ABSTRACT
Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and awareness of testicular cancer (TC) and testicular self-examination (TSE) and to identify the associated factors in men in Saudi Arabia. Methods An online questionnaire-based study was conducted in Saudi Arabia with a representative sample of 794 participants. The questionnaire comprised knowledge, awareness and attitude questions regarding TC and TSE in addition to signs/symptoms and risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the significant variables associated with knowledge of TC and TSE. Results Around 43% (n=340) of the participants had inadequate knowledge of TC, whereas 26% (n=205) had heard about TSE and only 65 (8.2%) performed TSE. The first model for knowledge found that participants with a low level of education [2.75 (1.18, 6.42)]; no past history of a testicular problem [2.20 (1.22, 3.95)] and those who had not heard about TSE [1.79 (1.24, 2.57)] were at higher odds for inadequate knowledge, whereas those whose mothers had received college-level education [0.39 (0.19, 0.79)] and those who received information from school/college [0.61 (0.37, 0.97)] were more likely to have adequate knowledge about TC. The second model for TSE found that a low level of education 5.24 (1.34, 20.52) was associated with not performing TSE. Receiving information from social media [0.08 (0.03, 0.17)], school/college [0.06 (0.02, 0.13)], family and friends [0.17 (0.05, 0.57)] and medical staff [0.08 (0.03, 0.17)] were associated with higher odds of performing TSE. Conclusion The majority of Saudi males have knowledge about TC. On the contrary, only a small percentage of the respondents have heard of or performed TSE as a screening technique. Educated sources of information can be a reliable way of giving correct knowledge on sensitive topics like TSE.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the main causes of premature death and hospital admission worldwide, constituting a great economic burden on health care systems. Additionally, thyroid diseases may exert a deleterious effect on the outcomes of CVD patients. AIM: This study was conducted to identify the pattern and factors associated with CVD distribution and the relation with thyroid dysfunction in the study population. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted on 181 participants in the cardiac center in Arar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from September 2016 to March 2017. A questionnaire was designed for collecting data about socio-demographic variables, smoking, types of CVD, and thyroid dysfunction among participants. RESULTS: Findings showed that 42.5% of the participants were hypertensive, 11.6% had myocardial infarction, 8.9% were ischemic and 7.2 % had arrhythmia. The majority of participants (80.6%) were euthyroid. In contrast, 13.3% of the participants had hypothyroidism and 6.1% were hyperthyroid. Most of the studied factors had no significant effect on CVD distribution while smoking showed a remarkable variation among patients with different CVD types (p=0.013). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 15, using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated the urgent need for stressing on tobacco use control measures and increasing public awareness about hazards of tobacco especially among CVD patients.
