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

ASTHMA MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE AMONG CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE (CALD) PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA

Background: Asthma management among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients with asthma in Australia can be influenced by many factors, such as language barriers, cultural beliefs, socioeconomic status (SES) and lack of asthma education. Methods: The four studies were Semi-structured interviews guided by a schedule of questions, two of them were conducted with Arabic-speaking women with asthma\carer of a child with asthma in Australia and Saudi with asthma\carer of a child with asthma in Saudi Arabia respectively, the other two studies were conducted with healthcare professionals (HCPs) from medical practices in Australia. Main findings: Linguistic and cultural barriers can affect CALD patients’ behaviour about using their medications. Asthma management can also be influenced by patients’ relationships with their HCPs, who face challenges in dealing with CALD patients due to stereotypes, unconscious biases, language barriers or lack of cultural competence training. In CALD patients, the lack of engagement with treatment, lack of asthma education and asthma action plans will lead to suboptimal asthma management. Similarly, pharmacists may fail to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers when dealing with CALD patients during consultations, CALD patients therefore will not gain the knowledge they need to control asthma symptoms. Conclusion: CALD people with asthma are struggling to manage their asthma, HCPs are facing difficulties dealing with CALD patients. To address these lacunae in the literature, this thesis took on research work that was exploratory so that issues, barriers and facilitators to culturally proficient asthma care in patients who are culturally and linguistically diverse could be uncovered and ways to address these forged for future research. Below is a chapter wise plan of the work presented in this thesis

Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience and Phobia toward Corticosteroids Use among the General Public in the Era of COVID-19: A Multinational Study

Background: Corticosteroids play a significant role in managing the vast majority of inflammatory and immunologic conditions. To date, population-based studies on knowledge and attitudes concerning corticosteroids are scarce. This study aims to comprehensively assess knowledge, perception, experience and phobia toward corticosteroid use among the general population in the era of COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data from 6 countries. Knowledge and corticophobia scores, descriptive statistics and logistic regression were computed. Results: A total of 2354 participants were enrolled in this study; the majority were females (61.6%) with an average age of 30. Around 61.9% had been infected previously with COVID-19, and about one-third of the participants had experience with corticosteroid use. The mean knowledge score was relatively satisfactory (8.7 ± 4.5 out of 14), and Corticophobia ranked a high score in all countries. Age, female gender, and history of COVID-19 were positively correlated with developing corticophobia. Conclusion: Our study highlights that the general knowledge about steroids was satisfactory. However, the phobia toward its use upon indication is high. Therefore, enhancing awareness and providing essential counseling regarding the rational use of corticosteroids may reduce corticophobia