ABSTRACT
Background Self-esteem is a self-valuation; it is how people perceive their own worth and how valuable they believe they are to others. In this study, our primary objective was to explore the association between social media use and self-esteem among individuals who actively engage with social media platforms in Saudi Arabia. Method This study involved individuals aged 15 and above who are active social media users residing in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected through an anonymous online cross-sectional survey. Participants were recruited using snowball and convenience sampling method. A questionnaire was administered through Google Forms to collect data from participants. The questionnaire was structured into three sections, which included gathering social and demographic information, assessing personal usage patterns, and evaluating individual self-esteem levels using an Arabic valid version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results The survey included a total of 2,551 participants. Among them, 51.3% (n = 1,309) were female, 29% (n = 741) fell within the 21-25 age group, 95.7% (n = 2,441) were of Saudi nationality, and 51.6% (n = 1,316) were single. The social media platform most frequently used by participants was TikTok 98.5% (n = 2,512), followed by Facebook 95.7% (n = 2,441), Telegram 89.8% (n = 2,291), YouTube 72.2% (n = 1,942), WhatsApp 66.0% (n = 1,683), and finally, Snapchat 30.7% (n = 1,769). In total, 14.3% (n= 366) have low self-esteem, participants scored around 16.10 ± 1.80, ranging from 5 to 25. The following variables were significantly associated with self-esteem: female sex (83.88% vs 87.52%, X2 = 6.87, p = 0.009), nationality (X2 = 13.507, p < 0.001), marital status (X2 = 12.313, p = 0.006), region (X2 = 18.36, p = 0.001), using Tik Tok (X2 = 4.11, p = 0.043), the frequency of posting comments (X2 = 12.01, p = 0.017), comparing oneself to others (X2 = 27.94, p < 0.001), using social media because of weak personal communication (X2 = 6.56, p = 0.010), using social media to follow news (X2 = 6.89, p = 0.009), and the perceived effect of social media (X2 = 16.28, p < 0.001). Conclusions Our findings revealed that a minority of participants exhibited low self-esteem, and individuals from the Northern region were more likely to report such issues. Sociodemographic factors, including gender, nationality, and marital status, demonstrated associations with self-esteem. Additionally, the frequency of comments, TikTok usage, and peer comparison significantly influenced self-esteem levels.
ABSTRACT
Background and objective Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. To tackle this issue, guidelines have emphasized the use of cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents [glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors] among type 2 diabetic patients at high risk of/with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or heart failure to curb morbidity and mortality in such individuals. The aim of this study was to assess physicians' adherence to the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) recommendations on the use of cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents among such patients. Methods This study involved a retrospective records review of physicians' treatment plans for all type 2 diabetic patients aged 18 years and older and attending outpatient clinics from the year 2019 to 2022 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who (a) were at high risk of/with established ASCVD as defined by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or (b) had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and required cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents. Results We reviewed physicians' treatment plans for 202 type 2 diabetic patients in this study. All patients were either at high risk of or had established ASCVD. In addition, 36 (17.8%) of these patients had HFrEF. Although all patients were candidates for cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents, only 56.9% of them received treatment as recommended by the ADA guidelines. Conclusion Despite being suitable candidates for cardioprotective antihyperglycemics, a significant number of patients were not treated based on the ADA guidelines, and this demonstrates a lack of adherence to the guidelines by physicians.
