Consanguineous marriages, premarital screening, and genetic testing: a survey among Saudi university students

Background

Marriage among cousins or close relatives, i.e., consanguinity, is prevalent in many parts of the world, especially the Muslim world. Across civilizations, cultural norms, religious beliefs, and economic factors affect consanguineous marriages (CMs); however, such marriages have social, genetic, and health repercussions. The present study investigated the university students' attitudes regarding CMs and factors influencing their attitudes at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Methods

This cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at KAU Jeddah in 2023. The questionnaire was distributed via electronic media (Emails, Facebook Messenger & WhatsApp). The convenience sampling technique was used to select participants, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data on SPSS-26.

Results

A total of 1707 university students were part of the study (females, 1,198, 70.2%; males, 509, 29.8%). Almost half of the participants, 819 (48.0%), had parents with CMs. Most of the participants, 1,391 (81.5%), had CMs in the family. Half of the participants disagreed that parents consider marriage stable due to high compatibility and the same social relationship before and after marriage. About one-third of respondents said parents believe family marriage transmits cultural values and continuity and keeps wealth in the family. More than three-fourths of the participants stated that if marriage is arranged with first cousins, they will opt for genetic analysis (82.5%) and premarital counseling (85.2%). The personal attitudes of females (p < 0.001), undergraduate (p = 0.02), and health sciences students (p = 0.02) were more positive than their counterparts. Males (OR = 0.41; p < 0.001) and non-health sciences students (OR = 0.68; p = 0.01) were less likely to have significant positive attitudes than their counterparts. Among participants who had CM parents, males (OR = 0.397; p < 0.001) and non-health sciences students (OR = 0.60; p = 0.01) and urban residents (OR = 0.59; p = 0.01) had significantly lower odds of having a positive attitude than their counterparts.

Conclusion

The practice of CMs is still prevalent in Saudi culture, with almost half of the participants having CM parents and the majority reporting these marriages in their families. Personal attitudes toward CMs were extremely positive. Most students prefer genetic testing and premarital counseling if marrying first cousins. Gender, faculty, parental income, and educational background influenced participants' attitudes.

Factors disturbing undergraduate students’ interaction during lectures: A university-based survey

Objectives:

To explore the factors that disturb students’ interaction during lectures and interfere with their active participation.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study lasted approximately nine months, beginning on May 9, 2018, and ending on February 6, 2019. Students of different faculties participated in the study. A valid questionnaire was used after piloting. Four major categories were defined: classmate factors (CMFs), teacher-related factors (TRFs), personal factors (PFs), and class environment factors (CEFs).

Results:

A total of 658 students were included. Among all, 428 (65%) were females, and 230 (35%) were males. The comparison of main categories showed that CMFs, TRFs, PFs, and CEFs disturbed students’ interaction 74%, 55%, 50%, and 84%, respectively. The comparison of the factors disturbing students’ interaction showed that females were more disturbed by the CMFs (p=0.036) and CEFs (p<0.001) than males. CMFs, PFs, and CEFs disturbed more married students’ than unmarried. CMF more disturbed science faculty students’ interaction compared to all other groups. CEF showed less disturbance among Engineering/Math group students’ interaction compared to other groups. The male gender and sixth-year students were the predictors of TRF disturbance, while the married students were the predictors of disturbance by PF.

Conclusion:

Several factors (PF, CMF, TRF, and CEF) disturbed students’ interaction during a lecture. Additionally, the male gender, married students, and sixth-year students were the associated factors of disturbed interaction during a lecture. We suggest that teachers and educational leaders need to devise a policy to overcome these factors to provide a conducive learning environment.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Effects on Overseas Pakistanis Particularly Residing in China, Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom

Aim

This study explored the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic effects on overseas Pakistani's residing in various parts of the world, particularly in China, Saudi Arabia (SA), and the United Kingdom (UK).

