ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The research explores healthy aging among elderly individuals globally and in Saudi Arabia. Factors like health services, lifestyle, and chronic diseases affecting seniors are examined. However, there is a gap in culturally relevant research, particularly in Arabic-speaking countries. This study aims to understand elderly individuals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding healthy lifestyles for effective functional preservation in aging. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, specifically Al-Ahsa, from February to May 2023. The Raosoft calculator was employed to determine a sample size of at least 384 participants. The data was analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: Regarding the associations between knowledge levels and demographics, education significantly impacts knowledge (p=0.003). Retired respondents exhibit higher knowledge (50.4%) compared to those with jobs (10.4%) (p=0.002). Smoking has a significant impact on knowledge (p=0.012). Regarding the opinions on elderly care, respondents agree on the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables (52.2%), increased protein intake (64.3%), less fat (83.5%), and regular exercise (44.3%). Supplements' necessity is disagreed upon (95.7%). Living with family is favored (67.8%), and elderly self-management is recognized (60.9%). Significant differences are seen in fruit and vegetable consumption (p=0.001), less fat usage (p=0.000), exercise habits (p=0.000), smoking (p=0.000), and using just salt in cooking (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Study findings underscore the importance of education in influencing healthy behaviors and informed choices, with education levels significantly impacting knowledge levels. Respondents' preferences for balanced diets, exercise, and self-management reflect a positive trend toward embracing healthy aging principles. Notably, the study identifies disparities between knowledge groups in various lifestyle factors, highlighting the potential of education to drive positive changes in behaviors.
ABSTRACT
Background A number of symptoms and complications are associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which originates when stomach contents are refluxed into the esophagus. GERD has been associated with quality of life (QoL) issues as well as health-related problems. However, the evidence of this correlation among medical students is still unproven. This study aims to assess GERD severity and symptoms among medical students and investigate the effects of GERD on academic performance and quality of life among Saudi Arabian medical students. Methods This is a cross-sectional study design based on questionnaires distributed among medical students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia: Reflux-Qual Short form (RQS) and Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of GERD (FSSG). Demographic data include gender, academic year, and Grade Point Average (GPA). The participants included 382 studentsrandomly selected as the sample size, with a precision of 5% and a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Data were collected from 382 medical students of King Faisal University. A total of 382 participants (215 (56.3%) females and 167 (43.7%) males) were evaluated. Among 382 students,325 (85.1%) were negative for GERD, while 57 (14.9%) had symptoms of GERD. In this study, the most frequent symptoms were feeling full while eating meals (8.9%), feeling of heaviness after meals (6.5%), bloating of the stomach (3.7%), and burping (3.7%). The most affected life domains were life satisfaction (18.1%), enjoyment of food (8.4%), avoidance of large meals (6.3%), and worrying about digestive problems (5.8%). This study shows a significant relationship between GERD and GPA (P < 0.005) and a significant negative relationship between GERD and QoL (P < 0.001). Conclusions GERD significantly affects the quality of life for medical students, primarily those with high GPAs. More research is needed to determine the reason behind this.
