Smoking patterns among primary health care attendees, Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.

Prevalence, sociodemographic patterns and medical co-morbidity of smoking among a cross-section of primary health care (PHC) clients in Saudi Arabia were examined. We used a 44-item semistructured questionnaire to collect data from 1752 patients at 25 randomly selected PHC centres. Percentage of smoking was 52.3%. Although 85% were adult smokers, 8.6% began smoking before age 12. Smokers gave overlapping reasons to smoke including peer pressure; non-smokers gave religious and health logics against smoking. Of all smokers, 92.8% wanted to learn cessation strategies, 11.8% were ignorant of hazards and 32.4% reported manifestations of nicotine withdrawal. Besides alcohol use (13.4%), 81.8% had co-morbid physical disease.

Smoking patterns among primary health care attendees, Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Prevalence, sociodemographic patterns and medical co-morbidity of smoking among a cross-section of primary health care [PHC] clients in Saudi Arabia were examined. We used a 44-item semistructured questionnaire to collect data from 1752 patients at 25 randomly selected PHC centres. Percentage of smoking was 52.3%. Although 85% were adult smokers, 8.6% began smoking before age 12. Smokers gave overlapping reasons to smoke including peer pressure; non-smokers gave religious and health logics against smoking. Of all smokers, 92.8% wanted to learn cessation strategies, 11.8% were ignorant of hazards and 32.4% reported manifestations of nicotine withdrawal. Besides alcohol use [13.4%], 81.8% had co-morbid physical disease

Integration of mental health care into primary care. Preliminary observations of continuing implementation phase.

OBJECTIVE: The authors mainly focus on the initial observations of the implementation phase of a health project that aims to integrate mental health into primary care. METHODS: In the light of specific aims and objectives of both planning and curriculum development phases, 2- weeks of intensive psychiatric training consisting of basic theoretical and clinical concepts of psychiatry was imparted to a group of general practitioners and paramedical staff. In addition to assessing their pre-and post-training knowledge, attitude, and practice toward psychiatry, 2 internal Consultant Psychiatrists and participants evaluated the training course providing appropriate feedback to the organizers and trainers for modifying several adopted training methods, as well as a curriculum for subsequent courses. RESULTS: The 2-week psychiatric training of the medical personnel resulted in identifying several pros and cons of implementing this project at primary health care centers. Additionally, the immediate and the post-training evaluations of trainees by numerous methods were characterized by favourable changes in their attitude, knowledge and enhanced motivation to practice psychiatry at primary health care centers. CONCLUSION: The implementation of this project by training the first 3 groups of health personnel was successful, as evidenced both by the healthy encouraging comments of the evaluators and the post-training favourable positive responses of the trainees. The incorporation of mental health into primary care by offering condensed psychiatric courses to general practitioners should be the top training agenda as it is in line with the World Health Organization recommendations.

Integration of mental health care into primary care. Preliminary observations of continuing implementation phase.

OBJECTIVE: The authors mainly focus on the initial observations of the implementation phase of a health project that aims to integrate mental health into primary care. METHODS: In the light of specific aims and objectives of both planning and curriculum development phases, 2- weeks of intensive psychiatric training consisting of basic theoretical and clinical concepts of psychiatry was imparted to a group of general practitioners and paramedical staff. In addition to assessing their pre-and post-training knowledge, attitude, and practice toward psychiatry, 2 internal Consultant Psychiatrists and participants evaluated the training course providing appropriate feedback to the organizers and trainers for modifying several adopted training methods, as well as a curriculum for subsequent courses. RESULTS: The 2-week psychiatric training of the medical personnel resulted in identifying several pros and cons of implementing this project at primary health care centers. Additionally, the immediate and the post-training evaluations of trainees by numerous methods were characterized by favourable changes in their attitude, knowledge and enhanced motivation to practice psychiatry at primary health care centers. CONCLUSION: The implementation of this project by training the first 3 groups of health personnel was successful, as evidenced both by the healthy encouraging comments of the evaluators and the post-training favourable positive responses of the trainees. The incorporation of mental health into primary care by offering condensed psychiatric courses to general practitioners should be the top training agenda as it is in line with the World Health Organization recommendations.

Socioclinical profile of children with asthma in Al-Majmaah Health Province.

OBJECTIVE: Although asthma in children constitutes a major health problem, there is a dearth of literature on different aspects of asthma in rapidly developing countries. This cross-sectional research aims to study the socioclinical profile of asthmatic children and the impact of asthma symptoms on their life style. METHODS: The sample of this study, drawn from pediatric clinics of a general hospital and primary health care centers during a period of six months, comprised of children under 13 years of age who met the operational diagnostic criteria for asthma. The data collected from multiple sources on a semistructured questionnaire was analyzed by using different statistical tests. RESULTS: The results showed that male children represented 69% of the sample and children under one year of age manifested significantly severe degree of asthma. The frequency of asthma symptoms decreased in most of the studied children with increasing age. Further, they have insignificant family history of asthma (48.5%) but a significant smoking at home in severely affected children (59%). Moreover, most of them (88%) were mainly characterized by a combination of asthmatic symptoms of variable severity that adversely affected their sleep pattern and significantly resulted in school absences and increased days stay in hospital. CONCLUSION: The revealed socioclinical profile of studied children with asthma has adverse impact on certain components of their life style, which shows the need for re-activating relevant treatment modalities including health education and changing certain habits like parental smoking at home, which adversely affects asthma.