Methods

This cross-sectional study was completed between November 2020 and April 2021. An online questionnaire was designed and circulated via various social media mediums to overseas Pakistani communities. The obtained data were statistically analyzed through SPSS version 19 for windows. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 542 overseas Pakistani participated in the current study. In total, 157 (29%) were females and 385 (71%) males. There were 174 (32.1%), 142 (26.45%), 117 (21.6%), and 109 (19.85%) participants from the UK, SA, China, and other countries respectively. Some participants, or their family members, 93 (17.2%), got infected with the COVID-19. About one-third, 165 (30.4%), of the respondents were afraid that their company would violate their contracts or lose their jobs or be paid less. The majority, 469 (86.5%), believed that the lockdown is increasing their psychological stress. More than half of the participants, 314 (57.9%), stated that the Pakistani embassy did not facilitate them in their country of stay. About one-third, 194 (35.8%), of the respondents faced visa-related issues. More than one-third of respondents, 221 (40.8%), faced health issues due to lack of physical activities during the lockdown. Males were afraid that their company would violate their contract, lose jobs, or be paid less than females (p < 0.001). Both genders had psychological stress and health issues because of the pandemic. The participants from SA faced more visa-related issues, and they were less satisfied with the efforts of the Pakistani embassy to facilitate them compared to the UK and China participants (p = 0.013).

Conclusion

Our data indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Pakistanis living in the UK, SA, China, and other parts of the world. They had health-related issues, visa problems and dissatisfaction with Pakistani embassy facilitations. Pakistanis living abroad require government assistance to resolve their issues.

Community perspective on family medicine and family physician in Saudi Arabia 2020

BACKGROUND

Despite the importance and advantages of family medicine, it has poorly developed in Arab communities when compared to other medical specialties. Therefore, in this study, we aim to investigate the perception of the Saudi population about family medicine and physicians.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out using a self-administered structured online survey tool through the Google Forms platform. The online questionnaire was distributed to all Saudi Arabia's residents aged more than 15 years. A predesigned questionnaire was used and included items collecting data about participants' sociodemographic characteristics, awareness/knowledge, and experience/attitudes.

RESULTS

A total of 6974 valid participants were included in the current study, where the age group 25-35 years (37.1%) and 51.7% of them were females. Out of the included participants, 81.3% (n = 5671) did not report any chronic illnesses, while the other 18.7% (n = 1303) did. The mean awareness and knowledge score for all participants was 9.57 ± 3.39 (out of 20 possible points), while the mean experience and attitude score for all participants was 10.15 ± 2.58 (out of 16 possible points). Patients' perceptions, whether awareness and knowledge or experience and attitude scores, were significantly correlated (P-value < 0.001) to chronic illness status, being a healthcare worker, job, marital status, and gender factors. Moreover, experience and attitude score was additionally correlated to residence region (P-value = 0.034) and participants' nationality (P-value< 0.001).

CONCLUSION

General population in Saudi Arabia were aware about the importance of family physicians and they trust them. The identified predictors should be considered when trying to increase public awareness and enhance the experience with family physicians.

Relationship between Anaemia during Pregnancy and Postpartum Haemorrhage: A Case from Saudi Arabia

Background: Anemia during pregnancy is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among postpartum women. The main reason for the condition is dietary Iron deficiency and the most common type of anemia found in women during pregnancy is iron deficiency anemia. Among many complications, postpartum hemorrhage is a problem linked with anemia during pregnancy. In Saudi Arabia, pregnancy and postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is not common but still, cases are reported. The present study aimed to determine its prevalence in population and to see its relationship with anemia during pregnancy. Methods: It was an analytical cross-sectional study in which the data was collected from women using properly designed questionnaires. The study population was women who got pregnant and delivered in main hospitals of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The data of respondents for demographical and clinical variables were collected and analyzed using SPSS using appropriate statistical tests. Results: 600 participants responded to the questionnaire. The mean age was 26.32 years. The prevalence of PPH among studied population was 11.9%. Anemia during pregnancy was found to be positively associated with PPH with the p value of 0.0039. Smoking history was also correlated with PPH. There was no strong association between age and increase risk of PPH. Conclusion: This study concluded that PPH is not common in Saudi Arabia. There is a moderate association of anemia during pregnancy and PPH. Smoking is also a positive predictor for PPH. There are some limitations in the study so there is a need of large-scale study to confirm the findings in the population.

Social Media Use, Psychological Distress and Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding the COVID-19 Among a Sample of the Population of Pakistan

This study was conducted to assess social media (SM) use, psychological distress, and knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among a sample of the population of Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Multan, Pakistan between April and May 2020. Demographics details, SM use, psychological distress, and KAP on the COVID-19 were investigated. A total of 800 respondents were analyzed out of which 33.5% (n = 268) were women. No gender-wise difference was found in the terms of SM use and duration of SM use. Women were prone to have psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and stress than men in the current COVID-19 pandemic. The mean knowledge score of men was significantly higher compared to women (18.69 ± 4.20 vs. 16.89 ± 3.04, p < 0.001), while the mean score of the attitude and practices on the COVID-19 prevention measures was significantly better in women (p = 0.012 and p < 0.001, respectively). The psychological problems such as anxiety (p < 0.001) and depression scores (p = 0.033) were higher among women than men. The stress score was also higher in women but not significantly higher (p = 0.079). The knowledge was significantly correlated with attitude, anxiety, depression, and stress. The regression analysis showed that the COVID-19-related KAPs are the predictors of psychological suffering of an individual. The female gender was positively associated with anxiety and depression. The SM use was the predictor of the stress. Male respondents had significantly more knowledge of the COVID-19 than female respondents, but women had significantly better attitudes and practiced the COVID-19 prevention measures. Gender is a significant determinant of psychological distress and KAP about the COVID-19. The government has already taken significant steps to limit the spread of the disease; however, much more effort is required to tackle this COVID-19 pandemic.

A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Risk Factors for Hypoesthesia after Repair of Facial Fractures

Background: Hypoesthesia occurs as a result of injuries resulting in injury to the nerve fibres. The causes of injury include direct harm from the needle injections, around the nerve fibres, mechanical injuries resulting in an indirect pressure into the mandibular canal, during the dental surgical procures, as well as the toxicity of the local anaesthetic agents. Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted by recruiting N=79 adult individuals (>18 years), who had visited the district hospital for acquiring clinical assistance and treatment of facial muscles or nerve-related complications in August 2020. Data collection for this research was carried out by using a specially designed questionnaire, which facilitated in acquiring data related to aetiology of trauma, identification of the hypoesthesia area, as well as the clinical complications experienced by the respondents. The clinical reports of the patients were also collected for analysing the hypoesthesia area. SPSS was utilised for data analysis, and statistical tests were conducted for assessing the risk factors for hypoesthesia after repair of facial fractures. Results: The statistical tests revealed that only a small percentage of the sample population, i.e., (N=9) or 11.8% experienced the facial bone fracture, male respondents had more exposure to the facial bone fractures, as compared to the females (Mean=1.81, SD= 0.397), and the individuals below 25 years of age had high exposure of facial bone fracture (Mean=1.78, SD= 0.428). A significant majority of hypoesthesia cases were at mandible, and orbit region. Conclusion: The dental treatment resulting in nerve manipulation results in nerve elongation, nerve compression, contributing to transient hypoesthesia. Hypoesthesia might also lead to other clinical complications.

Hellp Syndrome and Heart Disease: A Cross Sectional Study in Jeddah- KSA

Background: HELLP is a potentially life-threatening conditions which has some similarity with preeclampsia therefore, it poses a challenging diagnostic and management issues for clinician. It is composed of H=hemolysis, EL=elevated liver enzymes and LP=low platelets. The aims of this study are to assess the prevalence of HELLP syndrome among Saudi Arabian, besides, assessing the risk factors related to it. Methodology: This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in kingdom of Saudi Arabia (female who previously get pregnant) from 07/08/2020 till 29/11/2020. The study was depending on using of online questionnaire assessing demographic factors including age and nationality besides disease-related information: Heart disease, Smoker patient, related risk factors of disease and DM patient. Results: We included 457 women who agreed to participate in the study and completed the questionnaire. 36.1% of participants were aged between 25-35 years. 13.3% of the sample had reported that they are smokers and 6.1% as X-smokers while 16.8% of the sample had diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of HELLP was 38.3%. It was found that age is not a significant factor in occurrence of HELLP symptoms except in having distribution of liver function (P=0.005). Cardiac diseases are another significant risk factor in developing symptoms of HELLP especially high blood pressure where 46% of patients with cardiac disease reported having high blood pressure during pregnancy with a risk of eight times over those with no cardiac disease (OR=8.03, 95% CI=4.2100 to 15.3, P=0.000) however, it has no significant effect on developing disturbance in liver function. Conclusion: we had found the 38.3% of females in Saudi Arabia had HELLP in their pregnancy, with increase the prevalence of some other conditions including smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and autoimmune diseases which all found to increase the risk for developing HELLP in females. More investigation is needed to explore the same prevalence using hospital based study design.

