Menopausal symptoms and quality of life among Saudi women visiting primary care clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Aida AlDughaither,1 Hind AlMutairy,2 Mohammed AlAteeq11College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdul-Aziz University for Health Sciences, 2Department of Family Medicine and PHC, King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Objectives: Menopause is associated with somatic, vasomotor, psychological, and sexual complaints that may affect quality of life. We determined the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and their impact on the quality of life among Saudi women visiting primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2010. In total, 119 women aged 45–60 years were randomly interviewed using a questionnaire. Participants were divided into three categories: premenopausal (n=31), perimenopausal (n=49), and postmenopausal (n=39). The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) assessed the prevalence and severity of eleven menopausal symptoms. Mean scores of menopausal categories were compared for different symptoms.Results: The mean age at menopause was 48.3±3 years (median, 49 years). The symptoms reported to be most prevalent were joint and muscle pain (80.7%), physical and mental exhaustion (64.7%), and hot flushes and sweating (47.1%). Somatic and psychological symptoms were highly prevalent in perimenopausal women compared to other groups. The mean overall quality-of-life score was higher in perimenopausal women, while the total MRS score indicated that the symptoms were mild in severity (MRS <9).Conclusion: The prevalence of menopausal symptoms was comparable to previous studies in Asian women; however, the prevalence of classic symptoms of hot flushes and night sweats was lower than reported in Western studies. Saudi women reported an MRS score indicating milder severity of symptoms, reflecting better quality of life and ability to cope with climacteric symptoms.Keywords: menopause, Saudi women, Menopause Rating Scale, quality of lif

The impact of study habits and personal factors on the academic achievement performances of medical students

Abstract Background Academic achievement is essential for all students seeking a successful career. Studying habits and routines is crucial in achieving such an ultimate goal. Objectives This study investigates the association between study habits, personal factors, and academic achievement, aiming to identify factors that distinguish academically successful medical students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The participants consisted of 1st through 5th-year medical students, with a sample size of 336. The research team collected study data using an electronic questionnaire containing three sections: socio-demographic data, personal characteristics, and study habits. Results The study results indicated a statistically significant association between self-fulfillment as a motivation toward studying and academic achievement (p = 0.04). The results also showed a statistically significant correlation between recalling recently memorized information and academic achievement (p = 0.05). Furthermore, a statistically significant association between preferring the information to be presented in a graphical form rather than a written one and academic achievement was also found (p = 0.03). Students who were satisfied with their academic performance had 1.6 times greater chances of having a high-grade point average (OR = 1.6, p = 0.08). Conclusion The results of this study support the available literature, indicating a correlation between study habits and high academic performance. Further multicenter studies are warranted to differentiate between high-achieving students and their peers using qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Educating the students about healthy study habits and enhancing their learning skills would also be of value

Student perspectives on a course on medical ethics in Saudi Arabia

AbstractObjectiveMedical students face ethical issues as early as the first year of medical school. Teaching bioethics is challenging because medical students and some teachers make a distinction between hard science and so-called ‘soft’ ones like bioethics. Courses in ethics were taught in the first and third years at the College of Medicine at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the time this study was conducted. The objective of this study was to determine the students’ perspectives of the courses and their attitudes towards teaching ethics.MethodsA predesigned, self-administered, piloted questionnaire was administered to all students in the third year. The questions covered the curriculum, the methods of instruction and the content of the course.ResultsThe response rate to 327 questionnaires distributed was 77%. Most students were satisfied with the course and its timing (84%), but more than 85% considered that the method of instruction should be changed to case-based teaching. A majority (89%) agreed that ethical issues based on Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence) should continue to be discussed, and they wished to discuss issues related to the doctor–patient relationship and professionalism. The students’ preferences for the topics to be covered were: brain death (76.8%), organ transplantation (72.4%), cosmetic surgery (68.8%), abortion (66.8%), terminal care (61.6%), reproduction (59.6%), doctors’ rights (56.4%), end-of-life issues (56%) and medical errors (45%).ConclusionsThe medical students were satisfied with the course and its content but were dissatisfied with the method of instruction. This was taken into consideration in subsequent years