ABSTRACT
A prospective cohort study was conducted to estimate the incidence of acute respiratory infections (ARI) among hajjis registered at primary health care centres of Riyadh. Out of 1027 hajjis, 39.8% developed symptoms of ARI. The incidence of ARI was not statistically significantly associated with age, sex, educational status or smoking. The risk of illness was significantly higher among diabetics, hajjis who stayed longer in the hajj area and who prayed at Namera mosque. Use of a facemask by men, but not use of a facecover by women, was a significant protective factor against ARI.
Subject(s)
Islam , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , Travel/statistics & numerical data , Acute Disease , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Child , Cluster Analysis , Crowding , Educational Status , Female , Health Surveys , Humans , Incidence , Male , Masks , Middle Aged , Population Surveillance , Prospective Studies , Respiratory Tract Infections/etiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/prevention & control , Risk Factors , Seasons , Sex Distribution , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
A prospective cohort study was conducted to estimate the incidence of acute respiratory infections [ARI] among hajjis registered at primary health care centres of Riyadh. Out of 1027 hajjis, 39.8% developed symptoms of ARI. The incidence of ARI was not statistically significantly associated with age, sex, educational status or smoking. The risk of illness was significantly higher among diabetics, hajjis who stayed longer in the hajj area and who prayed at Namera mosque. Use of a facemask by men, but not use of a facecover by women, was a significant protective factor against ARI
Subject(s)
Respiratory Tract Infections , Smoking , Religion and Medicine , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the age, sex and relative frequencies of various gastrointestinal malignancies in patients registered with the National Cancer Registry from the Western Region of Saudi Arabia from January 1994 till December 1997, and compare this data with previous hospital based studies about the pattern of these malignancies in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A National Cancer Registry was established in Saudi Arabia in 1992, and since 1st January 1994 all cancer cases in Saudi Arabia have been registered with the National Cancer Registry. All National Cancer Registry data on patients with primary gastrointestinal cancers from the Western Region of Saudi Arabia from January 1994 till December 1997 was retrieved and analyzed according to ethnic origin, site, age, sex and relative frequencies of various tumors. RESULTS: Out of a total of 1833 cases with primary gastrointestinal malignancies 1207 (66%) were Saudis, while the rest were Non-Saudis. Colorectal cancer was the the most common malignancy found in both population groups accounting for 28.5% of cases in Saudis and 36% in Non-Saudis. Malignancies of liver, stomach and esophagus followed in decreasing frequencies. The mean age of the Saudi population was 58+16 years (standard deviation) with male to female ratio of 1.67:1. About 80% of the patients were above 40 years of age and the peak of onset for most of the tumors was between 50 and 70 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that colorectal cancer is the most common gastrointestinal malignancy seen in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia followed by hepatocellular carcinoma. This is in sharp contrast to the previous hospital based studies from Saudi Arabia and national trends as seen in the cancer incidence report from the National Cancer Registry of Saudi Arabia. The factors for this changing pattern of gastrointestinal malignancy remain to the determined.
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Ethnicity/statistics & numerical data , Female , Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/etiology , Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/prevention & control , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Male , Middle Aged , Population Surveillance , Registries , Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data , Risk Factors , Saudi Arabia/epidemiology , Sex DistributionABSTRACT
We studied case-fatality rates (CFRs) among cases of meningococcal disease (MCD) admitted to Makkah (Saudi Arabia) hospitals during the period 1988-97. Of 483 cases, 431 (89.2%) were due to strains of serogroup A, 31 (6.4%) to serogroup W135, 16 (3.3%) to serogroup C, and 5 (10%) to serogroup B. Eighty-one patients died (case fatality rate (CFR)) 16.8%, 95% CI 13.5%, 20.4%). The CFR in infections due to serogroup A strains was 14.8%, and for other serogroups it was 32.7% (95% CI 20.3%, 47.1%). The CFR of MCD due to N. meningitidis serogroup A increased steadily with age (P<0.05). Seeking first medical help at a foreign Hajj medical mission and being treated in a non-specialized hospital were associated with a higher case fatality rate.