Evaluation of the Relationship Between Smartphone Addiction and Lower Back Pain and Neck Pain Among Medical Students at Al-Baha University.

Introduction In recent years, the increased use of smartphones has adversely affected students, leading to issues like musculoskeletal pain. Therefore, our objective was to assess the correlation between smartphone addiction and neck and lower back pain. Methodology An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia. The Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV) was used to measure the level of smartphone addiction while the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was utilized to evaluate musculoskeletal pain. Results Smartphone addiction was prevalent in 72% of the participants (n = 293). Significantly, lower back pain was associated with smartphone addiction (p-value = 0.004). However, none of the demographic characteristics were associated with neck or lower back pain (p-value > 0.05). Students in clinical years had a higher risk of neck pain than those in an internship (p-value = 0.048). Conclusion Almost two-thirds of the students were addicted to smartphones, with a significant association with lower back pain. Students addicted to their smartphones had a higher risk of developing lower back pain, while clinical-year students had a higher risk of developing neck pain. It's important to raise awareness about the health and safety dangers linked to smartphones and other devices.

Assessment of Sleep Quality Among Adolescents and Adults With Self-Diagnosed Irritable Bowel Syndrome, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Background The frequency of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has increased significantly in the last ten years. Few studies were done in Saudi Arabia to assess the relationship between sleep quality and IBS. This study aims to assess the prevalence of IBS and its association with sleep quality among adolescents and adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was done on 651 participants aged 15-65 years. An online questionnaire was used to collect data, including demographics; the Rome IV criteria (R4DQ) was used in the diagnosis of IBS, the IBS symptoms severity scale (IBS-SSS) assessed IBS symptoms and severity, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. Results Based on the Rome IV criteria, 25.7% of the participants had IBS. Among them, 23.3%, 17.9%, 47.3%, and 11.5% had IBS types constipation (C), diarrhea (D), mixed bowel habits (M), and undefined subtype (U), respectively. Mild, moderate, and severe IBS were found among 43.1%, 39.5%, and 17.4% of IBS cases, respectively. About 46% had poor sleep quality, which was significantly higher among those with younger mean age, females, and students. Patients with IBS exhibited a considerably greater prevalence of poor sleep quality, and IBS-C had the highest prevalence. Conclusion A correlation was found between poor sleep quality and the positive status of IBS diagnosis among adolescents and adults. An evaluation of specific sleep disorders among IBS patients is needed.

Knowledge and Awareness About Gastric Cancer Among the General Population in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia.

Background Gastric cancer is a significant health concern worldwide, and its incidence varies across different populations. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of gastric cancer among the general population in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia.  Methodology This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted among the residents of Al-Baha city older than 18 years. The study was conducted based on a questionnaire that has been developed by a previous study. Data were initially recorded in an Excel sheet before being exported to the SPSS program, version 25 for data analysis. Results The survey included 426 respondents from Al-Baha city, Saudi Arabia, with 56.8% being females and the majority being in the age groups (21-30 years). Alcohol consumption (mean=4.5, SD= 0.77), smoking cigarettes or Shisha (mean= 4.38, SD=0.852), family history of gastric cancer (mean= 4, SD=1.008), a past medical history of gastric cancer (mean= 3.99, SD=0.911), stomach ulcer (mean=3.76, SD=0.898), and consumption of smoked food (mean= 3.69, SD=0.956) are the most widely recognized risk factors. The most highly recognized symptoms are gastrointestinal bleeding (mean= 4.03, SD=0.875), abdominal lump (mean= 3.94, SD=0.926), weight loss (mean= 3.93, SD=0.963), recurrent nausea and vomiting (mean=3.76, SD=0.956), and abdominal pain (mean= 3.57, SD=0.995). The study also identified several subgroups of the population that may benefit from targeted educational programs, including individuals in the age group of 41-50 years and those in non-medical occupations. Conclusion The study found that participants had a moderate level of knowledge about the risk factors and symptoms of gastric cancer, with significant variability among different subgroups of the population. Further research is needed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of gastric cancer in Saudi Arabia and other similar populations, to develop effective prevention and management strategies for this disease.

