Prevalence of asthma symptoms and associated risk factors among adults in Saudi Arabia: A national survey from Global Asthma Network Phase â .

PURPOSE: Estimating the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms with standardized methods of population-based surveys is a critical step in reducing asthma burden. However, no sufficient surveys have been conducted in most countries of the Middle East especially at the national level. In this survey, we applied sound measures to estimate the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms and related risk factors in adults in Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this national cross-sectional study, the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms were estimated throughout the country. Overall, 7955 adult individuals were selected from 20 regions across Saudi Arabia through their children at schools using a multistage, stratified cluster-sampling technique. A validated questionnaire, including the core and environmental questions of the Global Asthma Network questionnaires, was applied from March 4 to April 25, 2019. In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the independent relationships between current wheeze and related risk factors. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of current wheeze (wheeze during the past 12 months) was 14.2%. Among persons with current wheeze, 38.1% were affected by severe asthma symptoms. Although a high percentage of those who had experienced asthma-ever reported that their asthma was diagnosed by doctors (83.3%), only 38.4% had a written plan for controlling their asthma. Women were more likely to develop current wheeze (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.7), while other statistically significant factors associated with current wheeze were jobs (aOR 11.8; 95% CI: 7.3-18.9), current exposure to moisture or damp spots (aOR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.5-3.4), heating the house when it is cold (aOR 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.1), and ever using tobacco daily (aOR 2.7; 95% CI: 2.0-3.5). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide enough evidence for health authorities in Saudi Arabia about the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms, asthma control, and associated risk factors to scale up monitoring projects, control plans, and high-impact interventions.

The burden of asthma among children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia: A national cross-sectional survey.

Background: Asthma disease is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Studies assessing asthma prevalence in Saudi Arabia have been variable and not recently updated. Objectives: We sought to assess asthma prevalence, severity, and related risk factors among children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A national, cross-sectional design was used following the Global Asthma Network phase I design. A total of 3817 children aged 6 to 7 years and 4138 adolescents aged 13 to 14 years were recruited from 137 primary and 140 intermediate schools across 20 regions by using a multistage stratified cluster sampling technique. Standardized written questionnaires were answered by the adolescents and by the parents or guardians of the children. The adolescents also answered a video-based questionnaire. Results: Overall, the prevalences of current wheeze were 10.4% and 13.3% and the prevalences of asthma ever were 13.8% and 15.7%, % in children and adolescents, respectively. Of all the children and adolescents, 5.2% and 5.6% had symptoms of severe asthma, respectively. Among those who reported asthma, 86.0% of the children and 74.8% of the adolescents had their asthma confirmed by a doctor, and 53.0% and 32.4%, respectively, were provided with a written plan to control their asthma. The main risk factors associated with current wheeze included antibiotic use in the first year of life, a history of being diagnosed with pneumonia in children, paracetamol use, and having a cat at home during the past 12 months in adolescents. Conclusions: The prevalence of asthma in children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia is within the average international range and is at a plateau phase.

Determinants of the Underlying Causes of Mortality during the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive National Study.

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mortality statistics are constantly changing globally. Mortality statistics analysis has vital implications to implement evidence-based policy recommendations. This study aims to study the demographic characteristics, patterns, determinants, and the main causes of death during the first half of 2020, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODOLOGY: A retrospective descriptive study targeted all death (29,291) registered in 286 private and governmental health settings, from all over KSA. The data was extracted from the ministry of health's death records after the ethical approval. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and WHO grouping, were used to classify the underlying causes of deaths. The collected data were analyzed using the appropriate tables and graphs. RESULTS: 7055 (24.9%) died at the middle age (40-59 year), and 19,212 (65.6%) were males, and 18,110 (61.8%) were Saudi. The leading causes of deaths were non-communicable diseases (NCDs) 15,340 (62.1%), mainly Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) 10,103 (34.5%). There was a significant relationship between the main causes of deaths and sex (p < 0.05) and nationality (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: NCDs mainly CVDs are the leading cause of death. The COVID-19 mortalities were mainly in males, and old age > 55 year. The lockdown was associated with a reduction in the NCDs and Road traffic accidents mortalities.

Evidence from cluster surveys on the association between home-based counseling and use of family planning in conflict-affected Darfur.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between home counseling and awareness and use of modern family planning (FP) methods among women in internally displaced person (IDP) camps in conflict-affected West Darfur, Sudan. METHODS: In a community-based cross-sectional study, two questionnaire-based surveys were performed in three camps. Home-based counseling had been introduced in March 2006. An initial survey (February 2007) and a follow-up survey (April 2009) targeted women of child-bearing age. A sample of 640 randomly selected women aged 15-49 years who had experienced pregnancy after joining the camp were interviewed for each survey. RESULTS: Overall, modern FP use increased from 10.9% (70/640) in 2007 to 21.6% (138/640) in 2009 (P<0.001). As compared with the initial survey, women in the follow-up survey were more likely to be aware of and to use any modern FP method (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.9-7.4; and aOR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0-4.1, respectively). Contraceptive pills were the most common modern method used. Home counseling and loss of a child under 5years were the most significant predictors of awareness and use of modern FP methods. CONCLUSION: After the introduction of home-based FP counseling for couples and FP services in clinics, women's awareness and use of modern FP methods increased in a conflict-affected setting.

The influence of maternal health education on the place of delivery in conflict settings of Darfur, Sudan.

BACKGROUND: Armed conflict and socio-demographic characteristics of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are very important factors that influence the provision of reproductive health (RH) in humanitarian settings. Maternal health education plays a crucial role to overcome the barriers of RH care, reduce home births conducted by traditional birth attendants (TBAs), and improve increasing births in a health facility. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the association between the place of delivery and home visits for maternal health education and (2) describe the socio-demographic characteristics of women who gave birth during the last two years. METHODS: A cross-sectional study among married women aged (15-49 years old) in IDP camps. All women were subjected to intensive maternal health education at their homes for 3 years prior to the survey. A sample of 640 women who gave birth during the last two years was randomly selected. RESULTS: Among all women investigated, 36.9 % (95 % CI: 33.1, 40.8) reported a home-based delivery, while 63.1 % (95 % CI: 59.2, 66.9) reported a facility-based delivery. Receiving visits for maternal health education at home was associated with an estimated 43.0 % reduction in odds of giving birth at home, compared to not receiving home visits (adjusted odds ratio [ aOR] 0.57; 95 % CI: 0.35, 0.93). The level of women's education and camp of residence were important predictors for home birth. CONCLUSION: Maternal health education at home was associated with a reduction in home-based delivery performed by TBAs in the conflict-affected setting of Darfur. Our study proposes that when facility-based delivery is made available in camp's clinics, and the targeted women educated at home to refrain from home-based delivery, they will choose to undergo facility-based delivery.