scholarly journals Parents’ Awareness of and Perspectives on Childhood Refractive Error and Spectacle Wear in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed M Alghamdi ◽  
Saif H Alrasheed
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Refractive Error ◽  
Parental Attitudes ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Uncorrected Refractive Error

Objectives: This study aimed to assess parents’ awareness of and perspectives on childhood refractive error in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study included parents from different regions of Saudi Arabia was conducted between October and November 2020 and included 358 parents. Data were collected using an online questionnaire that involved questions to assess parents’ knowledge and perceptions of childhood refractive error and spectacle wear. Results: A total of 358 completed questionnaires were obtained in this study with a response rate of 85%. Almost 38.3% of parents reported that they had never heard of refractive error. One-third (33.7%) mentioned that uncorrected refractive error did not lead to visual impairment. The majority (74.0%) cited using eyeglasses as an effective way to manage childhood refractive error. Two-thirds (63.7%) stated that they did not receive any information about paediatric eye care. Better knowledge was associated with having a higher educational level, being female, and having an older age (p˂0.001, p=0.008, and p=0.024 respectively). Regarding parents' perspective on spectacle wear, almost 13.7% felt that using eyeglasses affected their children's chances of learning. However, 82.7% supposed that eyeglasses did not affect their children's employment opportunities. Approximately 22.1% thought that using eyeglasses would decrease the eyes power resulting in childhood visual impairment. Conclusion: The level of awareness and perceptions of childhood refractive error and spectacle wear was low among parents. Therefore, a policy is needed to improve the awareness and perception of key stakeholders such as parents and teachers.  In turn such an improvement could play a crucial role in addressing the poor knowledge and bad perception of treatment for childhood refractive error. Keywords: Childhood visual impairment; spectacle wear; parental attitudes; refractive error; paediatric eye care; psychological effect; vision care; Spectacle compliance.

scholarly journals Refractive Errors and Binocular Anomalies in Primary Schools in Uyoun Aljawa: A Small Urban Town in Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Waleed Alghamdi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Refractive Error ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Colour Vision ◽  
School Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Uncorrected Refractive Error ◽  
Stereo Acuity

AIM: To assess the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error (RE) and binocular vision (BV) anomalies in school-aged children in Uyoun Aljawa, a small urban town in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 417 students (aged 6–13 years old) conducted in two primary schools in Uyoun Aljawa from November 2019 to January 2020. All students underwent comprehensive eye examination that include: distance visual acuity (VA), Non- cycloplegic refraction, ocular alignment assessment with the cover test; Near Point of Convergence (NPC) evaluation, Near stereo-acuity with Titmus-fly Stereotest, and finally, colour vision was screened with Ishihara plates. RESULTS: A total of 417 male schoolchildren (mean age ± SD: 9.2 ± 1.9) were included. In this study, 78 (18.4%) students had reduced vision (VA of ≤6/9) of which only 21 (27%) students had spectacles at the time of the study and 19.2% had uncorrected RE (VA of <6/18 and no corrections). Emmetropia was reported in 80.3% of children where hyperopia was the most common refractive error (8.9%) followed by myopia (7.7%), and simple astigmatism was reported only in 3.1%. Heterophoria was reported in 12.5% of the sample, 5.2% had convergence insufficiency, and 16.3% showed subnormal results in stereo-acuity and 11 cases had a colour vision deficiency. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal a high prevalence of RE and other BVA among schoolchildren in Uyoun Aljawa. Vision Screening programs of children for RE and BVA should be conducted at the community level and integrated into school health programmes.

scholarly journals Assessment of Saudi Parents’ Beliefs and Behaviors towards Management of Child Fever in Saudi Arabia—A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5217
Author(s):  
Mohamed N. Al Arifi ◽  
Abdulrahman Alwhaibi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Febrile Seizures ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Electronic Thermometer ◽  
And Behavior

