Knowledge and awareness of stroke and associated factors in the Saudi general population: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionStroke is a major cause of death and disability globally and in Saudi Arabia as well. Prevention and management of stroke depend highly on raising knowledge and awareness about the disease.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate Saudi adult's knowledge and awareness about stroke and determine the associated factors.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted in May–July 2022 among Saudi citizens. Assessments of stroke knowledge about risk factors, symptoms, and response to stroke symptoms were evaluated. Logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between the socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge.ResultsA total of 389 participants were enrolled with the majority (81.7%) being male participants. Less than half of the study subjects (43.3%) identified four out of five correct answers related to general knowledge about stroke. Almost all the participants were able to identify at least one risk factor associated with stroke. The majority of the participants (81.2%) believed that physical inactivity was the most common risk factor associated with stroke. Approximately three-quarters of participants considered difficulty speaking and understanding speech, followed by the sudden loss of consciousness as the most common stroke manifestation. Participants with a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity had significantly higher odds of identifying at least one early stroke symptom (OR 2.271 [95% CI 1.402 3.677], 2.059 [95% CI 1.273 3.328], and 2.665 [95% CI 1.431 4.963], respectively).ConclusionOur study revealed that participants have good knowledge about stroke. Nonetheless, further efforts are required to raise awareness and educate the public to optimize and ensure better treatment outcomes

Exploring the quality of life of cosmetic users: A cross-sectional analysis from eight Arab countries in the Middle East

Background The use of cosmetic products is growing in dominance in the Arab population, making it essential to measure its effects on users. The production of cosmetics has been largely driven by consumerism and a bid to keep abreast with the latest trends in the beauty industry with less attention on how the users' quality of life (QoL) is affected. Aims This study aims to investigate the effect of cosmetic products on users' quality of life in eight Arab countries. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online data collection approach. A validated and specialist instrument tool called BeautyQoL, which consists of five domains and a total of 52 questions, was distributed to a sample of 2219 cosmetic users. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using SPSS® version 26.0. Results The mean age of participants was 34 ± 11.25 years, and more women were represented in the sample (71%) than men. The majority of respondents had oily skin type (39.6%) and tan skin tone (30.4%). QoL through cosmetic use is computed with a mean score of 51 out of 100. The users' mean score satisfaction from cosmetic use is centred on attractiveness (56.1), followed by self-confidence (51.8). Cosmetics have a statistically significant effect on participants who are young adults, women, single, and employed with high income. As the respondents' skin tone deepens from very fair to dark, the mean score for each domain significantly increases, whereas when skin type changes from very oily to dry, the mean score for each domain decreases. Conclusion The effect of cosmetics on the users' QoL is limited, contrary to the narrative commonly portrayed in cosmetics' advertisements. Therefore, the use of cosmetics among the Arab population should be from an informed perspective of their specific needs instead of conforming to the viral trends pedaled by influencers and bloggers on social media, which might be irrelevant for them.Open access publishing facilitated by Monash University, as part of the Wiley - Monash University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. [Correction added on 5 July 2022, after first online publication: CAUL funding statement has been added.]Scopu

Évaluation du traitement de l'AVC aigu, de l'hypertension et de la prescription de médicaments après le congé chez les patients libanais atteints d'AVC ischémique : résultats d'une étude transversale

L'AVC ischémique aigu est une cause majeure de mortalité et de handicap et demeure un problème majeur de santé mondiale. Le respect des recommandations internationales est essentiel lors de la prise en charge d'un AVC ischémique pendant la phase aiguë afin de prévenir les complications précoces et les récidives. Cette étude est la première au Liban à évaluer le respect des directives dans la prise en charge aiguë et post AVC ischémique et à évaluer son impact sur la mortalité hospitalière. Quant à l'évaluation des divers médicaments prescrits après l’hospitalisation, tels que les anti-thrombotiques, les antihypertenseurs, les hypolipémiants, et la mesure de la pression artérielle à différents moments à l'hôpital a été effectuée à l'aide d'une feuille de collecte de données.Les résultats de cette étude ont mis en évidence que les recommandations internationales étaientt peu respectées, ce qui explique les taux de mortalité élevés chez les patients victimes d’ AVC au Liban. Nos résultats ont montré que la majorité des patients prenaient des antihypertenseurs non recommandés par les directives comme le Labétalol ou la Nicardipine. Le Labétalol était réservé aux patients présentant une tension artérielle moyenne initiale de 205/104 mm Hg tandis que d'autres agents étaient administrés à une tension artérielle initiale inférieure comprise entre 175 et 140/93 et 85 mm Hg. Il faut dire que la majorité n’a pas eu d’hospitalisation en Stroke Unit, pas de thrombolyse ni thrombectomie ; fautre de structure et de disponibilité de ces traitements au Liban.Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of death and disability and remains a major global health problem. Compliance with international recommendations is essential in the management of ischemic stroke during the acute phase in order to prevent early complications and recurrence. This study is the first in Lebanon to assess compliance with guidelines in acute and post ischemic stroke management and to assess its impact on hospital mortality. As for the evaluation of the various drugs prescribed after hospitalization, such as anti-thrombotics, antihypertensives, lipid-lowering drugs, and the measurement of blood pressure at different times in the hospital was carried out using a data collection sheet.The results of this study showed that international recommendations were poorly respected, which explains the high death rates among stroke patients in Lebanon. Our results showed that the majority of patients were taking antihypertensive drugs not recommended by the guidelines such as Labetalol or Nicardipine. Labetalol was reserved for patients with an initial mean arterial pressure of 205/104 mm Hg while other agents were administered with a lower initial arterial pressure between 175 and 140/93 and 85 mm Hg. The study shows that the majority of the patients were hospitalized in a general unit and not in a specialized stroke unit which might explain the limited use of thrombolysis or thrombectomy performance in Lebanon

