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Background Obesity is a major global health concern, causing significant health dilemmas. Large groups of Saudi individuals are considered obese, with significant implications for medical practice. Bariatric surgery, including sleeve gastrectomy, is a crucial intervention for severe obesity, although it is associated with potential complications. This study aims to investigate the public knowledge about the indications and consequences of sleeve gastrectomy in the Southwest region of Saudi Arabia and assess their general awareness of sleeve gastrectomy. Methodology This descriptive, cross-sectional, online-based study included 347 individuals from the Southwest region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected via an online questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results This study included 347 participants, with a majority being females (88.5%, n = 307) and Saudis (98.6%, n = 342). The most common age group was 21-25 years (34%, n = 118), followed by those over 40 years of age (26.5%, n = 92). Most participants resided in Al-Qunfudhah (66.3%, n = 230) and held a bachelor's degree (75.8%, n = 263). Nearly half were students (48.7%, n = 169), and 56.2% (n = 195) earned less than 5,000 per month. The prevalent weight range was 40-60 kg (46.1%, n = 160), and most participants' height was 150-160 cm (58.5%, n = 203). Overall, 61% (xÌ = 211.6) of the respondents had good knowledge about sleeve gastrectomy, with 70.3% (xÌ = 244) understanding its general aspects, 56.1% (xÌ = 194.5) knowing the indications, and 60.1% (xÌ = 208.7) aware of the complications. Conclusions The majority of residents of the Southwest region of Saudi Arabia have moderate levels of knowledge regarding sleeve gastrectomy. However, the study demonstrated substantial gaps in knowledge and awareness regarding sleeve gastrectomy, mainly about its indications and potential.
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Introduction Digestive disorders, affecting 70 million people globally, have gained attention. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes heartburn and acid regurgitation. Factors like obesity, poor diet, and lifestyle influence its prevalence. GERD rates are higher in Saudi Arabia than in Western and East Asian countries, highlighting the need for local awareness, our study aims To assess the prevalence of local habits and risk factors of patients with GERD in the Southwest region of Saudi Arabia. Method This prospective descriptive cross-sectional online-based study included 372 individuals from the Southwest Region, Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted using a self-administrated online questionnaire to collect the data for the targeted participants. After obtaining consent to carry out the study, the data were collected and computerized using Microsoft Excel, to form a database using all the items from the data collecting sheets. Data was then encoded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Data was displayed and presented in the form of tables and charts Results This study included 372 individuals, predominantly Saudi 98.7%, n=367. The most common age group was 21-25 years (32.5%, n=121), followed by those over 40 (18.5%, n=69). Participants were mainly from Al-Qunfudhah and Haly 27.2%, n=101. Most were single (49.5%, n=184) or married (48.4%, n=180), with a bachelor's degree 66.7%, n=248. Employees comprised (36.3%, n=135), and students 30.9%, n=115. Only 2.7%, n=10 were pregnant. Nearly half (48.4%, n=180) had a monthly income below 5,000 SAR. Most participants weighed 40-60 kg (41.4%, n=154) and were 150-160 cm tall (47%, n=175). The prevalence of GERD was 16.1%, n=60. Significant associations were found between GERD diagnosis and meal type, smoking, family history, and high pickle and salt intake (P-values: 0.002073, 0.000607, <0.00001, and 0.008557, respectively). Conclusion This study can conclude that the prevalence of GERD is not high in the Southwest region of Saudi Arabia. Significant risk factors regarding patients' habits should be taken into consideration and diminishing them in order to decrease the incidence of the disease and improve the quality of life of already diagnosed patients.
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Background Self-esteem is a self-valuation; it is how people perceive their own worth and how valuable they believe they are to others. In this study, our primary objective was to explore the association between social media use and self-esteem among individuals who actively engage with social media platforms in Saudi Arabia. Method This study involved individuals aged 15 and above who are active social media users residing in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected through an anonymous online cross-sectional survey. Participants were recruited using snowball and convenience sampling method. A questionnaire was administered through Google Forms to collect data from participants. The questionnaire was structured into three sections, which included gathering social and demographic information, assessing personal usage patterns, and evaluating individual self-esteem levels using an Arabic valid version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results The survey included a total of 2,551 participants. Among them, 51.3% (n = 1,309) were female, 29% (n = 741) fell within the 21-25 age group, 95.7% (n = 2,441) were of Saudi nationality, and 51.6% (n = 1,316) were single. The social media platform most frequently used by participants was TikTok 98.5% (n = 2,512), followed by Facebook 95.7% (n = 2,441), Telegram 89.8% (n = 2,291), YouTube 72.2% (n = 1,942), WhatsApp 66.0% (n = 1,683), and finally, Snapchat 30.7% (n = 1,769). In total, 14.3% (n= 366) have low self-esteem, participants scored around 16.10 ± 1.80, ranging from 5 to 25. The following variables were significantly associated with self-esteem: female sex (83.88% vs 87.52%, X2 = 6.87, p = 0.009), nationality (X2 = 13.507, p < 0.001), marital status (X2 = 12.313, p = 0.006), region (X2 = 18.36, p = 0.001), using Tik Tok (X2 = 4.11, p = 0.043), the frequency of posting comments (X2 = 12.01, p = 0.017), comparing oneself to others (X2 = 27.94, p < 0.001), using social media because of weak personal communication (X2 = 6.56, p = 0.010), using social media to follow news (X2 = 6.89, p = 0.009), and the perceived effect of social media (X2 = 16.28, p < 0.001). Conclusions Our findings revealed that a minority of participants exhibited low self-esteem, and individuals from the Northern region were more likely to report such issues. Sociodemographic factors, including gender, nationality, and marital status, demonstrated associations with self-esteem. Additionally, the frequency of comments, TikTok usage, and peer comparison significantly influenced self-esteem levels.
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Background and objective Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. To tackle this issue, guidelines have emphasized the use of cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents [glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors] among type 2 diabetic patients at high risk of/with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or heart failure to curb morbidity and mortality in such individuals. The aim of this study was to assess physicians' adherence to the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) recommendations on the use of cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents among such patients. Methods This study involved a retrospective records review of physicians' treatment plans for all type 2 diabetic patients aged 18 years and older and attending outpatient clinics from the year 2019 to 2022 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who (a) were at high risk of/with established ASCVD as defined by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or (b) had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and required cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents. Results We reviewed physicians' treatment plans for 202 type 2 diabetic patients in this study. All patients were either at high risk of or had established ASCVD. In addition, 36 (17.8%) of these patients had HFrEF. Although all patients were candidates for cardioprotective antihyperglycemic agents, only 56.9% of them received treatment as recommended by the ADA guidelines. Conclusion Despite being suitable candidates for cardioprotective antihyperglycemics, a significant number of patients were not treated based on the ADA guidelines, and this demonstrates a lack of adherence to the guidelines by physicians.