Patients' attitudes and perceptions regarding research and their rights: a pilot survey study from the Middle East.

Ethical and regulatory oversight of research may be suboptimal in low- and middle-income countries. To determine patients' attitudes and perceptions toward research participation and perceptions of their rights, we recruited 202 participants from hospitals in Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Sudan and asked them to complete a questionnaire assessing attitudes and perceptions. Around 20% believed that doctors sometimes perform research on patients without their knowledge and 35% believed that if participants withdrew from the research they would not receive good medical care. Over 85% believed that they should have rights regarding confidentiality of data, free medical care if injured during the research and asking questions. Almost half believed they have a right to withdraw without penalty and around 75% believed they could make complaints without fear of harm. Those who were illiterate or unemployed were less likely to appreciate their rights compared with their counterparts.

Prevalence and predictors of physical exercise among nurses. A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the prevalence and predictors of physical exercise among nurses. Methods: This study was conducted at 2 hospitals selected randomly from tertiary hospitals in King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon in 2014. The study included nurses with at least one year of nursing experience. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into 2 sections, one covering the respondents' demographics, and the other one assessing the prevalence and the characteristics of physical exercise.  Results: A total of 412 participants responded, of whom 248 (60.2%) are engaged in physical exercise. On multivariate analysis, normal weight and smoking were independently associated with physical exercise. Most 66.1% of respondents reported practicing walking as the most common type of physical activity. One hundred eighty (72.6%) respondents relied on their own motivation to perform physical activity and 64.6% reported the lack of availability of physical activity facilities.  Conclusion: Smoking and obesity were the significant predictors associated with physical inactivity. Encouraging nurses to adopt a healthy lifestyle for their role modeling to patients as health promoters is recommended.

Characterizing sleeping habits and disturbances among Saudi adults.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize sleeping habits, assess sleep disturbance prevalence, and identify associated factors among Saudi adults.  Methods: A total of 1720 adults were approached for this observational cross-sectional study between October 2014 and March 2015. The study took place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. We used a questionnaire to describe sleeping characteristics in relation to existing chronic diseases, smoking status, obesity, daily performance and sociodemographic variables. Results: The response rate was 79.6% (1369 participants), 61.6% have or may have sleeping disturbances of which 18.6% claimed either slowed or stopped breathing during sleep. Women reported a higher prevalence of sleep disturbances (65.2%). Feeling tired was significantly associated with sleep disturbance (49% versus 19.7%) (p greater than 0.001). Approximately 78.4% of those with sleep disturbance significantly believed that their ability to perform daily tasks is affected (p=0.005). Moreover, smoking and obesity were significantly associated with sleep disturbances (p less than 0.01). Participants with asthma, hypertension, chronic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus reported significantly more sleeping disturbance (p=0.016 to p=0.001). Conclusions: Sleep disturbances are associated with obesity, smoking, chronic health conditions, and lower performance among  Saudi adults.

Prevalence of physical activity among Lebanese adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This survey aims to assess the prevalence of physical activity among adult Lebanese, and to report the relationship between sociodemographic variables and physical activity behavior highlighting the correlates discouraging people to carry out physical activity. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an anonymous self-reported questionnaire was conducted on 346 adults from four Lebanese districts. Demographic characteristics, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and medical history were obtained. RESULTS: Prevalence of physical activity among Lebanese adults was 55.5% (192/346). Age, BMI, marital status, medical history, occupation, educational level and smoking were significantly associated with physical activity (P < .05). Inactive obese participants were about three times more likely to report hypertension and diabetes than inactive normal weight participants (P = .013). BMI was significantly higher among inactive participants (P = .014). CONCLUSION: Physical activity was under level among Lebanese adults. Married, non office workers and smokers were the main correlates of physical inactivity in Lebanese adulthood.