Prevalence of prediabetes, diabetes, and Its associated risk factors among males in Saudi Arabia: A population-based survey

Objectives: The study aims at determining the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes and at ascertaining some concomitant risk factorsamong males in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study including 381 Saudi adult males from different institutions was recruited. Odds ratios for diabetes risk and risk factors were calculated using log-binomial and multinomial logistic regression, using STATA version 12.Results: The participants included 381 diabetic males with a median age of 45 years, average body mass index of 25 ± 40 kg/m2, whereas waist circumferences ranged from 66 to 180 cm in the male study population. In addition, 27.82% had normal BMI, 32.28% were overweight, and 36.22% were obese. Around 36% had higher waist circumference, that is, \u3e102 cm. Age, BMI, marital status, and educational attainment were statistically significant predictors for prediabetes and diabetes.Conclusion: This study found that the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 9.2% and 27.6%, respectively, for male Al-Kharj study population. The factors that increase the risk of diabetes and prediabetes include older age, obesity and overweight, being married, smoker, and having a civilian job and less education. All these factors were found statistically significant except smoking status and job type. In order to evaluate the causal relationship of these factors, prospective studies are required in future

The association between watching television and obesity in children of school-age in Saudi Arabia

Background: There is little information on the association between watching Television (TV) and obesity in the Arabian Peninsula. Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to explore the association between the watching of television and obesity in Saudi children of school-age. Materials and Methods: A case-controlled study was conducted with students between the ages of 9 and 14 years who attended the school health clinic in King Abdulaziz Housing for National Guard (Iskan), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the study period (February to April 2012). During each clinic, children were selected by simple random sampling (five obese and five non-obese). For data collection, two trained physicians interviewed the participants using a 20-item Arabic questionnaire. Well-trained nurses collected the anthropometric measurements of weight and height. Results: The study included 397 students. Higher (body mass index) BMI was associated with a higher number of televisions at home (P < 0.001), watching TV for more than three hours per day at the weekend (P = 0.047), eating more than three snacks per day (P = 0.005), watching TV at night (P = 0.026), and siblings′ decisions on how much TV to watch (P = 0.025). The prevalence of childhood obesity was significantly lower among those whose mothers determined how much TV they could watch (P = 0.03). In logistic regression analysis, the increase in the child′s age, the presence of more than one TV at home, having his or her own TV, and an increase in the number of hours of watching TV over the weekend were significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. Personal computers and the Internet were not significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. Conclusion: The present investigation revealed that watching TV represents an important risk factor for obesity in children of school-age

The factor structure of the general health questionnaire (GHQ12) in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) is one of the most unique and extensively used self-report instruments for evaluating psychological disorders and strains. However, the factor structure of GHQ-12 has not been fully explored. The current study aims to assess the factorial structure of GHQ-12 in a large cross-sectional data-set extracted from Al Kharj central region of Saudi Arabia. Methods Population based cross sectional data was extracted from January 2016 to June 2016 from Al Kharj population recruiting 1019 respondents aged 18 and above. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied together with multiple regression analysis to extract and retain factors. Mean GHQ-12 score for demographic and health-related traits were used for assessing this association. Statistical analysis was carried out using STATA version 12.1. Results Three factors, including social dysfunction, anxiety, and loss of confidence were extracted from the factor structure. 55% of the overall variance was obtained through these factors. Total score of GHQ-12 ranged from 0 to 32 with a mean score of 12. Conclusion Investigation of the factor structure of GHQ-12 demonstrated that GHQ-12 is a good measure for evaluating the general health of Saudi population. Future studies based on a larger sample size of non-clinical respondents will be useful to evaluate the practical effectiveness of GHQ-12 factors

Is there a misuse of computed tomography in the diagnostic workup of headache? A retrospective record-based study in secondary health-care facility in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Headache disorders are one of the most prevalent global public-health problems that require placing high demand on health-care Services. Since it is one of the most frequent complaints in clinical practice worldwide, it causes a considerable burden in terms of the social cost. The study aimed to give a guide for the decision on the utilization of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnostic workup and identify if patients require neurological imaging (CT) for proper diagnosis or not. Material s and Methods: The study was carried out in the Radiology Department in King Khalid Hospital, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia from October 15, 2016, to February 15, 2017. A retrospective record-based study conducted using the documented CT reports in the files of patients whom were referred to the radiology department complaining of any type of a headache. Results: The data included 210 patients 51% were males and 49% were females. The patients were distributed into age groups; the mean age was 38.46 standard deviation ± 13.56. Among Saudi population, the etiology of headache was varying; the most prevalent type of headache was tension headache 25.71% of the total headache patients followed by cluster 25.24% and the migraine with the lowest proportionality. The majority of the patients' headache pain was mild 60%. Moreover, the CT reports for most of the patients were normal. Spearman Correlation test was used to see if there is a significance in using the CT for any patient who comes with symptoms including headache, and the results have shown that there is no association and clinical significance in using the CT for patients with headache without suspecting other clinical condition (P = 0.177). Conclusion: Headache disorders must be on the public-health agenda. Tension, migraine, and cluster-type headaches represent the majority of primary headaches. Statistically no significance or need to obtain CT if there are no life-threatening conditions expected or trauma presented