Objective: Fever alone can lead to rare serious complications in children, such as febrile seizures. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, beliefs, and behavior of parents toward fever and its management. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire was applied over a period of 3 months, from January to March 2018, to parents who were living in Saudi Arabia. The inclusion criteria were a parent who is a resident of Saudi Arabia, with at least one child aged 6 years or less, while incomplete questionnaires, having a child aged more than 6 years, or parents who were not living in Saudi Arabia were excluded. Results: A total of 656 parents completed the questionnaire. More than two-thirds of the subjects were female, the majority of whom were aged between 25–33 years old. The best-reported place to measure the temperature of children was the armpit (46%), followed by the ear (28%) and the mouth (10.7%). More than half of the parents considered their children feverish at a temperature of 38 °C. The majority of parents (79.7%) reported that the most serious side effects of fever were seizure, brain damage (39.3%), coma (29.9%), dehydration (29.7%), and death (25%). The most common method used to measure a child’s temperature was an electronic thermometer (62.3%). The most common antipyretic was paracetamol (84.5%). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the good knowledge of parents in identifying a feverish temperature using the recommended route and tools for measuring body temperature.

Workplace hazards in forensic mortuaries in Saudi Arabia: A survey of forensic mortuary personnel

2021 ◽  
pp. 002580242110196
Author(s):  
Mohammed Madadin ◽  
Ibtisam M Alkhattaf ◽  
Fatima H Abutaki ◽  
Mohammed A Almarzooq ◽  
Fahad A Alzahrani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Forensic Medicine ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Workplace Hazards ◽  
Hazard Exposure ◽  
Work Related

Forensic mortuaries have always presented a potential threat to workers who come into contact with dead bodies. This research aims to identify hazards faced by forensic mortuary personnel, including forensic pathologists and technicians working in forensic mortuaries in forensic medicine centres throughout Saudi Arabia, to recognise the prevalence of exposure to workplace hazards and to discover the degree of awareness and use of safety practices. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a total of 20 forensic medicine centres, using an online questionnaire distributed among forensic mortuary personnel. A total of 113 participants responded to the questionnaire. Just over half (53%) of workplaces always provided personal protective equipment, and 75% of participants always used them. The most common hazards were needle-prick wounds and accidental slips or falls. Almost two thirds (64%) of participants witnessed or experienced a work-related accident in the forensic mortuary. The lack of previous studies concerning hazard exposure among forensic mortuary personnel in Saudi Arabia means that this study provides foundational evidence for future research concerning forensic autopsy-related work accidents in Saudi Arabia.

The prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Dariyah, a rural community in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed Alghamdi ◽  
Godwin O. Ovenseri-Ogbomo
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Refractive Error ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Health Examination ◽  
Refractive Errors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Eye Examination

Background: Visual impairment is disproportionately distributed between rural and urban dwellers. Rural dwellers have limited access to the eye care services that are available in urban cities.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Dariyah, a rural community in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.Setting: This research comprised a population-based assessment of the vision and visual status of the inhabitants of Dariyah community.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted amongst the inhabitants of the community of Dariyah. A comprehensive eye examination consisting of visual acuity, ocular health examination, objective and subjective refraction was performed. The examinations were conducted by registered ophthalmologists and optometrists from the Qassim University. Vision impairments were categorised according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Section 9D90, ‘Vision impairment including blindness’ (2018).Results: In all, 68 (24.5%) participants had vision impairment (using the better-seeing eye), with refractive errors being the main cause of vision impairment. Other causes of vision impairment included cataract (20, 7.2%), trichiasis (5, 1.8%) and glaucoma (2, 0.7%). Refractive errors were present in 193 (69.7%), with astigmatism being the commonest refractive error. About 60% of those with refractive errors presented without spectacles for correction, and 20% reported that they had never had an eye examination. Refractive errors could not be determined in 19 (6.9%) of the subjects because of conditions such as matured cataract and other ocular abnormalities.Conclusion: Uncorrected refractive error was found to be the leading cause of vision impairment in this rural community in Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals Behavior of Medical Students toward Over-the-Counter Drugs in Comparison to Students from Other Faculties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-135
Author(s):  
Amar Fathi Mohamed Khalifa ◽  
Yasser Nabil AlKhudairy ◽  
Adel Ahmed Algahtani ◽  
Bandar Mohammed Abduljabbar ◽  
Fahad Majed Aldawsari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Otc Drugs ◽  
Professional Guidance

