Psychological Wellbeing of Diabetic Individuals, Prediabetics, and Non-diabetics: A Population-Based Study in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The increased burden of diabetes affects the quality of life, including psychosocial problems. The study aims to compare the psychological well-being of individuals who are prediabetic, diabetic, or non-diabetic. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted from January to June 2016 (n = 1,019) in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. After consent and questionnaires were filled out, trained staff took blood samples followed by anthropometry. Chi-squared tests, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between diabetes classes defined by HbA1c cut-off levels set by the American Diabetes Association (three categories), individual items, and total score in general health questionnaire (GHQ). An ROC curve was plotted for the total GHQ-12 score against HbA1c. Findings: The mean GHQ score for psychological distress was significantly higher (F = 6.569, P = 0.038) in the diabetics (mean = 14.7) and the prediabetics (12.4) than in the non-diabetics (10.71). Four out of six positive GHQ items and three out of six negative GHQ items significantly differed among the three classes of diabetes. The adjusted multivariate analysis revealed that people with diabetes were most likely to report psychological distress compared to non-diabetics (unstandardized beta = 2.414; P = 0.037). The AUC examining the relationship between HBA1c and GHQ scores showed a moderate but statistically insignificant sensitivity/specificity of 0.643 (P = 0.23). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that psychological wellbeing is substantially poorer among diabetic or prediabetic individuals than non-diabetic individuals. Future longitudinal studies are required to examine a plausible causal relationship between diabetes/prediabetes and psychological distress.

Patterns and determinants of treatment for coronary artery disease: A cross-sectional study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical and coronary angiographic characteristics of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and the patterns and determinants of CAD treatment in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 242 patients at 3 hospitals in KSA between June 2018 and June 2019. We included all patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with CAD on angiography. We carried out a multinomial logistic regression to ascertain the determinants of treatment patterns and treatment modalities. Covariates for this multivariate analysis were selected based on univariate regressions. RESULTS: The study population had a mean ± standard deviation of 58.3 ± 11.8 years, and 66.1% were male. The most frequent cardiovascular risk factor was diabetes (58.7%). Lesions involving the left anterior descending were reported among 68.6%, left circumflex among 51.2%, and right coronary arteries (RCA) among 48.8% of our patients. The most common treatment was the best medical therapy (lifestyle modifications and medical management), prescribed to 69.8% of patients. Patients aged ≤60 years with the left main disease or disease of the ramus had a higher likelihood of undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Contrarily, patients with RCA lesions were more likely to undergo a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). CONCLUSION: Patient age and anatomical localization of coronary atherosclerotic lesions were the main determinants of treatment with CABG or PCI.

Assessing knowledge of scabies among physicians working in primary health care setting.

BACKGROUND: Outbreaks of scabies have been documented in 2018 among school children in Western and Central regions of Saudi Arabia. There have been concerns about the awareness of healthcare providers. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the knowledge of primary health care physicians about scabies diagnosis and management, as well as the factors influencing such knowledge. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted between September and October 2019. The target population was physicians working in primary care centers in Riyadh. Filling either hard or soft copies of the study questionnaire was used for data collection. The knowledge score was calculated from the answers for 16 knowledge questions. RESULTS: A total of 216 physicians were included in the final analysis, mainly general practitioners (56.5%) and registrars (31.5%). The overall knowledge score was 67.5%± 13.9%. The highest level of knowledge was associated with age susceptibility (80.6%), followed by clinical presentation and diagnosis (78.1%), mode of transmission (75.8%), pathogen cause & incubation period (66.9%), and finally management (61.7%). In multivariate logistic regression models, a shorter time since last time information about scabies was reviewed was significantly associated with better knowledge (defined as score > median), with odds ratio = 5.84 (95% confidence interval = 2.43-14.01). Similarly, older age and higher qualification were significantly associated with better knowledge. DISCUSSION: As expected, the knowledge about scabies among primary care physicians was generally inadequate. The current findings highlight the need for educational and training programs lead by health care authorities, targeting these physicians.

