Assessing Osteoporosis Knowledge and Beliefs Among Adults Living in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Knowledge and beliefs about osteoporosis have been considered one of the vital parts of early prevention against it.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate knowledge and beliefs toward osteoporosis using the Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT) and Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) questionnaires among the public in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2019 to April 2019 among adults aged 15 years and above. A validated questionnaire was allocated electronically to the participants through social platforms (such as Twitterand WhatsApp) using a convenience sampling technique.

RESULTS

A total of 754 participants completed the questionnaire. The majority were females 481 (63.8%). A total of 34 (4.1%) have not heard about osteoporosis before. Respondents scored a total mean of 7.92±3.0for the OKAT questionnaire and a mean score of 126.74±22.38for the OHBS questionnaire. These two scores were significantly associated with age groups and gender (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Although there is a relative increase in the knowledge of our sample, the belief towardosteoporosis is evidently lower. Therefore, implementing educational programs that tackle belief perception and other preventive measures such as healthy eating habits, physical activities, and educational materials are needed in the future.

Mortality and morbidity of curative and palliative anticancer treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter population-based retrospective study

Administration of effective anticancer treatments should continue during pandemics. However, the outcomes of curative and palliative anticancer treatments during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic remain unclear. The present retrospective observational study aimed to determine the 30-day mortality and morbidity of curative and palliative anticancer treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March 1 and June 30, 2020, all adults (n=2,504) with solid and hematological malignancies irrespective of cancer stage and type of anticancer treatments at five large comprehensive cancer centers in Saudi Arabia were included. The 30-day mortality was 5.1% (n=127) for all patients receiving anticancer treatment, 1.8% (n=24) for curative intent, 8.6% (n=103) for palliative intent and 13.4% (n=12) for COVID-19 cases. The 30-day morbidity was 28.2% (n=705) for all patients, 17.9% (n=234) for curative intent, 39.3% (n=470) for palliative intent and 75% (n=77) for COVID-19 cases. The 30-day mortality was significantly increased with male sex [odds ratio (OR), 2.011; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.141-3.546; P=0.016], body mass index (BMI) <25 (OR, 1.997; 95% CI, 1.292-3.087; P=0.002), hormone therapy (OR, 6.315; 95% CI, 0.074-2.068; P=0.001) and number of cycles (OR, 2.110; 95% CI, 0.830-0.948; P=0.001), but decreased with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) of 0-1 (OR, 0.157; 95% CI, 0.098-0.256; P=0.001), stage I-II cancer (OR, 0.254; 95% CI, 0.069-0.934; P=0.039) and curative intent (OR, 0.217; 95% CI, 0.106-0.443; P=0.001). Furthermore, the 30-day morbidity significantly increased with age >65 years (OR, 1.420; 95% CI, 1.075-1.877; P=0.014), BMI <25 (OR, 1.484; 95% CI, 1.194-1.845; P=0.001), chemotherapy (OR, 1.397; 95% CI, 1.089-5.438; P=0.032), hormone therapy (OR, 1.527; 95% CI, 0.211-1.322; P=0.038) and immunotherapy (OR, 1.859; 95% CI, 0.648-4.287; P=0.038), but decreased with ECOG-PS of 0-1 (OR, 0.502; 95% CI, 0.399-0.632; P=0.001), breast cancer (OR, 0.569; 95% CI, 0.387-0.836; P=0.004) and curative intent (OR, 0.410; 95% CI, 0.296-0.586; P=0.001). The mortality risk was lowest with curative treatments. Therefore, such treatments should not be delayed. The morbidity risk doubled with palliative treatments and was highest among COVID-19 cases. Mortality appeared to be driven by male sex, BMI <25, hormonal therapy and number of cycles, while morbidity increased with age >65 years, BMI <25, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and immunotherapy. Therefore, oncologists should select the most effective anticancer treatments based on the aforementioned factors.

Intraoperative and Postoperative Complications Following Open, Laparoscopic, and Hysteroscopic Myomectomies in Saudi Arabia

Background

The aim of this study was to broaden our knowledge regarding the complications of myomectomy to better understand how to prevent them from occurring. Another aim was to compare surgical approaches, especially with the current research limitations surrounding this topic in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted in a cohort of 263 women who underwent surgical myomectomy, without any exclusion criteria. We used our hospital electronic medical records program called Phoenix to obtain all the data regarding clinical presentation, intraoperative findings, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and hospital stay, and then statistically analyzed these findings.

