Factors associated with late arrival of acute stroke patients to emergency department in Saudi Arabia

Background: Tissue plasminogen activator within 4.5 h of onset is effective for acute ischemic stroke. However, only small proportion of patients is treated due to delayed presentation. We aimed to examine the factors associated with delays of stroke patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during a 6-month period. An interviewer administered structured questionnaire addressed to the acute stroke patients or their relatives was used to explore the factors associated with delayed arrival. Results: A total of 227 patients attending the emergency department were interviewed. The mean age was 60.4 ± 15.6 years. Approximately 56.4% presented after 4.5 h of stroke onset. Factors associated with late arrival were being alone during the onset of stroke, not being transported in an ambulance, not knowing that they were experiencing a stroke, and residing outside the city of Riyadh. Conclusion: More than half of patients missed the golden hours for thrombolysis due to delayed presentation. Reasons include lack of knowledge, underuse of ambulance and difficult access to care. Urgent community-based interventions are needed to address these factors.

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FREQUENCY OF FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS IN SUB-ACUTE STROKE PATIENTS

Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation ◽

10.36283/pjr.zu.10.2/013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 69-74

Author(s):

Aisha Sarfaraz ◽

Dr Abdul Azeem ◽

Mehwish Butt ◽

Muhammad Umar

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Functional Disability ◽

Cognitive Impairments ◽

Age Groups ◽

Female Gender ◽

Primary Objective ◽

P Value ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Stroke is a very common neurological condition affects various aspects of health. The primary objective of this study was to find out the frequency of functional disability and cognitive impairments in Sub-acute Stroke patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 112 Sub-acute Stroke patients in Karachi, Pakistan. Using Barthel Index (BI) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test was used to find out the frequency of functional disability and cognitive impairments of Sub-acute Stroke patients. RESULTS The correlation of BI scores with MMSE scores for the Male gender was 0.576 whilst the correlation of BI scores with MMSE scores for the Female gender was 0.440. The severity of functional disability concerning age groups assessed P-value was 0.026 using Chi-Square Test. The severity of functional disability (BI severity) concerning gender, P-value was found 0.097 using the same test. CONCLUSION Functional Disability is directly linked with age. However, there was no linkage established between Cognitive Impairment and age as well as gender. On close inspection, there was a trend between Functional disability and gender but not statistically significant.

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Acceptability of a COVID-19 Vaccine Among Healthcare Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.644300 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Ameerah M. N. Qattan ◽

Noor Alshareef ◽

Omar Alsharqi ◽

Naseem Al Rahahleh ◽

Gowokani Chijere Chirwa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Chi Squared ◽

Health Related

Objective: This study aims to determine the acceptability of a COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia and the factors affecting their intention to accept the vaccine.Methods: The study used data from an online cross-sectional survey that was conducted in Saudi Arabia between 8 December 2020 and 14 December 2020. This study employed bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. The bivariate was used to describe and tabulate the frequency of all the variables, including the sociodemographic characteristics, the risk perception and the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination and a chi-squared test of independence was calculated. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine and identify the factors associated with an intention to have the COVID-19 vaccination and the factors associated with its immediate acceptance.Results: Of the total of 736 healthcare workers who began the online questionnaire, 673 completed it (a 91.44% completion rate). Among the study participants, 50.52% were willing to have the COVID-19 vaccine, of which 49.71% intended to have the vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the country, while 50.29% would delay until the vaccine's safety is confirmed. Being a male healthcare worker, perceiving a high risk of infection, and believing that the COVID-19 vaccine should be compulsory for all citizens and residents in the country increased the probability of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 and the probability of accepting the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.Conclusion: This study calls for more health-related education among healthcare workers to alleviate any fears that might be associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Factors associated with non-urgent visits to the emergency department in a tertiary care centre, western Saudi Arabia: cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035951 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. e035951

Author(s):

Saja S Al-Otmy ◽

Abeer Z Abduljabbar ◽

Rajaa M Al-Raddadi ◽

Fayssal Farahat

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Centre ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Tertiary Care Centre ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Life Threatening

ObjectivesTo explore magnitude and factors associated with non-urgent visits to the emergency department (ED) in a tertiary care centre, western Saudi Arabia.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingED of a tertiary care hospital in western Saudi Arabia.Participants400 patients, both men and women.InterventionsAn interview-based questionnaire was administered to a consecutive sample of patients who visited the ED during morning shifts, where primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and outpatient clinics were available.Primary outcome measureED visits classified as non-urgent versus urgent (excluding life-threatening conditions) based on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). Levels IV and V were classified as non-urgent.ResultsMajority of the cases were adult (97.3%) and half of them were women (54.8%). Non-urgent visits represented 78.5% among non-life-threatening cases. One-third of the patients (33.8%) had three visits or more to the ED during the past year. Main reasons for visiting the ED were perception that the condition was urgent (42.0%), easy access (25.5%) and limited resources and services at the PHCs (17.8%). Patients 40–50 years old were more likely to have non-urgent visits (OR=3.21, 95% CI 1.15 to 8.98). However, likelihood of non-urgent visits was significantly lower among patients with cancer (OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.72) and cardiovascular disease (OR=0.43, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.83), and those who live near the hospital (OR=0.49, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.88).ConclusionsThe current study reported overuse of the ED. Enhancement of the primary care services, in concordance with community awareness, is an important component to reduce burden due to non-urgent use of the ED.

