ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Tinea pedis, commonly known as athlete's foot, is a fungal infection affecting the skin of the feet, primarily between the toes. Despite being a common condition, there may be gaps in knowledge and practices regarding its transmission, risk factors, and treatment options among the general population. METHODS: This study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The study involved 2371 adult population in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was distributed online through social media means. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). RESULTS: A significant portion (66.1%) of respondents reported not examining their feet regularly. The majority (80.7%) of the respondents reported regular use of nail scissors as the common practice. The results further revealed that the majority of respondents (71.7%) were not aware of tinea pedis. Similarly, a large proportion (77.3%) of respondents were unaware of the risk factors associated with tinea pedis. However, among those aware, the most recognized risk factor was diabetes mellitus (82.3%), followed by peripheral arterial disease (37.1%), and immunocompromised conditions like HIV (31.3%). There was a significant association (p = 0.001) between regular foot examination practices and awareness of tinea pedis. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, there is low awareness regarding tinea pedis among the Saudi Arabian population. Only a small proportion demonstrated good knowledge of the condition and its symptoms. However, there is a relatively higher awareness of specific risk factors such as diabetes mellitus and peripheral arterial disease. Hence, it is imperative to enhance education and awareness campaigns to address the gaps in understanding tinea pedis, its associated risk factors, and symptoms, particularly among individuals engaged in physical activities and those who regularly wear sports shoes.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Well-trained primary school teachers should be competent in recognizing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in students and be able to assist in providing care and support. OBJECTIVES: This study intends to assess primary school teachers' knowledge of ADHD and evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term educational intervention. Methods: A quasi-experimental quantitative study was conducted among primary school teachers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A two-hour educational intervention was designed and run in six schools using a specific knowledge rating scale before and after the application of the intervention. Results: A total of 150 primary school teachers were included in this study, of which 64% were males, 51.3% were in the age group of 40-49 years, and 28% had teaching experience of more than 20 years. Regarding ADHD knowledge, the pre-intervention knowledge of the general criteria, symptoms and diagnosis, and treatment was considered adequate in 3.3%, 16.7%, and 2.7% of the participants, respectively, which improved post-intervention to 22%, 54.7%, and 19.3%, respectively. There was a significant association between the pre-intervention knowledge of the general criteria and the gender and between the knowledge of symptoms and diagnosis and the attendance of ADHD workshop by the participants. Also, there was a significant association between the participants' age, residence experience, attendance of ADHD workshops, and the general criteria and treatment domains. CONCLUSIONS: Most primary school teachers in Jazan have insufficient knowledge of ADHD. Using a knowledge improvement intervention can substantially improve the teachers' knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate thoughtful knowledge improvement programs into the educational curricula for teachers.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It has been estimated that 30% of diabetic people experience dermatological problems. Fungal infections are the most frequent cause of these lesions. While tinea infections in non-diabetic individuals rarely cause symptoms, in diabetes patients, they can create fistulas and entry sites that can result in catastrophic bacterial infections. AIM: This research paper aims to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with tinea pedis among diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The research paper incorporated a cross-sectional study approach with the involvement of a questionnaire-based response aimed at all Saudi inhabitants with diabetes mellitus (DM) who conceded to be part of the study. This research was carried out from March 22, 2023, to May 22, 2023, spanning for three months. The participants who satisfied our requirements provided data using computerized Google Forms for data collection; no nominative information disseminated via social media platforms was visible. The three components of the questionnaire address diabetic information, tinea pedis infections, and foot care. RESULTS: A total of 295 people with diabetes case were involved in the study. Among them, 149 (50.5%) were males, and their ages stretched from 16 to above 60 years, with a mean age of 49.5 ± 12.9 years old. A total of 194 (65.8%) of the study patients had type II DM. Of 134 (45.4%) were diagnosed with diabetes for more than 10 years. Exact 152 (52%) of the study diabetic patients were diagnosed with tinea pedis. Only patients' BMI showed a significant association with having tinea pedis as 47 of overweight diabetics were diagnosed with tinea pedis versus 47 of obese patients and only five patients of others who were underweight (p=0.049). CONCLUSION: This research concluded that almost 50% of patients with diabetes were suffering from obesity and were earlier diagnosed with tinea pedis and poor glycemic control irrespective of reported good diabetic foot care.
