Factors associated with the willingness to quit smoking among a cohort of university students in the KSA

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the predictors of the willingness to quit smoking among a cohort of male Saudi students.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was administered to a cohort of male students that were recruited from three institutes of higher education. Using the retrieved data, bivariate analysis and logistic regression tests were performed to assess the factors associated with the willingness to quit smoking.ResultsOf 467 participants, 24% of respondents were current smokers, while 65% of these smokers were willing to quit smoking. In the bivariate analysis, past attempts to quit smoking and the anti-smoking messages on TV and in newspapers were significantly associated with the willingness to quit smoking. Only one variable – past attempts to quit smoking – was a significant predictor of the willingness to quit smoking, as shown by the multivariate logistic regression analysis.ConclusionThe findings of this study indicate that Saudi male students who smoke are willing to quit smoking; having unsuccessfully attempted to quit smoking in the past, they are willing to try again. Successful programs should be developed for male university students in KSA to assist them in their quest to quit smoking and maintain cessation

Factors Affecting Pharmacy Students’ Decision to Study in Pharmacy Colleges in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Analysis

(1) Background: Many factors may play a role in deciding to opt for pharmacy as a major. However, no previous studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia to explore these factors. This study aims to identify the potential factors that prompted students to join the pharmacy program. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed among undergraduate pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia, addressing areas such as reasons that encourage them to choose pharmacy as a major, and students’ socio-demographic characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study variables, and a simple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the potential factors. (3) Results: A total of 491 students completed the questionnaire. Around 40% of them had chosen to study pharmacy as their first choice. Only gender, current GPA, and reasons related to the pharmacy field were found to have a statistically significant association with students selecting pharmacy as their first choice. (4) Conclusions: This study shows that pharmacy students have a future-oriented outlook and selected pharmacy as their first choice because it will develop them professionally, financially, and intellectually. Educating high school students about the characteristic of pharmacy would help attract more talented students to the pharmacy carrier

Serum thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase values for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] at admission [AA] and after treatment [AT].

Serum thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase values for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] at admission [AA] and after treatment [AT].</p

Mean body mass index, temperature, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate values for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] at admission [AA] and after treatment [AT].

Mean body mass index, temperature, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate values for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] at admission [AA] and after treatment [AT].</p

S1 Data -

The abuse of Cannabis is a widespread issue in the Asir region. It has a lot of legal and occupational repercussions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health status of cannabis addicts at admission and after treatment using body mass index, glycemic status, liver function, renal function, and oxidative stress. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 participants. The study was conducted at Al Amal Hospital for Mental Health in Asir region of Saudi Arabia, with 100 hospitalized patients receiving addiction treatment and 20 healthy volunteers. The participants were divided into two groups: group I, the control group, and group II, the cannabis addicts. The socio-demographic data were gathered. The level of cannabis in the urine and the CWAS [Cannabis Withdrawal Assessment Scale] were determined. In addition, the Body Mass Index [BMI], vital signs [temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate], serum levels of albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, AST, ALT, and ALP, urea, creatinine, Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances [TBARS], superoxide dismutase [SOD], reduced glutathione [GSH], and catalase [CAT] were analyzed on the first day of admission and after treatment. According to the results, there was no significant change in the body mass index. The vital signs in the cannabis user group were significantly lower than the corresponding admission values. Regarding renal function tests such as urea and creatinine, we found that after treatment, the mean urea and creatinine values in the cannabis user group did not differ significantly from the corresponding admission values. However, after treatment, the mean values of fasting blood glucose levels in the cannabis user group were significantly lower than at admission. Also, the mean values of liver function tests such as albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, AST, ALT, and ALP in the cannabis user group were significantly lower than the corresponding admission values after treatment. In assessing the antioxidant system, we found that the mean values of TBARS, SOD, GSH, and CAT in the cannabis user group did not differ significantly from the corresponding admission values after treatment. The current findings have revealed that cannabis addiction harms the various body systems and has significant implications for the addict’s state of health. The values of oxidative stress biomarkers did not change in this study, but other measured parameters improved after treatment.</div

Serum urea and creatinine values for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] at admission [AA] and after treatment [AT].

Serum urea and creatinine values for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] at admission [AA] and after treatment [AT].</p

Pearson correlation coefficients between Cannabis Withdrawal Assessment Scale [CWAS], tetrahydrocannabinol level, age, duration of cannabis intake, liver function tests values, and blood glucose level in the cannabis group at admission [AA] and after the treatment [AT]] for patients aged 18 to 35 years old, [n = 59].

Pearson correlation coefficients between Cannabis Withdrawal Assessment Scale [CWAS], tetrahydrocannabinol level, age, duration of cannabis intake, liver function tests values, and blood glucose level in the cannabis group at admission [AA] and after the treatment [AT]] for patients aged 18 to 35 years old, [n = 59].</p

Body mass index, vital signs, Liver function tests, blood glucose level, kidney function tests and oxidative stress biomarkers for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] before and after treatment.

Body mass index, vital signs, Liver function tests, blood glucose level, kidney function tests and oxidative stress biomarkers for the control and the cannabis user group s [n = 120] before and after treatment.</p

Schematic diagram of the study design.

The abuse of Cannabis is a widespread issue in the Asir region. It has a lot of legal and occupational repercussions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health status of cannabis addicts at admission and after treatment using body mass index, glycemic status, liver function, renal function, and oxidative stress. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 participants. The study was conducted at Al Amal Hospital for Mental Health in Asir region of Saudi Arabia, with 100 hospitalized patients receiving addiction treatment and 20 healthy volunteers. The participants were divided into two groups: group I, the control group, and group II, the cannabis addicts. The socio-demographic data were gathered. The level of cannabis in the urine and the CWAS [Cannabis Withdrawal Assessment Scale] were determined. In addition, the Body Mass Index [BMI], vital signs [temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate], serum levels of albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, AST, ALT, and ALP, urea, creatinine, Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances [TBARS], superoxide dismutase [SOD], reduced glutathione [GSH], and catalase [CAT] were analyzed on the first day of admission and after treatment. According to the results, there was no significant change in the body mass index. The vital signs in the cannabis user group were significantly lower than the corresponding admission values. Regarding renal function tests such as urea and creatinine, we found that after treatment, the mean urea and creatinine values in the cannabis user group did not differ significantly from the corresponding admission values. However, after treatment, the mean values of fasting blood glucose levels in the cannabis user group were significantly lower than at admission. Also, the mean values of liver function tests such as albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, AST, ALT, and ALP in the cannabis user group were significantly lower than the corresponding admission values after treatment. In assessing the antioxidant system, we found that the mean values of TBARS, SOD, GSH, and CAT in the cannabis user group did not differ significantly from the corresponding admission values after treatment. The current findings have revealed that cannabis addiction harms the various body systems and has significant implications for the addict’s state of health. The values of oxidative stress biomarkers did not change in this study, but other measured parameters improved after treatment.</div