Public Awareness of Epilepsy and Social Attitude Toward Persons With Epilepsy Among the General Population in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by an ongoing propensity to experience recurrent seizures. Public awareness varies significantly across different countries. The lack of awareness may lead to misconceptions, which in turn may affect the quality of care for these patients. AIM: This study aims to assess public awareness and social attitudes toward patients with epilepsy among the general population in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted, targeting the general population of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected anonymously from participants who met our inclusion criteria via electronic data collection Google Forms distributed through social media platforms. Questionnaires included participants' demographic data and details about their awareness regarding epilepsy, attitude, and anticipated behaviors. The eligible persons were asked to fill out the study questionnaire completely. RESULTS: A total of 1,126 eligible participants completed the study questionnaire. The participants' ages ranged from 18 to over 60, with a mean age of 32.1 ± 13.9 years. Of these participants, 849 (75.4%) were female. Interestingly, 97% of the participants reported that they had heard about epilepsy. A total of 96.7% do not think epilepsy is contiguous. Exactly 350 (31.1%) had an overall good knowledge and awareness regarding epilepsy. The most reported sources included relatives/friends (46.8%), internet (38.5%), and personal experience (27.9%). A total of 337 (29.9%) reported that they know how to deal with a seizure. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that the sampled population of Makkah is aware of epilepsy on a superficial level, but approximately one out each three participants in Makkah were knowledgeable regarding epilepsy and related causes overall. The overall attitude is positive. A well-targeted educational campaign, designed by physicians as trustful sources, is recommended.

Prevalence of Overweight/Obesity Associated With Anemia Among Female Medical Students at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction The obesity epidemic has been linked to a wide range of health and nutritional problems, including anemia, which is often caused by impaired iron metabolism. The World Health Organization considers anemia and obesity to be global health issues among adolescent girls and women experiencing menstruation. This study aims to examine the association between iron deficiency anemia and obesity/overweight among female medical students. Methodology This cross-sectional descriptive study conducted as an online self-administered questionnaire. Furthermore, blood samples were collected from 206 students to evaluate the complete blood count, iron and lipid profile. Results The convenience sampling technique was used and a total of 206 students were enrolled in the study. The average body mass index (BMI) was 22.51 ± 3.25, with 83.5% (n = 172) falling within the normal weight range, 12.6% (n = 26) as overweight, and 3.9% (n = 8) as obese. Anemia was present in 16.0% (n = 33) of the participants overall. Higher prevalence of anemia was observed among overweight participants with 10 out of 26 (38.5%) subjects compared to obese with two out of eight (25.0%) and normal weight 21 out of 172 (12.2%); this difference was highly significant (P = 0.005). Individuals with anemia exhibited a significant association with those experiencing a diet full of unhealthy fats and carbohydrates (P = 0.05) and a diet containing all essential nutrients (P = 0.01). There is no statistically significant correlation between anemia prevalence and participants' response to the presence of signs of anemia, physical activity or other dietary habits. Obese participants had a significantly higher mean value of triglycerides (129.5 ± 20.5) compared to normal weight and overweight participants (74.5 ± 12.02 and 51.2 ± 15.04), respectively (P = 0.001). Conclusion A dependable assembly exists between obesity and overweight in cases of iron deficient anemia. The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was substantially higher among overweight/obese females, highlighting that overweight/obesity signifies both quantitative and qualitative malnutrition. A high BMI was associated with elevated triglycerides, typically considered indicators of obesity. This association may suggest compromised iron homeostasis.

Secondary Syphilis Presents as Palmoplantar Hyperpigmented Maculopapules: A Case Report.

Syphilis is a worldwide chronic systemic sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. Here, we report a 28-year-old homosexual male who presented to the dermatology clinic with a six-month history of asymptomatic persistent skin lesions. A review of systems revealed unintentional weight loss of about 40 kg within one year. Skin examination revealed multiple scaly and non-scaly hyperpigmented macules and patches on the palms and soles. Hair, nail, and mucus membrane examinations were normal. There was no lymphadenopathy. A skin biopsy revealed psoriasiform acanthosis, lichenoid infiltrates with moderately dense mononuclear lymphohistiocytic cells, few plasma cells, and eosinophils. Laboratory investigations revealed positive rapid plasma reagin (RPR) with a titer of 1:128. Treponema pallidum hemagglutination test (TPHA) was positive. The HIV test by western blot was positive. Based on the above clinicopathological and laboratory findings, a diagnosis of secondary syphilis was made in this patient, who also tested positive for HIV. He was given a single dose of penicillin G benzathine (2.4 units) intramuscularly. He was also started on Dolutegravir 50 mg tablet once daily and Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate + Emtricitabine tablet once daily. Three months after penicillin G benzathine treatment, the RPR test turned negative, and the skin lesions disappeared.

Translation and Validation of the Arabic Version of the Eating Behavior After Bariatric Surgery (EBBS) Questionnaire.

PURPOSE: Complications after metabolic and bariatric surgery are common due to the patient's poor commitment to postoperative lifestyle changes. Therefore, intensive follow-up from a multidisciplinary team might improve outcomes. The present study aimed to translate and validate the Eating Behavior after Bariatric Surgery (EBBS) questionnaire into Arabic for use in clinical and research settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study followed World Health Organization guidelines for translation and questionnaire adaptation, including forward translation, back translation, pilot testing, and the creation of the final version of the tool. A total of 390 patients who had undergone metabolic and bariatric surgery 3 years ago or more were involved in testing the questionnaire's validity and reliability. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 36 years (range: 20 to 70 years), 56% were females, 94.1% were Saudis, and 56% had bachelor's degrees. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was tested using Cronbach's alpha. One item (alcohol consumption) was excluded during the reliability analysis due to low variance. The reliability analysis results showed that the 10 items were internally consistent, with a Cronbach's α of 0.851. CONCLUSION: The validation and reliability of the Arabic-language version of the EBBS questionnaire were found to be satisfactory. The presence of a validated Arabic version of this instrument may help practitioners estimate patients' adherence to dietary and lifestyle recommendations after metabolic and bariatric surgery. Furthermore, the questionnaire may aid in identifying factors that influence the efficacy of these procedures.

Prevalence of Psychological Symptoms and Its Impact on the Quality of Life of Sickle Cell Disease Patients in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Background Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), which is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder, experience a broad range of symptoms and complications such as acute chest syndrome, infections, strokes, seizures, etc. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among SCD patients and determine the impact of sociodemographic factors and genotypes on depressive symptoms in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among SCD patients aged 18 and above in the outpatient clinics in Makkah's four main hospitals (Al Noor Specialist Hospital, King Faisal Hospital, King Abdulaziz Hospital, and Hera General Hospital) from December 2021 to April 2022. A total of 222 patients used a self-administrative questionnaire with an Arabic version of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess for depression. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26, and the chi-square (χ2) test was applied to examine the relationship between the variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results The overall prevalence of depression was 85.6%, and multivariate analysis showed that age between 18 and 30 had a significant statistical value for the prevalence of depression (p-value = 0.029). Univariate analysis also indicated that low levels of education (p-value = 0.037) and low monthly income (p-value = 0.017) had a significant association with depression prevalence. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of depression among SCD patients in the Makkah region. Therefore, we recommend establishing a regular regional screening program and psychiatry referral for this patient population.