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Factors associated with HIV in younger and older adult men in South Africa: findings from a cross-sectional survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031667 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. e031667 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kaymarlin Govender ◽

Sean Edward Beckett ◽

Gavin George ◽

Lara Lewis ◽

Cherie Cawood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Older Men ◽

Hiv Prevalence ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Hiv Status ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Community Based Interventions ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Younger Men

ObjectiveThis study investigated the behavioural, psychosocial and biological factors associated with HIV in a younger group of men (15 to 24 years) compared with an older group of men (25 to 35 years).DesignA household-based, cross-sectional study was conducted.SettingMen were randomly selected using a two-stage random sampling method in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, between June 2014 and June 2015.ParticipantsOverall, we interviewed 1472 younger men and 1138 older men. Only participants who could speak English or Zulu, were able to provide informed consent and who were expected to be living in the study area for the next 12 months were enrolled into the study.Primary and secondary outcomesHIV status was the primary outcome for the study. Men’s HIV status was derived from blood samples collected in the study which were tested for HIV antibodies.ResultsHIV prevalence was higher among older men (35.4%, 95% CI: 31.7 to 39.1) than younger men (7.6%, 95% CI: 6.2 to 9.4, p<0.01). Older men, who completed secondary school had a lower likelihood of being HIV positive (adjusted OR (AOR): 0.41, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.63, p<0.001) and those with greater food insecurity had a higher likelihood of being HIV positive (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.34, p=0.04). Younger men with a higher number of lifetime sexual partners had a higher likelihood of being HIV positive (AOR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.09, p=0.09).ConclusionGiven that the HIV prevalence is higher in the older men, community based interventions need to target older men for medical circumcision and support HIV positive men to improve their material conditions early. For younger men intervening to reduce HIV risk behaviours at a young age before these behaviours become entrenched should be central to HIV prevention programmes.

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Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice towards COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Medical Sciences ◽

10.3390/medsci9010011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Ali Hassan A. Alnasser ◽

Jaffar A. Al-Tawfiq ◽

Mohammed Sheker H. Al-Kalif ◽

Rubayyi Faris B. Shahadah ◽

Khawlah Saad A. Almuqati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Knowledge Attitude And Practice

(1) Background: COVID-19 has become a worldwide public health problem. No previous study has investigated factors associated with COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) after completely lifting the curfew in all Saudi Arabia regions and cities. Therefore, adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and correct control of COVID-19 are essential to eradicate the disease. Hence, this study aims to assess factors associated with KAP of COVID-19; (2) Methods: This cross-sectional web-based survey was performed with the participation of 4305 individuals aged over 15 years living in Saudi Arabia from 11 to 19 August 2020. They were included using the snowball sampling method; (3) Results: Of the 4305 participants, 94.9% were Saudis, 60% females, and 45.4% were in the age group of 20–34 years, 61.7% married, and 49.3% from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Most of the participants demonstrated good KAP levels (89.6%, 87.2%, and 87.2%) towards the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. In addition, most of the participants (85.8%) used the internet and social media as a source for COVID-19 information (4) Conclusions: The finding showed that most of the participants demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, positive attitudes, and demonstrated good practices for preventing the spread of disease infection.

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Exploring Weight Stigma in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18179141 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (17) ◽

pp. 9141

Author(s):

Nora Althumiri ◽

Mada H. Basyouni ◽

Norah AlMousa ◽

Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽

Adel Alhamdan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Bariatric Surgery ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Weight Stigma ◽

Waterpipe Smoking ◽

Nutritional Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated

Background: Weight stigma (WS) in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, is widely ignored. People with obesity are blamed for their weight, and there is a common perception that weight stigmatization is justifiable and may motivate individuals to adopt healthier behaviors. The authors of this study aimed to explore WS prevalence and factors associated with WS in a large nationwide study of Saudi Arabian adults. Methods: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via phone interviews in June 2020. A proportional quota-sampling technique was adopted to obtain equal distributions of participants by age and sex across the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. In total, 6239 people were contacted, and 4709 (75.48%) responded and completed the interview. The authors of the study collected data about WS using the Arabic Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ), BMI, smoking, nutritional knowledge, bariatric surgery, risk of depression, and demographic variables. Results: Participants had a mean age of 36.4 ± 13.5 (18–90), and 50.1% were female. The prevalence of higher WS was 46.4%. Among other risk factors, there was a significant association between WS and obesity (odds ratio (OR): 3.93; 95% CI: 2.83–5.44; p < 0.001), waterpipe smoking (OR: 1.80; 95% CI: 1.20–2.69; p < 0.001), bariatric surgery (OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.53–2.81; p < 0.001), and risk of depression (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.36–2.09; p < 0.001). Conclusion: This was the first study to explore WS and its associated factors among adults in a community setting in Saudi Arabia. This study revealed some risk factors associated with WS that may help to identify people at risk of WS and to develop interventions to reduce WS, such as improving nutritional knowledge, correcting the ideas about bariatric surgery and obesity in general, and ceasing waterpipe smoking.

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