ABSTRACT
Objectives: Information regarding the prevalence of hepatitis B [HBV], hepatitis C [HCV], and human immunodeficiency [HIV] viruses in Saudi pregnant women is either lacking or outdated. The aims of this study were to determine the current prevalence of these viruses among Saudi pregnant women and to estimate the rates of vertical transmission. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Antenatal clinic at a university hospital in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA]
Subjects: Three thousand two hundred and forty-six Saudi pregnant women seen in antenatal clinics between July, 2010 and June, 2011. Main Outcome Measures: Laboratory results of HBsAg, anti-HCV, and HIV antibodies in all subjects and vertical transmission rates to newborns of seropositive mothers
Results: The mean age was 31 years [ +/- 6.5 years]. HBsAg was detected in 1.08% out of the 3,242 tested women. Two babies [6.25%] out of the 32 live tested neonates were positive. Only two [0.07%] women out of 3,051 were positive for anti- HCV antibodies with no vertical transmission. 3119 [96.1%] women were tested for HIV antibodies and none were found to be positive
Conclusion: The prevalence of HBsAg among Saudi pregnant women [1.08%] is lower than previously reported. However, antenatal testing for HBV is still warranted. Universal antenatal screening of HCV or HIV in Saudi Arabia may not be justifiable due to the very low prevalence of these viruses among pregnant women
ABSTRACT
To evaluate vitamin D levels in Saudi newborns utilizing umbilical cord samples, and to benchmark the results with international figures. This cross-sectional study was carried out at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between November 2013 and March 2013. Vitamin D levels were assessed in the umbilical cord of healthy term neonates born above 2.5 kg from healthy pregnant mothers. Gestational age [GA], birth weight, gender, levels of sun exposure, and consumption of vitamin D rich food data were collected. Our primary outcome was the percentage of newborns with vitamin D deficiency [vitamin D level below 25 nmol/l]. Association of vitamin D deficiency with sun exposure and consumption of vitamin D rich food was tested using a Chi-squared test. Umbilical samples of 200 newborns were obtained. The average birth weight was 3.2 kg. Deficient vitamin D levels were detected in 59% of the sample. Almost 90% of included newborns had vitamin D levels below 50 nmol/l. We found no association of vitamin D deficiency status to level of sun exposure or to consumption of vitamin D rich food. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in Saudi newborns at hospital, and is consistent with regional data. Efforts to assess and treat vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and provide adequate supplementation to newborns are necessary to rectify such a public health concern
ABSTRACT
The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form [ICIQ-UI SF] provides a brief measure of symptoms and impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life. It is suitable for use in clinical practice and research. An Arabic version of the ICIQ-UI SF was translated and validated in Egypt and Syria. The objective was to assess the reliability of the Arabic version of the ICIQ-UI SF in women from Saudi Arabia. A study at the Urogynecoiogy Clinic was conducted from November 2010 until August 2011. Thirty-seven consecutive Saudi women attending urogynecologic clinic were recruited. Questionnaires were distributed for self-completion and then redistributed to the same set of respondents two to four weeks later as part of a test-retest analysis for assessing questionnaire's stability. Agreement between two measurements was determined by weighted Kappa. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Participants had a mean [SD] age of 39 [9.9], median parity of 4, and mean BMI [SD] of 30.9 kg/m[2] [4.6]. There were no differences in the frequency and amount of urine leaks or the impact of UI on quality of life observed between the two visits. Assessment of internal consistency was excellent with the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.97 [95% CI: 0.88-0.98]. Participants agreed that the questionnaire was clear, appropriate, and easy to understand. The Arabic ICIQ-UI SF is a stable and clear questionnaire that can be used for UI assessment in clinical practice and research among Saudi women
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , LanguageABSTRACT
To develop a conceptually and semantically valid Arabic version of a validated disease-specific instrument of quality of life [QoL] for women with abnormal uterine bleeding [AUB]. This is a prospective cohort study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between December 2010 and December 2011 following ethics approval. Forward translation of the Aberdeen Menorrhagia Severity Scale [AMSS] from English into Arabic was followed by backward translation of the consensus target [Arabic] version into the source [English] language. Subsequently, a final target [Arabic] language version was created. Sixty-one Arabic-speaking women of reproductive age participated in the study. The final Arabic questionnaire was administered to 41 women with self-perceived normal menses [Group 1] on 2 occasions 2 weeks apart. Agreement in the answers deems the questionnaire reliable. The final Arabic version was administered to 20 women with self-perceived AUB [Group 2], and their scores were compared with the first response of Group 1. A significant difference between the groups deems the questionnaire valid. For linguistic validation; intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC] of 0.87 and Kappa statistics of 0.56 to 0.87 indicated good to excellent agreement. For clinical validation, there was a significant difference between Group 1 and 2 [p=0.001]. The translated Arabic AMSS is a reliable and valid indicator of QoL in Saudi women with AUB