ABSTRACT
Introduction A patient suffering from diabetes mellitus (DM) has a high chance of developing a diabetic foot. Awareness and attitude toward the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers are necessary for a better quality of life. Educating patients with diabetes about the methods of foot care plays an important role in preventing diabetic foot complications in individuals with DM. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of diabetic patients about the risk of diabetic feet in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology This is an observational cross-sectional study conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants were older than 18 years of age. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used for data analysis. The questionnaire included patient personal data, patients' knowledge regarding diabetic feet, attitude, and practice regarding the risk of diabetic feet among diabetic patients. Results A total of 1155 participants completed the questionnaire. Exactly 79.9% of people had good knowledge regarding diabetic feet and their care. The analysis revealed that age, gender, education level, and family history of DM are all significant predictors of knowledge levels among the participants. The majority of participants strongly agreed that diabetic patients should promptly seek medical assistance in case of any foot infections (90.8%) and take regular checkups (76.5%). Regarding foot care practices, people generally take good care of their feet but do not seek checkups until they experience symptoms (81.8%). Conclusion The study showed that participants had good knowledge about diabetic feet and a careful attitude toward them. Their practices toward diabetic feet were acceptable; however, the issue of late medical consultation after the development of symptomatology needs to be addressed.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Global interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has recently risen, particularly in Saudi Arabia, and the use of CAM is gaining popularity as a healthcare option. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the prevalence of CAM use among patients with chronic diseases and identify the reasons for resorting to CAM in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Madinah City. Data for analysis were derived from 416 participants with chronic diseases. The data were collected using a valid, structured online questionnaire that was designed to extract socio-demographic data as well as data on the predominant use of herps, hijama (cupping), acupuncture, and other specific CAM applications. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS: Of the 416 participants, 164 (39.4%) were men, and 96.9% were Saudi citizens. Approximately one-third of the studied participants had diabetes (34.1%), while 29.3%, 25.2%, 15.1%, and 12.3% had hypertension, obesity, asthma, and gastrointestinal tract disease, respectively. The prevalence of herb and natural supplement use was 89.2%. The most commonly used herbs and natural supplements were ginger (55.5%), honey and its derivatives (53.4%), cinnamon (45.4%), and frankincense (33.4%). Of the studied participants, 36.1% and 6.5% reported undergoing cupping and acupuncture, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the use of herbs and acupuncture or any of the studied factors. Further, the use of acupuncture exhibited no significant differences. However, the use of cupping displayed statistically significant differences in age, sex, and income among the participants. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CAM use among patients with chronic diseases in Al-Madinah is high. It appears to play an essential role in health care, particularly in treating patients with chronic diseases in this population. Therefore, promoting research in the field of CAM is warranted.
ABSTRACT
Studies investigating the association of vitamin D on intelligence is limited. The present study therefore aims to determine the association of vitamin D status with the different domains of intelligence among Saudi Arabian adolescents. This study used relational survey method among 1864 Saudi adolescent, including 549 boys and 1315 girls (mean age 14.7 ± 1.7 years) recruited using a multistage, stratified cluster randomization of 47 public and private schools in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. A general questionnaire was used to collect demographic information. Intelligence was assessed using multiple intelligence inventory. Anthropometrics were measured and fasting blood samples collected for assessment of glucose and lipid profile. Vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/L) was observed in 84.2% of boys and 93.5% of girls. Girls had higher levels of verbal, kinesthetic, musical, naturalist and existential intelligence than boys, while boys have higher logical intelligence than girls (p-values < 0.05). Mixed regression analysis controlled for age, BMI and sex revealed that kinesthetic intelligence was significantly associated with 25(OH)D in boys (ß 5.6 (2.8-8.5; p < 0.001)) and inversely associated with musical intelligence (ß -1.2 (-2.3-0.1; p = 0.03)) and positively with naturalist (ß 2.3 (0.5-4.2; p = 0.01)) in girls. Vitamin D status is associated with several domains of intelligence in adolescents and is sex-specific. Development a specific domain of intelligence may indirectly affect vitamin D status among adolescents, but needs to be proven prospectively.
