Home 
Contact 
Profile 
Videos 
Presented at the Writing workshop
organized by the KFMA Research Center on April 30, 2014 by Professor Omar Hasan
Kasule MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)
§ Existing
data is from census, medical facilities, government, and private sector, health
surveys, and vital statistics.
§ Experimental
studies, natural or true experiments, involve deliberate human action or
intervention whose outcome is then observed. They have the advantage of
controlled conditions but have ethical problems of experimenting on humans.
§ Observational
studies allow nature to take its course and just record the occurrences of
disease and describe the what, where, when, and why of a disease.
§ Their
advantage is low cost and fewer ethical issues. They suffer from 3
disadvantages: disease aetiology is not studied directly because the
investigator does not manipulate the exposures, unavailability of information,
and confounding.
Statistical
Measures of Descriptive Studies
§ Prevalence
= describe the status of disease at a point in time: proportion, percentage
§ Incidence
= describe change in status of disease with time: incidence rate, cumulative
incidence
§ The
cardinal questions: who, where, when, how.
Statistical
Measures of Analytic Study
§ Study
of association eg t test, chi square
§ Study
of effect eg odds ratio, rate ratio, logistic regression coefficient
§ Eliminating
counfounders (inclusion and exclusion)
Study
Designs of Experimental / Interventional Studies
§ Randomized
clinical trial
§ Randomized
community trial.
§ Experimental
/ interventional studies are always analytic
Study
Designs of Observational Studies
§ Observational
cross sectional (disease and causes studied at a point in time). Can be
descriptive or analytic
§ Observational
follow up (identify a cause and follow up to see disease occurrence. May be
prospective, retrospective, or ambispective. May be descriptive or analytic
§ Observational
case control: compare cases and no cases of disease at a point in time
regarding potential causes. Is always analytic
§ Stating
the substantive problem
§ Formulating
the substantive problem as a hypothesis / statistical problem
§ Testing
the hypothesis using data and reaching a statistical conclusion
§ Reaching
a substantial conclusion based on data interpretation
Where
Do We Get The Research Question/Hypothesis?
§ Facing
a real problem in life eg high rate of wound infection on the ward
§ Literature
search and finding a gap in knowledge
§ Repeating/validating
/challenging previous research
§ Pure
intellectual curiosity
Hypotheses and the Scientific Method
§ The
scientific method consists of hypothesis formulation, experimentation to test
the hypothesis, and drawing conclusions.
§ Hypotheses
are statements of prior belief. They are modified by results of experiments to
give rise to new hypotheses. The new hypotheses then in turn become the basis
for new experiments.
Null Hypothesis (H0)
§ The
null or research hypothesis, H0, states that there is no difference between two
comparison groups and that the apparent difference seen is due to sampling
error.
§ A
hypothesis can be rejected but cannot be proved. A hypothesis cannot be proved
in a conclusive way but an objective measure of the probability of its truth
can be given in the form of a p-value.
§ P
value is the probability of rejecting a true hypothesis by error
Exercises
Working
in groups, read each abstract and identify the following (if applicable):
1.
The substantive question
(research question, general objective, ordinary
language )
2.
The study hypothesis (specific
objective(s)
3.
The statistical question
4.
The type of study
5.
The statistical conclusion
6.
The substantive conclusion
ABSTRACT
#1:
El-Sharkawy MF, Noweir ME.Indoor air quality levels in a University Hospital in the
Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.J Family Community Med. 2014
Jan;21(1):39-47. AIM OF THE STUDY: The complex hospital environment requires
special attention to ensure a healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) to protect
patients and healthcare workers against hospital-acquired infections and
occupational diseases. Poor hospital IAQ may cause outbreaks of
building-related illness such as headaches, fatigue, eye, and skin irritations,
and other symptoms. The general objective for this study was to assess IAQ
inside a large University hospital at Al-Khobar City in the Eastern Province of
Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Different locations representing areas where most activities and tasks
are performed were selected as sampling points for air pollutants in the
selected hospital. In addition, several factors were studied to determine those
that were most likely to affect the IAQ levels. The temperature and relative
percent humidity of different air pollutants were measured simultaneously at
each location. RESULTS: The outdoor levels of all air pollutant levels, except
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), were higher than the indoor levels which
meant that the IAQ inside healthcare facilities (HCFs) were greatly affected by
outdoor sources, particularly traffic. The highest levels of total suspended
particulates (TSPs) and those less than 10 microns (PM10) inside the selected
hospital were found at locations that are characterized with m4ore human
activity. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of
particulate matter (both PM10 and TSP) were higher than the Air Quality
Guidelines (AQGs). The highest concentrations of the fungal species recorded
were Cladosporium and Penicillium. Education of occupants of HCF on IAQ is
critical. They must be informed about the sources and effects of contaminants
and the proper operation of the ventilation system.
