RESUMO
Introduction Skin bleaching is a growing phenomenon worldwide and is becoming an increasing problem. Several skin-lightening products (SLPs) containing mercury, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids have impacted serious dermatological, nephrological, and neurological side effects. There is relatively little regulation, and the products are easily accessible and inexpensive. Justifications and beliefs for the use of these products vary from culture to culture, and there is little previous research on the use and abuse of skin-lightening cosmetics among Saudi women. This study examines the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the public in the western region of Saudi Arabia regarding SLPs to understand the situation better. Methodology An observational, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted over two months between July and August 2022. A 29-question survey was used to collect data from the general population. The study included all women residing in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Non-Arabic speakers were excluded. RStudio (R version 4.1.1) was used to analyze the data. Results A total of 409 participants were included in this study; In general, 146 (35.7%) of the participants said they had ever used an SLP. More than two-thirds (67.1%) had been using them for less than a year. In terms of the most common site of SLPs application, women reported applying the products to the skin of their face (74.7%), elbows (47.3%), and knees (46.6%). Use of SLPs differed significantly across participants' ages, with the proportion of SLP users in the 20-30 age category significantly higher than non-users (50.7% vs. 36.9%, p=0.017), and non-users were more common than users within the age category >50 years. In addition, the proportion of SLP users relative to educational level was significantly higher among participants with a bachelor's degree than the proportion of non-users (69.2% vs. 54.0%, p = 0.009). Conclusions The results of this research show that Saudi women frequently utilize topical lightening products. Therefore, regulation and controlling the use of bleaching products is essential, as is educating women about the risks involved with this practice. The misuse of bleaching products should decline with greater awareness.
RESUMO
Background Vitiligo is a common skin condition worldwide. It is an autoimmune disorder characterized by losing functional melanocytes, leading to chronic patchy depigmentation. People use the internet to seek health information, which is becoming one of the most commonly utilized sources. In this study, we aim to evaluate online information seen by patients about vitiligo by assessing the quality, content, and readability of widely used medical websites. Methodology All searches were conducted on February 16, 2022. The most popular search engines, Google, Yahoo, and Bing, were used to find websites, using vitiligo written in Arabic as a search term. An online readability calculator tool was used for the readability assessment of all websites. Two board-certified dermatology consultants (AK and LA) formulated a scoring sheet containing 19 questions based on commonly asked questions by patients in the dermatology clinics; 10 out of the 19 questions were designed to cover general information about vitiligo. In contrast, the other nine questions were designed to accommodate the management aspect of vitiligo. For the accountability assessment of each website, Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks were used. Statistical analysis has been performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA). Main measures The following measures were used: a 19-question sheet, JAMA benchmarks, the Coleman-Liau index, and the Automated Readability Index (ARI). Results In this study, we analyzed 21 websites. The interobserver reproducibility was 0.946 between AK and LA (P < 0.001). For all websites, the mean (standard deviation (SD)) score of the questionnaire was 11.71 (3.45) (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.14-13.29) out of 19 possible points. Regarding all four JAMA benchmarks, no website achieved all benchmarks. Three of 21 websites (14.29%) completed three out of four JAMA benchmarks. No correlation was found between the content quality of the websites and JAMA benchmarks (r = 0.270, P = 0.237). Conclusion Online information about vitiligo in Arabic varies depending on the source, but overall, it is of low quality and written beyond the level of the general population. The "top 10 websites" outlined in our article may be used as a suggested reading list for vitiligo patients.
