Physical performance and activity among older adults visiting primary healthcare centres in Riyadh.

OBJECTIVE: To assess physical performance (PP) and physical activity (PA) among older adults visiting primary healthcare centres (PHCCs) in Riyadh. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, men and women (n = 74) aged ≥60 years were recruited from five PHCCs across Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 19 February and 6 August 2017. The Timed Up & Go test was used to assess PP. Self-reported PA was assessed using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. Means and standard deviations were used to describe PP and PA scores across genders. A two-tailed independent samples t-test was used to estimate mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between genders. RESULTS: Men scored significantly lower than women on PP (MD: 2.11, 95% CI: 0.59 to 3.64) and PA (MD: -46.1, 95% CI: -80.96 to -11.25). Significant gender differences were observed for leisure time activities (MD: 17.35, 95% CI: 3.29 to 31.40), light household activities (MD: -10.86, 95% CI: -16.19 to -5.53) and heavy household activities (MD: -6.48, 95% CI: -11.73 to -1.23). CONCLUSIONS: Men show significantly lower PP and PA than women. There are gender differences in leisure time activities and in light and heavy household activities.

Community pharmacist counselling practices in the Bisha health directorate, Saudi Arabia -simulated patient visits.

BACKGROUND: Many organizations have suggested a minimum standard regarding pharmaceutical counselling for patients, which includes information about the name of the drug, the description the drug, the indication for use, how to use it, the method of treatment, precautions, adverse reactions, and any contraindications. Correspondingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that pharmacists spend at least 3 min with each patient to provide counselling. This study aimed to evaluate the counselling practices of community pharmacists for both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription-only medicines in the Bisha Health Directorate, Saudi Arabia. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study designed to evaluate simulated patient visits to observe real counselling practices of community pharmacies in the Bisha area; 73 pharmacies were visited. Two scenarios were used in this study. The first scenario was for a prescription-only medicine, and the second scenario was for an OTC medicine. The duration of counselling was recorded for every visit. RESULTS: A total of 105 visits to the 73 pharmacies were conducted under the following scenarios: scenario 1 = 73 visits and scenario 2 = 32 visits. The average time for the simulation was 110 s for scenario 1 and 73.4 s for scenario 2. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the duration of counselling and patient simulation visits that occurred in the morning (Spearman's rho = - 0.396, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: It was shown that patient counselling needs to be given greater emphasis in community pharmacies. In this study, the time spent for patient counselling failed to meet the minimum WHO standard. Thus, pharmacists must be encouraged to spend at least 3 min on patient counselling.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly among community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: Older adults are the fastest growing population group worldwide. Regular physical activity (PA) is reported to reduce the risk of health conditions and improve personal well-being. Few validated instruments can be used to measure the PA levels among older adults in Saudi Arabia. The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) is used worldwide for evaluating the PA levels of the elderly in epidemiological studies. However, this scale has not been translated into Arabic. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the PASE into Arabic language and evaluate its reliability and validity among community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional one following Beaton guidelines to translate and perform cultural adaptation, as well as test the reliability and validity of the PASE Arabic version (PASE-A). Elderly (N=74) people from both genders, who lived in a community dwelling in Riyadh city, were selected from several primary health care centers. The study used Cronbach's alpha coefficient to assess the internal consistency reliability, while intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) was used for test-retest reliability and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r) was used to evaluate the correlation among PASE-A and grip strength, Timed Up and Go test, body mass index, and fat percentage. RESULTS: Out of 74 older adults, 59 (79.7%) completed the PASE-A questionnaire twice. The internal consistency of the PASE-A components was good (Cronbach's alpha 0.70-0.75), and the reliability of the components was excellent (ICC2,1 0.90-0.98). A higher PASE-A score was associated with higher grip strength (r=0.28, p=0.05) and with shorter Timed Up and Go test times (r=-0.45, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: The PASE-A version was easy, understandable, and relevant for Saudi older adults' culture. This scale was a reliable and valid tool for evaluating and assessing the PA level among community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia.