3%. Most participants (71.2%) were less than 40 years. Eighty-three men (74.8%) did a physical exercise at least weekly, compared to 45 (51.7%) women. Men were more likely to engage in various physical exercises than women. Overall, 60.9% of participants who did not do any physical exercise regularly (less than monthly) reported having disabling neck pain. This figure was found lower among participants who did physical exercises monthly (45.8%) or at least weekly (32.8%). A similar pattern was observed with shoulder pain, with 45.7% found in participants who did not exercise and only 25.8% in those engaging in physical activities at least weekly. CONCLUSIONS: Physical inactivity is common among radiologists, especially female ones, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The physical inactivity was significantly associated with work-related musculoskeletal symptoms. Gender-specific health promotion programs are needed to mitigate the negative health outcomes due to the sedentary nature of the radiology current practice.

Doctors' knowledge of patients' rights at King Fahd Hospital of the University.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of physicians' knowledge about the contents of patients' bill of rights (PBR) and its implementation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at a university hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. All physicians working in the hospital received a self-administered questionnaire to measure their level of knowledge of PBR. Scoring was done to determine the knowledge of the details. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University Hospital and permission sought from the administration. Data analysis performed with SPSS; descriptive analyses included frequency and percentages for categorical variables, and mean and standard deviations for continuous variables. Bivariate analyses were carried out to determine association between sociodemographic variables and the level of knowledge (adequate/inadequate). Logistic regression analysis were performed to calculate adjusted odds ratio at 0.05 significance level. RESULTS: Most (52.7%) of the physicians were females, were aged between 25 and 30 years (58.5%), and Saudi (80.2%). The majority of the physicians belonged to the residency program (44.9%) and had work experience of 1-5 years (45.4%). About 44% physicians had adequate knowledge about PBR and 55.56% had inadequate knowledge. Regarding physician's response to each item of PBR, the majority (98.1%) gave correct answer to Item 2: "Patients should know the identity and professional status of the healthcare providers responsible for their treatment" (98.1%). Item 25: "Doctors are entitled to withhold any procedures related to a patient's condition if the patient refuses their choice of treatment" was the item with the least correct response (15.5%). CONCLUSION: Reinforcement and strict implementation of PBR are necessary. The institution should provide training and motivate physicians, especially younger doctors regarding PBR to ensure good health for all and safeguard the integrity of both the physician and the hospital.

Comparative Study of 2 Skin Incisions for Microscopic Lumbar Discectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Microscopic lumbar discectomy is a common minimally invasive surgery. A transverse skin incision has sound theoretical cosmetic advantages compared with the classic vertical incision. We compared transverse and vertical skin incisions for microscopic discectomy regarding cosmetic outcome, postoperative pain, and the provided surgical cutaneous inlet. METHODS: This prospective study enrolled 86 patients who were randomly assigned to a vertical incision group or a transverse incision group. The maximum surgical cutaneous inlet provided was measured in 2 diameters. Pain was recorded on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7 using a numeric patient rating scale from 0 to 10 with 0 indicating no pain. The cosmetic appearance of the wound was evaluated by a plastic surgeon and by the patients as excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. RESULTS: Compared with vertical incisions, transverse incisions provide similar surgical cutaneous inlets, cause higher pain scores on postoperative days 1 and 3 but a similar score on postoperative day 7, and ensure significantly better wound cosmesis. CONCLUSIONS: Transverse skin incision for microscopic lumbar discectomy is an applicable alternative to classic midline or paramedian vertical incision with better esthetic results.