Background: Over-the-counter-drugs (OTC) are drugs that can be obtained by patients without a prescription from a physician. In Saudi Arabia, it has been reported that more than half of university students practiced self-medication and used OTC drugs. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study, among medical and non-medical students in Riyadh. The sample size was 421, by systemic random sampling. A pre-coded pre-tested online questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS V 23. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant relationship between what the participants were majoring in and the usage of OTC drugs (p value= 0.373). Gender also had no relation with the use of OTC (p value= 0.168). Panadol appeared as the most commonly used OTC drug 62.9% for the relief of the most commonly mentioned factor which is headache 50.12%.  Conclusion: Medical education didn’t have much of an effect on the use of OTC drugs. Moreover, professional guidance or advice was not considered most of the time for taking OTC, but the majority of respondents portrayed good behavior towards usage of OTC.

scholarly journals Refractive Errors and its Associated Factors among Undergraduate Medical Students in Kathmandu

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Aparna Rizyal ◽  
JS Sunrait ◽  
A Mishal
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Refractive Error ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Refractive Errors ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Parental History ◽  
Medical College

 Refractive error is a defect in the optical system of the eye which prevents light from being brought to a single point focus on the retina, thus reducing normal vision. This optical defect is the second most common cause of visual impairment globally as well in Nepal. At present, there are 285 million visually impaired people in the world. An estimated 4 out of 5 visual impairment (80%) can be prevented or cured, uncorrected refractive errors are the leading cause (42%) followed by cataract (33%). A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted to determine the proportion of undergraduate medical students with refractive errors in Nepal Medical College, and to identify factors associated with it. A total of 210 medical students volunteered for this study, with 100 males (47.6%) and 110 females (52.4%). The age of these students were between 18 to 26 years, with an average of 20.5 years. The proportion of medical students with refractive error was slightly more than half (51.4%), with simple myopia being the leading type (42.9%), followed by astigmatism (7.1%) and simple hypermetropia (1.4%). Parental history of refractive error was observed to be significantly associated with that of the medical students. There was also a significant association between refractive error and the daily use of mobile phones and laptops. However, years spent in medical education were not observed to be significant.

scholarly journals Distribution of Refractive Errors among Healthy Infants and Young Children between the Age of 6 to 36 Months in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—A Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4730
Author(s):  
Arifah Nur Yahya ◽  
Sharanjeet Sharanjeet-Kaur ◽  
Saadah Mohamed Akhir
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Refractive Error ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthy Infants ◽  
Clear Vision ◽  
The Right ◽  
Uncorrected Refractive Error ◽  
Infants And Young Children

Uncorrected refractive error, especially myopia, in young children can cause permanent visual impairment in later life. However, data on the normative development of refractive error in this age group is limited, especially in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of refractive error in a sample of infants and young children between the ages of 6 to 36 months in a prospective, cross-sectional study. Cycloplegic retinoscopy was conducted on both eyes of 151 children of mean age 18.09 ± 7.95 months. Mean spherical equivalent refractive error for the right and left eyes was +0.85 ± 0.97D and +0.86 ± 0.98D, respectively. The highest prevalence of refractive error was astigmatism (26%), followed by hyperopia (12.7%), myopia (1.3%) and anisometropia (0.7%). There was a reduction of hyperopic refractive error with increasing age. Myopia was seen to emerge at age 24 months. In conclusion, the prevalence of astigmatism and hyperopia in infants and young children was high, but that of myopia and anisometropia was low. There was a significant reduction in hyperopic refractive error towards emmetropia with increasing age. It is recommended that vision screening be conducted early to correct significant refractive error that may cause disruption to clear vision.

scholarly journals Knowledge, barriers and uptake of influenza vaccine among non-health college students at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malak M. Alhawsawi ◽  
Amjad A. Alghamdi ◽  
Balqees M. Alzayed ◽  
Hessa M. Binmugren ◽  
Raghad A. Alshehri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Influenza Vaccine ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knowledge Barriers ◽  
Viral Influenza

