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Background: Gout can significantly impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to excruciating pain, chronic arthropathy, and associated comorbidities. The objective of our study was to evaluate HRQoL among patients diagnosed with gout in the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The research took place in the Madinah Region, where eligible adult participants aged 18 years or older, having a confirmed history, or present diagnosis of gout were enrolled using medical records from 2016 to 2022. To gather data, patients were invited to participate in telephone-based interviews and complete the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Results: The majority of participants were male (81.5%), and 31-39 years form the largest group (37.0%). Most participants were married (86.4%), and the majority possess university and postgraduate education (70.4%). The respondents' self-reported assessments were as follows: physical function (69.9), limitation due to physical health (74.1), emotional problem (75.8), energy or fatigue (61.6), emotional well-being (68.9), social functioning (76.6), pain (78.9), and general health (63.8). Conclusions: HRQoL among patients with gout was not significantly affected.
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Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown affected the daily habits of people around the world. Many countries have contributed to restricting its transmission by ensuing a quarantine, including Saudi Arabia, by shutting down educational facilities. Therefore, the system adapted to those changes, and people were required to stay home for work and education. Objectives This study aimed to explore the effect of the lockdown and house confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic on the important aspects of lifestyle, such as body weight, dietary habits, sleeping patterns, stress levels, screen time, and physical activity among students of Taibah University in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out by a self-administered online questionnaire that was quoted from a Palestinian study. Then was translated from English to Arabic. In total, 528 Taibah University students were eligible to participate. It addressed food-related behavior (types of foods consumed) and lifestyle behavior (physical activity, sleep quality, and screen time). Results Study participants aged from 17 to 30 years, males and females. Mainly non-infected COVID-19 persons previously (54.4%). Participants showed an increase in body weight, intake of fried food, intake of sweets, sleep hours, screen time, and physical activity during lockdown. The most reported sources of stress during lockdown were staying at home all day (62.3%) and distance learning (44.9%). Conclusion The COVID-19 lockdown and the closure of universities have led to many changes in the everyday routine of university students, leading to changes in their lifestyle behaviors.
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BACKGROUND: Hypothyroidism is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. The key factor for a good clinical outcome for hypothyroidism is medication adherence, as the mainstay treatment of hypothyroidism is lifelong hormonal replacement therapy, Levothyroxine (LT4). Poor adherence to LT4 is not only linked to great healthcare costs but also to significant economic burdens. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to assess the medication adherence of patients on LT4 treatment in the Madinah region and its association with socio-demographic characteristics, participants' experience with hypothyroidism and taking LT4, and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale 8-Item (MMAS-8). METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 420 hypothyroidism patients on LT4 for at least three months in the Madinah region using a self-administered electronic form. The variables in the questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, participants' experience with hypothyroidism and taking LT4, and MMAS-8. RESULTS: This study included a total of 420 patients with 81% being females, 52.1% aged 40 years and above, and 91% living in Madinah City. The study shows an overall poor adherence rate toward taking LT4, where the vast majority, 66.7% of the participants, had a low adherence level toward taking LT4, 23.3% had a moderate adherence level, and only 10% had a high adherence level. Results of the multivariate logistic regression showed that the following factors predicted a higher rate of a high level of adherence toward taking levothyroxine, being 50-59 years old, being 60 years or older, and following up regularly in the clinic. CONCLUSION: Patients with hypothyroidism showed low adherence to LT4.