The factor structure of the general health questionnaire (GHQ12) in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) is one of the most unique and extensively used self-report instruments for evaluating psychological disorders and strains. However, the factor structure of GHQ-12 has not been fully explored. The current study aims to assess the factorial structure of GHQ-12 in a large cross-sectional data-set extracted from Al Kharj central region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Population based cross sectional data was extracted from January 2016 to June 2016 from Al Kharj population recruiting 1019 respondents aged 18 and above. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied together with multiple regression analysis to extract and retain factors. Mean GHQ-12 score for demographic and health-related traits were used for assessing this association. Statistical analysis was carried out using STATA version 12.1. RESULTS: Three factors, including social dysfunction, anxiety, and loss of confidence were extracted from the factor structure. 55% of the overall variance was obtained through these factors. Total score of GHQ-12 ranged from 0 to 32 with a mean score of 12. CONCLUSION: Investigation of the factor structure of GHQ-12 demonstrated that GHQ-12 is a good measure for evaluating the general health of Saudi population. Future studies based on a larger sample size of non-clinical respondents will be useful to evaluate the practical effectiveness of GHQ-12 factors.

Prevalence of Prediabetes, Diabetes, and Its Associated Risk Factors among Males in Saudi Arabia: A Population-Based Survey.

OBJECTIVES: The study aims at determining the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes and at ascertaining some concomitant risk factors among males in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study including 381 Saudi adult males from different institutions was recruited. Odds ratios for diabetes risk and risk factors were calculated using log-binomial and multinomial logistic regression, using STATA version 12. RESULTS: The participants included 381 diabetic males with a median age of 45 years, average body mass index of 25 ± 40 kg/m2, whereas waist circumferences ranged from 66 to 180 cm in the male study population. In addition, 27.82% had normal BMI, 32.28% were overweight, and 36.22% were obese. Around 36% had higher waist circumference, that is, >102 cm. Age, BMI, marital status, and educational attainment were statistically significant predictors for prediabetes and diabetes. CONCLUSION: This study found that the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 9.2% and 27.6%, respectively, for male Al-Kharj study population. The factors that increase the risk of diabetes and prediabetes include older age, obesity and overweight, being married, smoker, and having a civilian job and less education. All these factors were found statistically significant except smoking status and job type. In order to evaluate the causal relationship of these factors, prospective studies are required in future.

How do Saudi diabetic patients perceive their illness? A multicenter survey using revised-illness perception questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Illness perception questionnaires for various medical conditions have become more useful in recent years. However, very few have used this to address the issue of type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted among type 2 diabetic patients attending primary healthcare centers and Al Kharj Military Industries Corporation Hospital in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, during November 24, 2016, to April 24, 2017. SPSS used for analysis that included descriptive statistics, t-test, and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, and 383 of them were returned; response rate about 77%. Majority of participants (80.4%) were educated, 69.5% were married, and 51% were females. About 57% were on OHA, and 57% had no other chronic disease. Most participants perceived that diabetes was hereditary (75%), and 62.4% thought it is due to diet or eating habits. About 80% participants believed that there is a lot they can do to control symptoms. About 73% participants believed they have the power to influence diabetes, whereas 78% think there is very little that can be done to improve diabetes and treatment can control diabetes. The Cronbach's alpha value for identity, timeline (cyclical), and emotional factors were relatively high, showing that these scales had a strong level of internal consistency. CONCLUSION: Saudis with type 2 diabetes mellitus had adequate knowledge of their disease. They agreed that diabetes was likely to be permanent and would have major consequences on their lives.

The association between watching television and obesity in children of school-age in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: There is little information on the association between watching Television (TV) and obesity in the Arabian Peninsula. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to explore the association between the watching of television and obesity in Saudi children of school-age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-controlled study was conducted with students between the ages of 9 and 14 years who attended the school health clinic in King Abdulaziz Housing for National Guard (Iskan), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the study period (February to April 2012). During each clinic, children were selected by simple random sampling (five obese and five non-obese). For data collection, two trained physicians interviewed the participants using a 20-item Arabic questionnaire. Well-trained nurses collected the anthropometric measurements of weight and height. RESULTS: The study included 397 students. Higher (body mass index) BMI was associated with a higher number of televisions at home (P < 0.001), watching TV for more than three hours per day at the weekend (P = 0.047), eating more than three snacks per day (P = 0.005), watching TV at night (P = 0.026), and siblings' decisions on how much TV to watch (P = 0.025). The prevalence of childhood obesity was significantly lower among those whose mothers determined how much TV they could watch (P = 0.03). In logistic regression analysis, the increase in the child's age, the presence of more than one TV at home, having his or her own TV, and an increase in the number of hours of watching TV over the weekend were significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. Personal computers and the Internet were not significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. CONCLUSION: The present investigation revealed that watching TV represents an important risk factor for obesity in children of school-age.