Assessment of acute stroke treatment, hypertension, and post discharge medication prescription among Lebanese patients with ischemic stroke : results of a cross-sectional study

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of death and disability and remains a major global health problem. Compliance with international recommendations is essential in the management of ischemic stroke during the acute phase in order to prevent early complications and recurrence. This study is the first in Lebanon to assess compliance with guidelines in acute and post ischemic stroke management and to assess its impact on hospital mortality. As for the evaluation of the various drugs prescribed after hospitalization, such as anti-thrombotics, antihypertensives, lipid-lowering drugs, and the measurement of blood pressure at different times in the hospital was carried out using a data collection sheet.The results of this study showed that international recommendations were poorly respected, which explains the high death rates among stroke patients in Lebanon. Our results showed that the majority of patients were taking antihypertensive drugs not recommended by the guidelines such as Labetalol or Nicardipine. Labetalol was reserved for patients with an initial mean arterial pressure of 205/104 mm Hg while other agents were administered with a lower initial arterial pressure between 175 and 140/93 and 85 mm Hg. The study shows that the majority of the patients were hospitalized in a general unit and not in a specialized stroke unit which might explain the limited use of thrombolysis or thrombectomy performance in Lebanon.L'AVC ischémique aigu est une cause majeure de mortalité et de handicap et demeure un problème majeur de santé mondiale. Le respect des recommandations internationales est essentiel lors de la prise en charge d'un AVC ischémique pendant la phase aiguë afin de prévenir les complications précoces et les récidives. Cette étude est la première au Liban à évaluer le respect des directives dans la prise en charge aiguë et post AVC ischémique et à évaluer son impact sur la mortalité hospitalière. Quant à l'évaluation des divers médicaments prescrits après l’hospitalisation, tels que les anti-thrombotiques, les antihypertenseurs, les hypolipémiants, et la mesure de la pression artérielle à différents moments à l'hôpital a été effectuée à l'aide d'une feuille de collecte de données.Les résultats de cette étude ont mis en évidence que les recommandations internationales étaientt peu respectées, ce qui explique les taux de mortalité élevés chez les patients victimes d’ AVC au Liban. Nos résultats ont montré que la majorité des patients prenaient des antihypertenseurs non recommandés par les directives comme le Labétalol ou la Nicardipine. Le Labétalol était réservé aux patients présentant une tension artérielle moyenne initiale de 205/104 mm Hg tandis que d'autres agents étaient administrés à une tension artérielle initiale inférieure comprise entre 175 et 140/93 et 85 mm Hg. Il faut dire que la majorité n’a pas eu d’hospitalisation en Stroke Unit, pas de thrombolyse ni thrombectomie ; fautre de structure et de disponibilité de ces traitements au Liban

Assessment of acute stroke treatment, hypertension, and post discharge medication prescription among Lebanese patients with ischemic stroke : results of a cross-sectional study

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of death and disability and remains a major global health problem. Compliance with international recommendations is essential in the management of ischemic stroke during the acute phase in order to prevent early complications and recurrence. This study is the first in Lebanon to assess compliance with guidelines in acute and post ischemic stroke management and to assess its impact on hospital mortality. As for the evaluation of the various drugs prescribed after hospitalization, such as anti-thrombotics, antihypertensives, lipid-lowering drugs, and the measurement of blood pressure at different times in the hospital was carried out using a data collection sheet.The results of this study showed that international recommendations were poorly respected, which explains the high death rates among stroke patients in Lebanon. Our results showed that the majority of patients were taking antihypertensive drugs not recommended by the guidelines such as Labetalol or Nicardipine. Labetalol was reserved for patients with an initial mean arterial pressure of 205/104 mm Hg while other agents were administered with a lower initial arterial pressure between 175 and 140/93 and 85 mm Hg. The study shows that the majority of the patients were hospitalized in a general unit and not in a specialized stroke unit which might explain the limited use of thrombolysis or thrombectomy performance in Lebanon.L'AVC ischémique aigu est une cause majeure de mortalité et de handicap et demeure un problème majeur de santé mondiale. Le respect des recommandations internationales est essentiel lors de la prise en charge d'un AVC ischémique pendant la phase aiguë afin de prévenir les complications précoces et les récidives. Cette étude est la première au Liban à évaluer le respect des directives dans la prise en charge aiguë et post AVC ischémique et à évaluer son impact sur la mortalité hospitalière. Quant à l'évaluation des divers médicaments prescrits après l’hospitalisation, tels que les anti-thrombotiques, les antihypertenseurs, les hypolipémiants, et la mesure de la pression artérielle à différents moments à l'hôpital a été effectuée à l'aide d'une feuille de collecte de données.Les résultats de cette étude ont mis en évidence que les recommandations internationales étaientt peu respectées, ce qui explique les taux de mortalité élevés chez les patients victimes d’ AVC au Liban. Nos résultats ont montré que la majorité des patients prenaient des antihypertenseurs non recommandés par les directives comme le Labétalol ou la Nicardipine. Le Labétalol était réservé aux patients présentant une tension artérielle moyenne initiale de 205/104 mm Hg tandis que d'autres agents étaient administrés à une tension artérielle initiale inférieure comprise entre 175 et 140/93 et 85 mm Hg. Il faut dire que la majorité n’a pas eu d’hospitalisation en Stroke Unit, pas de thrombolyse ni thrombectomie ; fautre de structure et de disponibilité de ces traitements au Liban