Evaluation of Some Dental Myths Among the Adult Population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background To provide effective oral health care to patients and healthy individuals, it is critical to recognize prevalent myths. Most myths cause patients to follow the wrong protocol in dentistry, which can make treatment difficult for the dentist. This study aimed to assess dental myths among the Saudi Arabian population in Riyadh. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among Riyadh adults between August and October 2021. Saudi nationals aged 18-65 living in Riyadh without cognitive, hearing, or vision impairments and with limited or no trouble interpreting the questionnaire were surveyed. Only participants who consented to participate in the study were included. JMP Pro 15.2.0 was used to evaluate survey data. Frequency and percentage distributions were used for dependent and independent variables. The chi-square test evaluated the statistical significance of the variables, with a p-value of 0.05 being considered statistically significant. Results A total of 433 participants completed the survey. Half of the sample (50%) were aged 18-28; 50% were men; and 75% had a college degree. Higher-educated men and women did better on the survey. In particular, 80% of the participants believed "teething causes fever." "Placing a (pain killer) tablet on a tooth reduces pain" was believed by 34.40% of the participants, and 26% thought pregnant women should not get dental work. Lastly, 79% of the participants believed that "infants obtain calcium from their mother's teeth and bone." Most sources of these pieces of information were online (62.60%). Conclusions Nearly half of the participants believe in dental health myths, and as a result, people follow unhealthy practices. This results in long-term health consequences. The government and health professionals must prevent the spread of such misconceptions. In this regard, dental health education may be helpful. Most of this study's crucial findings are consistent with those of prior studies, indicating its accuracy.

Assessment of Using the Syndromic Approach in Managing Patients With Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among the National Guard Primary Health Care Physicians, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia.

Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) include a group of clinical syndromes that can be transmitted mainly through sexual activity. Using STIs' syndromic approach for diagnosis and management is widely recommended to control and reduce the burden of these transmissible diseases. Objective The objective of this article is to assess the knowledge and practice of physicians concerning syndromic management of STIs in National Guard Primary Health Care (PHC) centers in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This observational study was conducted at the National Guard PHC centers in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia. An interview-administered questionnaire was designed. Fifty physicians have met the inclusion criteria, and all of them were included in the present study. Results Of the study population, 47 PHC physicians (response rate was 94%) were interviewed and the questionnaire was completed. Overall, the physicians' knowledge was different from one syndrome to another; it was highest for urethral discharge (72%) and lowest for vaginal discharge in pregnant women (21%). During the last 10 days, the physicians in the present study reported that two-thirds of their cases of STI were urethral discharge cases. However, during the previous 10 days, the practice assessment revealed that most physicians (76%) were correctly prescribed the medications as indicated by specific patients' syndromes. Conclusion Syndromic management is essential guidance to control and reduce the burden of STIs. Overall knowledge and practice of physicians were different from one syndrome to another. There is a need to design continuing medical education programs targeting PHC physicians to be clinically and culturally competent against socially sensitive diseases like STIs.

A Novel Image Encryption Technique Based on Cyclic Codes over Galois Field.

In the modern world, the security of the digital image is vital due to the frequent communication of digital products over the open network. Accelerated advancement of digital data exchange, the importance of information security in the transmission of data, and its storage has emerged. Multiple uses of the images in the security agencies and the industries and the security of the confidential image data from unauthorized access are emergent and vital. In this paper, Bose Chaudhary Hocquenghem (BCH) codes over the Galois field are used for image encryption. The BCH codes over the Galois field construct MDS (maximum distance separable) matrices and secret keys for image encryption techniques. The encrypted image is calculated, by contrast, correlation, energy, homogeneity, and entropy. Histogram analysis of the encrypted image is also assured in this paper. The proposed image encryption scheme's security analysis results are improved compared to the original AES algorithm. Further, security agencies can utilize this work for their confidential image data.

A highly nonlinear substitution-box (S-box) design using action of modular group on a projective line over a finite field.

Cryptography is commonly used to secure communication and data transmission over insecure networks through the use of cryptosystems. A cryptosystem is a set of cryptographic algorithms offering security facilities for maintaining more cover-ups. A substitution-box (S-box) is the lone component in a cryptosystem that gives rise to a nonlinear mapping between inputs and outputs, thus providing confusion in data. An S-box that possesses high nonlinearity and low linear and differential probability is considered cryptographically secure. In this study, a new technique is presented to construct cryptographically strong 8×8 S-boxes by applying an adjacency matrix on the Galois field GF(28). The adjacency matrix is obtained corresponding to the coset diagram for the action of modular group [Formula: see text] on a projective line PL(F7) over a finite field F7. The strength of the proposed S-boxes is examined by common S-box tests, which validate their cryptographic strength. Moreover, we use the majority logic criterion to establish an image encryption application for the proposed S-boxes. The encryption results reveal the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed S-box design in image encryption applications.