Background: Viral influenza, one of the global public health problems is specifically important in Saudi Arabia due to high susceptibility of transmission in hajj and umrah seasons (Islamic pilgrimage to the Mecca), as it has the ability to spread widely to a large proportion, in addition the disease has a higher rate of complications that might lead to death. Vaccination is an important strategy in prevention of viral influenza. Design and methods: The study aimed to describe the association between uptake of influenza vaccine with knowledge as well as identify the barriers that prevent vaccination among Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) non-health colleges students. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was undertaken, including 385 students from non-health colleges using a convenience sampling technique. Data was collected using an Arabic self-administered online questionnaire Analysis done by JMP program. IRB approval as well as informed consent were taken. Results: The uptake of the influenza vaccine was 15.3% in the current year and 56.8% in the previous years. No significant association was found between knowledge, and uptake of the vaccine. For the unvaccinated students, the most common encounter barriers stated by study population were concerns regarding the vaccine effectiveness, reduction of immunity the uncertainty of complete protection in a percentage of 12.0% for all. Conclusions: Although the level of vaccine uptake is low for this year, it is not associated with knowledge. There were some barriers that need to be tackled by health education programs.

scholarly journals Utilisation of public eye care services by the rural community residents in the Capricorn district, Limpopo Province, South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mologadi D. Ntsoane ◽  
Olalekan A. Oduntan ◽  
Benjamin L. Mpolokeng
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Government

Background: Visual impairment and blindness are major health problems worldwide, especially in the rural and remote areas of developing countries. Utilisation of eye care services is essential to reduce the burden of visual impairment and blindness, and it is therefore important that it is monitored.Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the level of utilisation of public eye care services and factors that might have influenced their usage in rural communities, Capricorn district, Limpopo Province, South Africa.Method: A population-based cross-sectional study design was used. Participants were residents in selected rural villages located within approximately 5 km of six Government hospitals. Following ethical approval and receipt of informed consent, a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions was used to collect information on the utilisation of eye care services and factors that might influence utilisation. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chisquare test were used to analyse and compare the data.Results: Many (62.7%) of the respondents had used the government eye care services in the past. Over fifty-nine per cent (59.3%) of them were satisfied with the services. Factors reported to influence utilisation (such as monthly income, knowledge of available services and the need for regular eye tests) were positively associated with utilisation of eye care services in this study (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Utilisation of eye care services was relatively good, but varied significantly between sites. An awareness campaign by government and non-governmental organisations about eye care services may increase utilisation amongst rural communities.

scholarly journals Astigmatism among children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: prevalence and associated factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Basheikh ◽  
Sara Howldar ◽  
Mohammed Basendwah ◽  
Rasha Baqais ◽  
Motaz Bamakrid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Refractive Error ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background: Undiagnosed astigmatism among children may result in multiple unfavourable consequences, such as poor performance on cognitive and language tasks, reduced oral reading fluency, behavioural disorders, and amblyopia development. In contrast, astigmatism is easily correctable in young children, which highlights the need for periodic assessment of its prevalence amongpediatric populations. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of astigmatism among the pediatric population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to assess the rate of newly detected cases (incidental astigmatism) and the associated risk factors. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among visitors of the awareness campaign about amblyopia, which took place in the Red Sea Mall, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on January 29–30, 2016. Children aged 2–15 years were enrolled in the study to undergo noncycloplegic eye examination using an autorefractometer for measuring cylindrical refractive error (Cyl). The calculated sample size for the studied age group of the population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was 291. Astigmatism was defined as Cyl 1 diopter in either eye. Multivariate binomial regression was used to analyze the predictors of incidental astigmatism. Results: We examined the eyes of 347 children, mean age = 7.788 (standard deviation = 2.69) years, females = 53.3%. The overall prevalence of astigmatism was 41.5%, whereas the prevalence of incidental astigmatism was 40.6% among 342 children without apparent astigmatism. The prevalence of incidental astigmatism was associated with a previous diagnosis of amblyopia, having a sibling known to have amblyopia, and wearing spectacles. However, only wearing spectacles was shown to predict incidental astigmatism in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Astigmatism is highly prevalent among children in Western Saudi Arabia, with the majority being undiagnosed before this screening campaign. These findings urge for further nationwide, population-based studies to address the burden of refractive errors among children in Saudi Arabia. Key words: amblyopia, incidental, population, refractive error, risk factors, Saudi

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