ABSTRACT
To study the prevalence of gallstone disease and related risk factors in a Saudi Arabian population a cross-sectional community-based study was made of 291 people from Abha district, Asir region. A structured interview collected background data and all participants had upper abdominal ultrasonography to detect gallstones. The overall prevalence of gallstone disease was 11.7%. Using logistic regression multivariate analysis, the following were significant risk factors for gallstone disease: female sex, family history of gallstone disease and past history of pancreatitis. Age, education, blood pressure, smoking, coffee intake, overweight, diabetes mellitus, number of pregnancies and use of oral contraceptives were not significant risk factors. Discriminant analysis of symptoms showed that only right hypochondrium pain was significantly associated with gallstone disease.
Subject(s)
Altitude , Gallstones/epidemiology , Gallstones/etiology , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cluster Analysis , Cross-Sectional Studies , Discriminant Analysis , Dyspepsia/etiology , Female , Flatulence/etiology , Gallstones/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Jaundice, Obstructive/etiology , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Population Surveillance , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Saudi Arabia/epidemiology , Sex Distribution , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
To study emergency services delivery in all 30 primary health care centres in Abha district of Asir region, Saudi Arabia, data were collected about equipment and facilities, physicians' practices and attitudes, and patients' utilization of and satisfaction with emergency services. Two centres had no devoted place for emergency services. Lack of some essential equipment and drugs was evident. The greatest continuing medical education need for doctors was the management of cardiovascular emergencies (72.3%). Many doctors (40.4%) did not consider the majority of cases as true emergencies. Many patients (43.7%) used the centres for emergency services, the most common being trauma, burns and orthopaedics (47.8%). Most patients were satisfied overall with emergency services (82.2%).
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Patient Satisfaction , Physicians, Family/psychology , Primary Health Care/organization & administration , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Analysis of Variance , Chi-Square Distribution , Continuity of Patient Care , Education, Medical, Continuing , Emergency Medicine/education , Emergency Medicine/organization & administration , Female , Health Care Surveys , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Services Accessibility , Health Services Needs and Demand , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care , Physicians, Family/education , Physicians, Family/organization & administration , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/organization & administration , Saudi Arabia , Statistics, Nonparametric , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
To study the prevalence of gallstone disease and related risk factors in a Saudi Arabian population a cross-sectional community-based study was made of 291 people from Abha district, Asir region. A structured interview collected background data and all participants had upper abdominal ultrasonography to detect gallstones. The overall prevalence of gallstone disease was 11.7%. Using logistic regression multivariate analysis, the following were significant risk factors for gallstone disease: female sex, family history of gallstone disease and past history of pancreatitis. Age, education, blood pressure, smoking, coffee intake, overweight, diabetes mellitus, number of pregnancies and use of oral contraceptives were not significant risk factors. Discriminant analysis of symptoms showed that only right hypochondrium pain was significantly associated with gallstone disease
Subject(s)
Gallstones , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Cross-Sectional Studies , Sex Factors , Altitude , PancreatitisABSTRACT
To study emergency services delivery in all 30 primary health care centres in Abha district of Asir region, Saudi Arabia, data were collected about equipment and facilities, physicians' practices and attitudes, and patients' utilization of and satisfaction with emergency services. Two centres had no devoted place for emergency services. Lack of some essential equipment and drugs was evident. The greatest continuing medical education need for doctors was the management of cardiovascular emergencies [72.3%]. Many doctors [40.4%] did not consider the majority of cases as true emergencies. Many patients [43.7%] used the centres for emergency services, the most common being trauma, burns and orthopaedics [47.8%]. Most patients were satisfied overall with emergency services [82.2%]
Subject(s)
Primary Health Care , Attitude of Health Personnel , Patient Satisfaction , Physicians, Family , Surveys and Questionnaires , Health Care Surveys , Emergency Medical ServicesABSTRACT
Use of primary health care [PHC] services and satisfaction among elderly people [60 + years] in Asir was studied in 26 PHC centers. They visited PHC centers significantly less often than younger adults but they were referred significantly more often to secondary and tertiary care and for more laboratory tests. A r and om sample of 253 elderly people attending the centers was interviewed about accessibility, continuity, humaneness, informativeness and thoroughness of care. Overall, 79.0% were satisfied with the services provided. The leading 3 items of dissatisfaction were: not enough audiovisual means for health education [65.1%], long time spent in the centre [46.4%], and not enough specialty clinics [42.5%]