Trends in hepatitis A research indexed in the Web of Science: a bibliometric analysis over the period from 1985 to 2019

OBJECTIVE

A bibliometric analysis was conducted to build an all-inclusive view of the status of research on hepatitis A virus (HAV) for facilitating researchers, health professionals, and policymakers to understand the characteristics of research output in this particular domain.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted in the Web of Science database. The obtained data were exported into Microsoft Excel 2019, OriginPro 2018 and VOSviewer software for windows.

RESULTS

From 1985 to 2019, a total of 5,950 studies on HAV were published, with an overall h-index of 105, and 90,350 total citations. The most cited article on HAV was "Classification of chronic viral hepatitis: a need for reassessment" authored by Scheuer in the Journal of Hepatology with a total of 1,121 citations. The most cited article on HAV vaccine was "A controlled trial of a formalin-inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in healthy children" by Werzberger et al. in the New England Journal of Medicine with 401 citations. The most frequent year of publication was 2019 (n = 250). The largest number of studies were funded by the United States Department of Health Human Services (n = 199). The organization with the highest number of publications was the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n = 228). The United State of America (n = 1,500) was the country with the most publications. 'Vaccine' was the leading journal with 299 publications.

CONCLUSIONS

The highest numbers of studies were published in developed countries. There is a clear need for interdisciplinary research approaches to evaluate and intervene in HAV endemic areas.

Research trends in rabies vaccine in the last three decades: a bibliometric analysis of global perspective

INTRODUCTION

Rabies is an infectious zoonotic viral disease which mainly occurs in Africa and Asia. Dogs are predominantly responsible for rabies transmission contributing up to 99% of all human rabies cases. Rabies is a vaccine preventable disease in both animals and humans.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to quantify and characterize the scientific literature and identify the top most cited studies in rabies vaccine research (RVR) from 1991 to 2020.

METHODS

The data used in this study were downloaded from Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-E) database. Network visualization analysis was performed using VOSviewer software.

RESULTS

A total of 1,042 papers (article: n = 986, 94.6%, review: n = 56, 5.4%) were included in this study. These have been cited 17,390 times with an average citation per paper was 16.69 times. The most frequent publication year was 2019 (n = 75, 7.2%). More than 55% studies were published from the United State of America (USA) (n = 380, 36.5%), France (n = 128, 12.3%), and China (n = 97, 9.3%). The most studied Web of Science (WoS) category was immunology (n = 344, 33%). The most prolific author in RVR was Rupprecht CE (n = 55, 5.3%). 'Vaccine' was the leading journal (n = 218, 20.9%). Rabies was the most widely used keyword.

CONCLUSION

Abundant literature has been published on RVR in developed countries. This study might provide a reference to understand the current and future research trends in RVR. In developing countries research collaboration and co-operation among institutes and researchers needs to be strengthened with developed countries.

Research trends in COVID-19 vaccine: a bibliometric analysis

Background: In the last two decades the world has experienced many outbreaks of infectious diseases including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 was first reported in China and spread to more than 200 countries and territories. At present, there are no available treatment and vaccines for COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the global research trends in COVID-19 vaccine.Methods: On January 12, 2020, a comprehensive search of documents on COVID-19 was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection database. HistCite^TM and VOSviewer softwares are used for citations and visualization mapping.Results: A total of 916 documents authored by 4,392 authors and published in 376 journals were included in the final analysis. Majority of the retrieved documents consisted of articles (n = 372, 40.6%). The most prolific authors were Dhama K (n = 10, 1.1%) and Hotez PJ (n = 10, 1.1%). The most active institution was the University of Oxford (n = 24, 2.6%). The leading journal in COVID-19 vaccine was Human Vaccine & Immunotherapeutics (n = 43, 4.7%). The most frequently used keywords were COVID (n = 597, 65.2%), and vaccine (n = 521, 56.9%). Furthermore, visualization mapping shows that COVID-19 was the most co-occurrence author keyword. The United States of America (USA) was the most productive country, 352 (38.4%).Conclusions: This is the first bibliometric study that provides detailed information about published literature on the COVID-19 vaccine. Majority of the publications were published in developed countries. The findings may useful for researchers and policymakers.

Novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) and Other Coronaviruses: A Genome-wide Comparative Annotation and Analysis

Novel strain of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) causes mild to severe respiratory illness. The early symptoms may be fever, dry cough, sour throat, and difficulty in breathing which may lead to death in severe cases. Compared to previous outbreaks like SARS-CoV and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), SARS-CoV2 disease (COVID-19) outbreak has been much distressing due to its high rate of infection but low infection fatality rate (IFR) with 1.4% around the world. World Health Organization (WHO) has declared (COVID-19) a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In the month of January 2020, the whole genome of SARS-CoV2 was sequenced which made work easy for researchers to develop diagnostic kits and to carry out drug repurposing to effectively alleviate the pandemic situation in the world. Now, it is important to understand why this virus has high rate of infectivity or is there any factor involved at the genome level which actually facilitates this virus infection globally? In this study, we have extensively analyzed the whole genomes of different coronaviruses infecting humans and animals in different geographical locations around the world. The main aim of the study is to identify the similarity and the mutational adaptation of the coronaviruses from different host and geographical locations to the SARS-CoV2 and provide a better strategy to understand the mutational rate for specific target-based drug designing. This study is focused to every annotation in a comparative manner which includes SNPs, repeat analysis with the different categorization of the short-sequence repeats and long-sequence repeats, different UTR’s, transcriptional factors, and the predicted matured peptides with the specific length and positions on the genomes. The extensive analysis on SNPs revealed that Wuhan SARS-CoV2 and Indian SARS-CoV2 are having only eight SNPs. Collectively, phylogenetic analysis, repeat analysis, and the polymorphism revealed the genomic conserveness within the SARS-CoV2 and few other coronaviruses with very less mutational chances and the huge distance and mutations from the few other species.

Association Between Vitamin D and Resistin in Postmenopausal Females With Altered Bone Health

BACKGROUND

Resistin is a relatively novel adipokine that has a role in bone remodeling and may regulate bone mineral density (BMD). Vitamin D and adipokines have a dynamic role in the body's various metabolic processes, including bone metabolism, and may alter bone metabolism in relation to each other. This study aimed to investigate the association between vitamin D and serum resistin levels in postmenopausal non-osteoporotic and osteoporotic females.

METHODS

This correlational analytical study was conducted on 161 postmenopausal females, divided into two groups, non-osteoporotic and osteoporotic, between 50-70 years. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Serum resistin and vitamin D levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Serum calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase with spectrophotometry. A correlation was checked using spearman's rho correlation coefficient, and multivariate stepwise regression analysis was used to predict serum resistin levels.

RESULTS

Postmenopausal females (n=161) having sufficient, insufficient and deficient levels of vitamin D were 87 (54.0%), 64 (39.8%), and 10 (6.2%), respectively. Lumbar spine BMD (p < 0.001), total hip BMD (p < 0.001), and serum resistin levels (p < 0.001) were significantly different between the two groups. There was a significant negative correlation between serum resistin and vitamin D in postmenopausal females (rho = -0.182, p = 0.021) and osteoporotic group (rho = -0.253, p = 0.019) but non-significant in non-osteoporotic group (rho = -0.077, p = 0.509). Serum vitamin D was found to be independent predictor of serum resistin levels, accounting for only 3% variance.

CONCLUSION

Serum vitamin D levels were low while serum resistin levels were high in postmenopausal osteoporotic females and vitamin D is a negative predictor of serum resistin levels.

Association of Dyslipidemia and Comorbidities with Risk Factors Among Diabetic Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

PURPOSE

To find out the association of dyslipidemia and comorbidities with risk factors among type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients attending King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three hundred and twenty-five T2DM patients were enrolled from the electronic record of the KAUH. The patients' existing comorbidities and dyslipidemia correlation with demographic, clinical, and available laboratory data were sought. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS-23.