Any overlap between orthorexia nervosa and obsessive–compulsive disorder in Lebanese adults? Results of a cross-sectional study and validation of the 12-item and 4-item obsessive–compulsive inventory (OCI-12 and OCI-4)

Abstract Background Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), a compulsive obsession with vigorous eating, has increasingly caught researchers' attention. Although Orthorexia Nervosa has not been labeled an eating disorder, research about ON highlighted a strong link with anorexia nervosa or obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Therefore, this study aimed to (1) validate the Arabic version of the Obsession-Compulsion Inventory (OCI-12 and OCI-4) and (2) check if there is an overlap between ON and OCD among a sample of Lebanese adults. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 487 Lebanese participants between July and August 2021. The Dusseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS) was used to assess ON; scores between 25 and 29 indicate probable ON, whereas scores ≥ 30 indicate ON tendencies. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out using SPSS AMOS v.24 on the OCI-12 and OCI-4 scales’ items. The root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) statistic, the Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) and the comparative fit index (CFI) were used to evaluate the goodness-of-fit of the model. Results The CFA results indicated an excellent fit of the model: the Maximum Likelihood Chi-Square = 147.73 and Degrees of Freedom = 48, which gave a χ2/df = 3.08, TLI = 0.934, CFI = 0.952, and RMSEA = 0.065 [95% CI 0.054–0.078]. The fit indices of the one-factor structure of the OCI-4 were excellent as well: χ2/df = 6.15/2 = 3.08, TLI = 0.95, CFI = 0.98 and RMSEA = 0.065 [95% CI 0.007–0.127]. The Area Under the Curve was 0.600 [95% CI 0.524–0.674]. There was no cutoff value that showed good sensitivity or specificity at the same time. At the DOS cutoff of 25, sensitivity was 19.1%, whereas the specificity was 90.6%. The positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) at this cutoff value were 24.4% and 88.7% respectively. At the DOS cutoff of 30, sensitivity was 8.8%, whereas the specificity was 94.3%. The PPV and NPV at this cutoff value were 10.6% and 92.5% respectively. The results showed that higher total OCD scores (Beta = 0.15) were significantly associated with more ON tendencies. Moreover, higher OCD washing scores (Beta = 0.52), physical activity index (Beta = 0.06), and Body Mass Index (Beta = 0.17) were significantly associated with more ON tendencies. Conclusion The present results suggest that ON, as measured by the DOS, shares more common features with disordered eating and cannot adequately predict the presence of OCD symptoms

Maladaptive Cognitive Schemas as Predictors of Disordered Eating: Examining the Indirect Pathway through Emotion Regulation Difficulties

A scarcity of research has looked into the association of maladaptive core beliefs with dysfunctional eating patterns. Moreover, no prior study has considered the potential role of difficulties in negative emotion regulation when disentangling the complex correlations between early maladaptive schemas and disturbed eating habits. Our study aimed at exploring the distinct relationships between early maladaptive schemas and disordered eating, while investigating the indirect role of emotion regulation difficulties within these associations. We collected data from 982 Lebanese young adults (18–30 years old), distributed across the five Lebanese governorates, who completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Young Schema Questionnaire—Short Form 3 (YSQ-SF3), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale—16 Item Version (DERS-16). The results showed that the disconnection and rejection schema domain, under which the early maladaptive schema of mistrust was the most predictive of disordered/inappropriate eating attitudes. All the remaining maladaptive schema domains (i.e., the impaired autonomy/performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, and overvigilance/inhibition schema domains) exerted significant indirect effects on disordered eating attitudes through difficulties in emotion regulation. Our findings gave prominence to a potential intrinsic mechanism through which maladaptive cognitive schemas are linked to disordered eating behaviors, emphasizing the role of emotion dysregulation as a cardinal actor within this model. They sustain the surmise that cognitively and emotionally vulnerable individuals exhibit stronger propensities for inappropriate dietary patterns, as a means to offset their inner weakness. This study broadens the medical community’s insights into the underpinning processes behind eating disorder psychopathology and could therefore make a step towards the adoption of innovative therapeutic approaches that promote emotion regulation skills in the context of schema therapy