Use of Herbal Medicines in the Treatment of Obesity in Taif, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide. Herbal medicines are one of the most common alternative therapies for weight loss. The aim of this study was to determine the usage rate of herbal medicines in the city of Taif, Saudi Arabia, and which plants were most commonly used to treat obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted using a pretested questionnaire that was randomly distributed to overweight and obese people in Taif, Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: A total of 422 cases completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 60.3%. The majority of patients (98.1%) used herbal medicines to lose weight, with green tea (88.4%) and ginger (29.5%) being the most commonly used herbs. More than one-third of respondents declared that they suffered from side effects; however, most (72%) of the respondents admitted that they would use herbal medications again. CONCLUSION: The current study shows a high usage rate of herbal medicines for the treatment of obesity in Saudi Arabia. However, further studies are needed on the risks and benefits of the use of herbal medicines to treat obesity. Pharmacists and health professionals should conduct a community-based awareness program to spread awareness of both the benefits and risks of medicinal herbs.

The association of eating habits and lifestyle with overweight and obesity among health sciences students in Taif University, KSA.

OBJECTIVES: This work investigated the impacts of food habits and lifestyle on the prevalence of overweight (OW) and obesity (OB) among health sciences students (HSS) at Taif University, KSA. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 228 HSS in a university setting using a food frequency questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) was used to assess weight gain, and waist circumference (W_C) was employed for the assessment of abdominal adiposity. RESULTS: The prevalences of OW and OB were 25.9% and 10.9%, respectively, with an overall prevalence of 36.8%. All demographic variables had an insignificant (P > 0.05) effect on W_C. There were significant links between gender, academic year and discipline and BMI (P < 0.05). Smoking, stress, duration of TV viewing, daylight and night sleep had an effect on BMI and W_C but were statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Breakfast, light meals, eating with a family, fast food, and regular and diet soft drinks had insignificant impacts on BMI (P > 0.05). A considerable relationship was observed between consumption of liver and BMI (P < 0.05), while meat, egg, milk, fruit and vegetable, and grain intake had no significant effect on BMI (P > 0.05). All varieties of foods had no significant impact on W_C (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of OW and OB was 36.8%. The participants' gender, academic year, discipline, and liver intake had a significant impact on BMI. All other tested variables showed a nonsignificant relationship with W_C.

Prevalence and perception of smoking habits among the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.

BACKGROUND: The Gaza Strip is a densely populated place with ~2 million inhabitants in an area of 365 km(2). The aim of this study was to determine the smoking prevalence in the Gaza Strip and to identify the perception of the Palestinian population on smoking. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian territories, during the period from June to September 2014. Convenient sampling method was adopted. A structured pretested questionnaire was used. RESULTS: A total of 600 adults aged 15 years or older completed the questionnaires with a response rate of 83.3%. The prevalence rate of smoking was 26.3%, with a significantly higher rate among males (31%) than females (6.9%) (P<0.001). The mean starting age was 17.4±3.9 years. The study revealed that influence of friends is the major reason for initiation of smoking and the most influential factor in convincing smokers to quit was the family. Smokers' knowledge about smoking risks motivates them to try stop smoking (64.9%) or desire to stop smoking (65.2%). CONCLUSION: The study revealed that tobacco use is significantly prevalent in the Gaza Strip. The author recommends rapid antismoking campaigns with stress on the family role and massive intervention programs to encourage young people to change their behavior toward smoking.

Pharmacy education instruction: Preference and practices, Saudi students' perception.

AIM/BACKGROUND: The methods of instruction in pharmacy education are crucial and meant to suit the professional development and encompass the advanced variety of services and functions provided by the pharmacists to serve individual patients. The aim of this study was to determine the students' opinions on the adopted and preferred methods of instruction in pharmacy colleges in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Opinions of Saudi pharmacy students regarding the adopted methods of learning were measured using a pretested questionnaire combined with Likert-type scales. RESULTS: Three hundred pharmacy students were interviewed. Direct type of lecturing was dominant (53.7%). The most frequently used language of instruction was combined English and Arabic (48.8%), that was mostly preferred by 52.5% of the students. Handouts were the most adopted post-lecture learning method (48.3%), while only 5.9% used student's self-written notes. A cocktail of traditional and electronic aids was used as admitted by 68.7% and 59.3% of the students who preferred this lecture delivery method. Almost half (49.3%) of the students agreed of having a routine fair guidance and support when referring to their lecturers. CONCLUSION: The study outcomes had revealed a practical guidance to be considered for instituting preferred modes of instruction to upgrading students' capacities for better understanding and acquiring academic and professional skills.

Saudi school students' knowledge, attitude and practice toward medicines.

The current study was aimed to assess Saudi school students' knowledge, attitude and practice about medicines. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used anonymously among 15-20 year-old adolescents attending tertiary schools in Taif City, KSA. A total of 1022 students completed the questionnaires. Only 15.4% of the respondents knew the medicines' uses. Most of the students 79.6% affirmed that they used to take medicines after consulting physicians, and 45.1% of the students thought that tablet size affects the medicine's efficacy. More than half of the students knew that high temperatures affect the efficacy of medicines, there was a significant difference between rural and urban areas (P = 0.005). Physicians (50.6%) and community pharmacists (15.7%), were the main students' reliable sources of information about medicines. The majority of the students 70.5% were interested in learning more about medicines. The younger students ⩽18 years wish to learn more than the older ones (P < 0.014). The study showed that Saudi school students aged 15-20 years old have poor knowledge, misconception and negative attitudes about medicines. Low level of knowledge may expose adolescents to health-related problems. Educational efforts are important to improve students' practice toward medicines.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of health care workers toward Hepatitis B virus infection, Sudan.

OBJECTIVE: This study was set out to assess health care providers' knowledge, attitude and practice towards hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). METHODS: A cross sectional study was carried out, in four public hospitals in Wad Medani, Sudan. Anonymous pre-tested questionnaire was completed by 295 different health care providers. The response rate was 100%. RESULTS: The study revealed that, 97.2% of doctors, 98.6% of nurses, 94.8% of laboratory technicians and 95.7% of other paramedical knew that HBV transmitted via blood. For hygienic precautionary measure; the current study disclosed that (81%) of the responding providers were routinely used to recap needles after use and only (33%) of doctors were always wearing gloves. Gloves were not readily available in all units where there is a high risk of infectious occupational exposure. More than 50% (p < 0.001) of health care workers were not vaccinated against HBV. Healthcare workers had poor knowledge about Universal Standard Precautions Guidelines, and do not fully appreciate their occupational risk regarding hepatitis B infection. Set of recommendations was proposed for formulation and implementation of standard precautions guidelines.