Perceptions and Behaviors Regarding Early Screening and Breast-Related Complaints Among Saudi Women.

Background Breast cancer (BC) is a global public health issue, contributing to a significant death toll among women. Breast cancer is the most common type among Saudi women, accounting for over a quarter of all new cancer cases. The current approaches for detecting BC include mammography, clinical breast exams, and breast self-examination (BSE). Early diagnosis of BC is crucial for reducing mortality and morbidity. This study aims to investigate attitudes and behaviors regarding early screening and self-examination of breast cancer in Saudi Arabia. Materials and method This cross-sectional study was conducted over eight months. The sample size calculation with a 95% confidence interval and 0.05 precision rate is 600 of the total targeted group. The study included Saudi females aged 30 and above. Data were collected via an online questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated various aspects, including information regarding sociodemographics, barriers, and attitudes toward breast cancer screening. Results The majority of participants were aged 41-50 (40.7%) and married (76.2%). Over a third (31.9%) had been diagnosed with benign breast tumors, with MRI being the most common examination method (39.2%). Regarding screening practices, 55.7% had been screened previously, with a high intention for future screening (76.8%). Attitudes toward screening were positive, with 83.4% willing to undergo testing if free, painless, and conducted by a female provider. Barriers to screening included fear of examination (30.2%) and shame about exposing the body (25.6%). Conclusion The study provides valuable insights into the demographic characteristics, prevalence of benign breast tumors, screening practices, and attitudes toward breast cancer screening among Saudi women aged 30 and above. Factors such as age, marital status, income, occupation, and geographical residency influence screening behavior and intentions. Efforts to promote awareness, reduce barriers, and improve access to screening services are essential for enhancing breast cancer detection and prevention within this population.

Physiological effects of exercise in heat while wearing a polyester versus cotton T-shirt in physically active men with obesity: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity may impair evaporation especially during exercising in heat. Polyester sportwear is proposed to improve the evaporation but its effectiveness remains overlooked. We investigated physiological effects of exercise in heat while wearing a polyester versus cotton T-shirt on thermoregulation, perspiration, and cardiovascular regulations. METHODS: Physically active men with obesity (N.=7; 21.7±1.7 years old; VO2peak 36.8±8.7 mL/kg/min; body fat percentage 34.7±4.3%) performed two randomized, crossover walking sessions for 30 mins (27 °C; 12% relative humidity) while wearing a polyester or cotton T-shirt, separated by a 7-day wash out period. Thermoregulation was assessed by measuring tympanic, torso (back and chest), and peripheral (forehead and forearm) skin temperatures. Perspiration rate was estimated as the difference in body weight (pre minus post walking). Heart rate was measured by a Polar heart rate monitor. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured by a sphygmomanometer. All measurements were performed pre, during, and post each session. Two-way ANOVA examined main effects of time, fabric type, and their interactions on the study's outcomes. RESULTS: Back and chest temperatures increased (∆=1.6 °C and 0.9 °C, respectively) while forehead and forearm temperatures decreased (∆=-0.5 °C and -1.6 °C, respectively) over time (P<0.05 for all). Only forehead temperature had an interaction effect for time by fabric type where greater decrease was observed during the polyester T-shirt session compared to the cotton T-shirt session (∆=-0.1 vs. -0.8 °C; P=0.016). Heart rate (∆=27.8 beat/min) and systolic blood pressure (∆=7.5 mmHg) increased while diastolic blood pressure (∆=-5.0 mmHg) decreased over time (P<0.05 for all). No difference observed for perspiratory rate (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The current findings do not support the superiority of polyester or cotton sportwear for better thermoregulatory, perspiratory, and cardiovascular regulations in physically active men with obesity. Future research should examine the effectiveness of other alternative fabrics of sportwear for better physiological responses when exercising in the heat, particularly in adults with obesity.

New Multisite Bioelectrical Impedance Device Compared to Hydrostatic Weighing and Skinfold Body Fat Methods.

The purpose of this study was to compare the Skulpt Chisel™ to seven-site skinfold (SKF) and hydrostatic weighing (HW) body fat percentage (%BF) estimates. Twenty-six participants (aged 24 ± 4 years; BMI 23.1 ± 3.5 kg·m-2) were assessed. Significant differences in %BF estimates were found for all methodological pairings; p < 0.05. The SKF method underestimated %BF compared to HW (-2.52 ± 3.42 %BF). The Skulpt Chisel™ overestimated %BF compared to both HW (3.38 ± 6.10 %BF) and SKF (5.90 ± 5.26 %BF). Limits of agreement comparing HW to Skulpt Chisel™ indicated a difference between 95% confidence interval bounds (Upper bound: 5.84 %BF, Lower bound 0.92 %BF) and for HW to SKF (Upper bound: -1.14 %BF, Lower bound: -3.91 %BF). Regression analysis showed no significant bias for any methodological pairing; (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the Skulpt Chisel™ method should be used with caution when evaluating %BF of adults with similar demographics reported in this study.