ABSTRACT
Background Acne vulgaris is a widespread chronic inflammatory dermatological disease with a worldwide prevalence of 9.4%, affecting a large percentage of the young population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward the use of isotretinoin among the Saudi population. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population in Saudi Arabia between April 2023 and July 2023. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed across five regions of Saudi Arabia (central, eastern, western, southern, and northern) using Google Survey. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data, the pattern of isotretinoin used, and a 24-item questionnaire to assess the knowledge about isotretinoin. Results Of the 3,001 participants, 77.1% were females, and 55.4% were aged between 16 and 25 years. The prevalence of participants who previously used isotretinoin was 30.6%. The total mean knowledge score was 10.4 (SD = 5.99) out of 24 points, with more than half (52.9%) considered to have poor knowledge, 39.1% moderate knowledge, and only 7.9% good knowledge. Younger participants, female gender, Saudi nationality, never been married, and previous use of isotretinoin were associated with increased knowledge. Conclusions The knowledge of the general population regarding isotretinoin use was lacking. However, younger Saudi females who had previous isotretinoin usage tended to be more knowledgeable about isotretinoin compared to the rest of the participants. Increasing the general public's knowledge regarding isotretinoin and its safe use is necessary.
ABSTRACT
Background and objective Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which affects 1.7% to 2.4% of people worldwide, is usually encountered for the first time by nonpsychiatric physicians. Up to 37% of cases have been documented in dermatology clinics. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of BDD among Saudis attending dermatology clinics because the literature is lacking in this field, especially in the Eastern Province. Methods This is a cross-sectional study, conducted in 2023. A total of 412 Saudi Eastern Province residents, aged 18 years and older, were included in the study and given a self-administered web-based questionnaire. The study uses the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire as one of its three primary measurements, together with sociodemographic data, and dermatological and previous psychological histories. Results A total of 412 participants were enrolled in this study. Of the total sample, 64.5% had more than one skin condition, with the rest having only one one. The most received cosmetic treatment in this study was topical agents. It was estimated that the prevalence of BDD is 9.5% among the studied population. However, it was found that there are no significantly associated factors with the prevalence of BDD. Conclusions This study reports a prevalence of 9.5% among people visiting dermatological clinics. The prevalence is alarming, which emphasizes the importance of enhancing the awareness of BDD among dermatologists and developing certain guidelines to identify and refer these patients to mental health professionals.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dry eye disease is a multifactorial chronic disorder of the ocular surface, which leads to symptoms of discomfort and distress. Dry eye disease is a global health concern and is one of the most frequent ocular diseases encountered in an ophthalmology clinic. The estimated prevalence of dry eye disease in the literature ranged from 7.4% to 93.2%. Saudi Arabia's population, especially in the eastern province, is at great risk of developing dry eye disease, however, there is hardly any nationwide study that assesses the prevalence of dry eye disease among the general population and its risk factors. AIM: The aim is to estimate the prevalence of dry eye disease and determine its risk factors among the general population of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted on the general population of Saudi Arabia between September 2022 and November 2022. A convenient sampling technique was deployed for participant recruitment, where a self-administered questionnaire was created and dispersed to the general population all over the country with an invitation to participate in the study. Dry eye disease prevalence was assessed using Ocular Surface Disease Index survey. The Chi-square test was used to test for factors associated with the prevalence of dry eye disease, and undiagnosed dry eye disease. Multivariate logistic regression was also used to determine risk factors for dry eye disease. RESULTS: A total of 1,381 participants were included in this study. The prevalence of dry eye disease among the general population of Saudi Arabia was observed to be (17.5%). Among the participants (11%) had mild dry eye disease, (4.7%) had moderate dry eye disease, and (1.7%) had a severe dry eye disease. Among those observed to have a dry eye disease, (58.09%) were not previously diagnosed. The following factors were observed to be significantly associated with having dry eye disease, being female, having thyroid disease, having systemic lupus erythematosus/rheumatoid arthritis, using antidepressants, using antihistamine/decongestants, using electronic devices for a prolonged time, using contact lenses, having a history of eye surgery, history of conjunctival/eyelid infection, and history corneal abrasions/erosions/ulceration. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the prevalence of dry eye disease among the general population of Saudi Arabia is notably lower than what was observed in other local studies and similar to what was found in some global studies. Adjusted binary multivariate logistic regression revealed that the risk factors were only: being female, using antidepressants, using antihistamines/decongestants, and prolonged use of electronic devices.
ABSTRACT
Introduction Saudi Arabia has a high prevalence of sickle cell disease (SCD). Leg ulceration is one of the complications associated with SCD. There is a gap in the literature in regard to the prevalence of leg ulcers among SCD patients in Saudi Arabia. Objectives The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the lifetime prevalence of leg ulcers in SCD patients in our population and to study the predictive factors of leg ulcers by using sociodemographic factors, clinical manifestations of SCD, and other relevant factors like hydroxyurea. Methods A cross-sectional study design was utilized. Data collection was done using an electronic survey to collect self-reported information for the prevalence of leg ulcers and possible associated factors. The survey was distributed using social media platforms. Chi-square test was used to test for the presence of an association between having leg ulcers and sociodemographic variables as well as SCD related history. Furthermore, binary logistic regression was utilized to determine factors predicting the incidence of leg ulcers among SCD. Results A total of 790 valid responses were included in the study. Among these, 646 were included in the analysis of leg ulcers prevalence. From them, 52 (8%) SCD patients reported a history of leg ulcers. The male to female ratio was (9.7% vs 7.2%). The age group most affected by leg ulcers was those older than 50 (16.7%). There was no significant association between a history of leg ulcers and sociodemographic variables. The only predictive factors for leg ulcers were having six to eight vaso-occlusive crises per month and having more than eight vaso-occlusive crises per month. Conclusion Leg ulcers among SCD patients in Saudi Arabia were considerably prevalent (8%). There was no statistically significant correlation between leg ulceration and sociodemographic variables. Leg ulcers were more likely in patients with a history of highly frequent vaso-occlusive crises. No association was found between the incidence of leg ulcers and other complications of sickle cell disease or hydroxyurea.