Results

Results were divided depending on the type of surgery. The mean age of open, laparoscopic, and hysteroscopic myomectomy groups were 40.82 years, 42.05 years, and 44.43 years, respectively. There were 213 (80.98%) open, 34 (12.93%) laparoscopic, and 16 (6.09%) hysteroscopic myomectomies. The most common indication in all groups was bleeding. The mean estimated blood loss and duration of surgery for open, laparoscopic, and hysteroscopic myomectomy groups were: 576.13 mL and 103.05 min, 333.21 mL and 56.91 min, and 306.29 mL and 104.19 min, respectively. The total complication rate for each group was 10.8% in open, 2.94% in laparoscopic, and 6.25% in hysteroscopic myomectomies.

Conclusion

Laparoscopy is considered the more effective option for myomectomy than both laparotomy and hysterectomy in terms of surgery duration, hospital stay, and prevalence of complications. However, it is a technically challenging operation that requires experienced surgeons to perform. Based on the information we gathered, we recommend our institute to implement laparoscopy instead of laparotomy myomectomy, which is the current standard procedure in our hospital.

Radio-opacity of the Bones of Commonly Consumed Fish from the Red Sea

Introduction

Foreign body (FB) ingestion is one of the most common complaints presenting at an emergency department (ED), with fish bone impaction being a frequent cause of presentation. Fish bones might be challenging to identify on routine radiography and ED physicians are often left in a state of uneasiness owing to the fear of complications occurring if the fish bone is not removed.

Objective

This study aimed to establish the factors affecting the radio-opacity of fish bones on X-ray.

Materials and methods

The study involved the top three fish species consumed on Saudi Arabia’s western coast. Fish bones from three specimens of each species were radiographically examined by hand-picking bones from different parts of the fish, with particular attention paid to bones that are difficult to spot. Bones were then arranged beside each other, and radiographs were taken for comparison. Inter-species and intra-species radio-opacity variation was tested. Further, the weight of each fish and method of cooking (baked vs. fried) were tested for their effect on radio-opacity.

Results

No significant difference in radio-opacity was found among and between different species, and the method of cooking did not alter the radio-opacity of fish bones. Significant differences in radio-opacity were noted with the difference in the diameter and size of the fish bones, which tended to be less radio-opaque in smaller-sized fish, regardless of the species.

Conclusion

The exact fish species and method of cooking did not alter the fish bone density on an X-ray. The size of the fish and the size of the fish bone are better predictors of higher fish bone density.

Assessing knowledge on preventive colorectal cancer screening in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Context

According to the Saudi Cancer Registry's 2014 Cancer Incidence Report, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading form of malignant cancer among Saudi men and ranks third among women. Raising awareness about CRC risk factors could lead to a significant decline in incidence of disease.

Aims

To assess CRC awareness and evaluate the main barriers that might prevent individuals' participation in screening.

Settings and Design

A self-administered survey was conducted over two days as part of a CRC awareness campaign in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in March, 2018.

Methods and Materials

The survey addressed issues regarding knowledge of CRC and available screening methods. The survey also examined barriers that might make one reluctant to undergo preventative screening. Stata/SE 15.0 was used for all statistical analyses.

Statistical Analyses

Continuous variables were described with frequencies and percentages. Stepwise linear regression models were constructed to predict CRC knowledge and barriers.

Results

Out of 422 participants, 50.2% were men. Most respondents were between 15-35 years old (65.8%). Multivariate analysis revealed that gender was a significant predictor of CRC knowledge. Furthermore, the variables of education and family history of CRC significantly predicted subjects' awareness of colonoscopic screenings. The most common barriers for seeking screening included fear of the procedure, absence of clinical symptoms, and fear of the results.

Conclusions

Our results highlight deficits in public CRC knowledge and their awareness of preventative measures. These shortcomings were found to be mainly related to education level. Specific barriers affecting screening decisions were also identified; intensive efforts on awareness to overcome these obstacles will be required.