RESULTS

Of the total 325 T2DM patients with a mean age of 60.13±10.5 years [males 95 (29.23%) and females 230 (70.77%)] were included from the electronic record. Poor glycemic control was observed in 222 (68.31%) subjects (HbA1c > 7%), and 154 (47.39%) subjects had DM for more than ten years. Among our study subjects, 103 (31.69%) were hypertensive (HTN), 112 (34.46%) had ischemic heart disease (IHD), 45 (13.85%) were obese, 8(2.46%) had a stroke and 269 (82.77%) had dyslipidemia. Of the total 269 dyslipidemic patients,168 (62.45%) were on hypolipidemic treatment. On comparison of study variables according to dyslipidemia versus normal lipid levels, the lipid profile, including HDLc, LDLc, TC, and TG, revealed a highly significant difference (p-value <0.001) whereas many variables were not significantly different. HBA1c, FBG, and RBG were significantly higher in dyslipidemic subjects. Logistic regression analysis of risk factors and comorbidities in our patients revealed that age 60-69 years and 70-79 years had a significant association with comorbidities. Similarly, logistic regression analysis of risk factors and dyslipidemia in our patients revealed no statistically significant association.

CONCLUSION

Our results observed that the comorbidities were associated with increasing age and common comorbidities were HTN, IHD, dyslipidemia. Our study has highlighted the current trends in T2DM symptomatology and comorbidities. Efficient management and control by early screening and developing healthy lifestyles in our patients can be very helpful in the prevention of all these highly morbid complications of this preventable disease.

Misdirected Patients in Orthopedic Outpatient Clinics: A Retrospective Four Years Data Analysis (23435 Patients)

Objective To identify the frequency of misdirected patients in orthopedic outpatient clinics. Methodology This was a retrospective study done in a private hospital of Jeddah. Computer records of patients attending the orthopedic outpatient department (OPD) during the period of 2013-2017 were collected. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 23 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). Descriptive statistics are presented as frequency and percentages. Results Out of the 23435 cases, 6944 (29.6%) cases should not be seen primarily in orthopedic clinic, 13638 (58.2%) were the cases that may or may not be seen primarily in orthopedic clinic, whereas, there were 2853 (12.2%) who must be seen mainly by orthopedic specialist. Conclusion This study revealed that a huge number of patients who visited orthopedic OPD does not need primarily orthopedic consultation. So, it is recommended to direct the patients to the right specialist in outpatient clinics to avoid the unnecessary burden on orthopedic clinics. The triage of referrals or walk-in patients may help to prevent this issue.

Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity and its Association Among Patients with Low Back Pain

Objective To evaluate the physical activity levels in individuals with low back pain (LBP) and its relationship with various demographic variables like age, gender, number of days off from work and nature of occupation. Methodology This was a cross-sectional study that was done in a private hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data was collected between the periods of 2017-2018. All patients who attended the orthopedic outpatient department (OPD) with LBP were included in this study and were requested to fill the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL), version 23. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean difference in RAPA scores between genders, age, occupation and number of leaves from their work.  Results Three hundred sixty patients visited the orthopedic OPD with the primary complaint of LBP, 318 (88.3%) were male whereas 42 (11.7%) were female. The study revealed that among these patients, 117 (32.5%) led sedentary while 176 (48.9%) led an underactive lifestyle. Furthermore, 246 (68.3%) patients did not do any activity that increases their muscle strength and flexibility. Conclusion The findings of this study revealed that low physical activity is prevalent in patients with LBP. Therefore, the importance of physical activity should be highlighted in order to prevent chronic diseases like LBP.

Frequency of and Various Factors Associated with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression among Low Back Pain Patients

Objective

To measure the frequency of depression, anxiety, and stress and its association with other variables i.e., age, gender, and off work hours among low back pain (LBP) patients attending an orthopedic outpatient department (OPD) at a private hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA).

Methodology

This is the cross-sectional study, which was done in a secondary care hospital of Jeddah, SA. Data was collected between the periods of 2017-2018. All patients who attended orthopaedic OPD with LBP were included in this study and were requested to fill the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean difference in depression, anxiety, and stress scores between genders, age, and number of leaves from their work.

Results

Three hundred sixty patients came to the orthopedic OPD with the primary complaint of LBP, 318 (88.3%) were male while 42 (11.7%) were female. The study showed that among these patients 24 (6.7%) subjects were suffering from the depression while 136 (37.8%) from anxiety and 167 (46.4%) from stress. Linear regression analysis showed that depression was negatively associated with age and stress was negatively associated with the off work because of the severity. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the findings of this study revealed that LBP and mental distress are related to each other. This finding urges physicians to check and treat the mental distress in patients with LBP for a better outcome.