ABSTRACT
#2
Ahmed M, Zama SY, Nagarajarao V, Khan MA.Iodine deficiency in children: A comparative study in two
districts of south-interior Karnataka, India. J Family Community Med. 2014
Jan;21(1):48-52. INTRODUCTION: Iodine is an essential component of the hormones
produced by the thyroid gland that are essential for mammalian life. Although
goiter is the most visible sequelae of iodine deficiency, the major impact of
hypothyroidism as a result of iodine deficiency is impaired neurodevelopment,
particularly early in life. According to the World Health Organization, it is
the single most preventable cause of mental retardation and brain damage. The
simplest, most effective and inexpensive preventive method is the consumption
of iodized salt. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the following study is to
estimate the prevalence of goiter in children in the rural areas of Mysore and
Coorg districts in India and estimate iodine levels in salt samples. MATERIALS
AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study in the age group of 6-12 years, using
population proportionate to size systematic sampling method. The total sample
size was 10,082: out of which 5337 was from Mysore and the rest from Coorg
district. Clinical examination of the thyroid gland was done and salt samples
collected for the estimation of Iodine. RESULTS: The total prevalence of goiter
was 19.01% in children of 6-12 years in Coorg district and 8.77% in Mysore
district and it was more in females than in males. CONCLUSIONS: It was observed
that iodine deficiency disorders is endemic in both districts, with a
prevalence of 19.01% in children aged 6-12 years in Coorg district and 8.77% in
Mysore district. Analysis of salt samples suggested that most of the samples
were inadequately iodised (73.92% in Coorg and 45.92% in Mysore).
ABSTRACT
#3
Bhattathiry MM, Ethirajan N. Unmet need for family planning among married women of
reproductive age group in urban Tamil Nadu.J Family Community Med. 2014
Jan;21(1):53-7. CONTEXT: Unmet need for
family planning (FP), which refers to the condition in which there is the
desire to avoid or post-pone child bearing, without the use of any means of
contraception, has been a core concept in the field of international population
for more than three decades. OBJECTIVES: The very objective of this study is to
determine the prevalence of "unmet need for FP" and its
socio-demographic determinants among married reproductive age group women in
Chidambaram. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a community-based
cross-sectional study of married women of the reproductive age group, between
15 and 49 years. The sample size required was 700. The cluster sampling method
was adopted. Unmarried, separated, divorced and widows were excluded. RESULTS: The
prevalence of unmet need for FP was 39%, with spacing as 12% and limiting as
27%. The major reason for unmet need for FP among the married group was 18%,
for low perceived risk of pregnancy, 9%, feared the side effects of
contraception 5% lacked information on contraceptives, 4% had husbands who
opposed it and 3% gave medical reasons. Higher education, late marriage, more
than the desired family size, poor knowledge of FP, poor informed choice in FP
and poor male participation were found to be associated with high unmet need
for FP. CONCLUSION: Unmet need for younger women was spacing of births, whereas
for older women, it was a limitation of births. Efforts should be made to
identify the issues in a case by case approach. Male participation in
reproductive issues should be addressed.
ABSTRACT
#4
Kutty NA, Sreeramareddy CT.A cross-sectional online survey of compulsive internet use
and mental health of young adults in Malaysia.J Family Community Med. 2014
Jan;21(1):23-8. BACKGROUND: The last
decade has seen the emergence of the internet as the prime communication medium
changing the way people live and interact. Studies from various countries have
reported on internet addiction and its association with mental health, but none
have come from Malaysia. OBJECTIVES: We aimed at assessing the frequency of the
use of various internet applications and exploring the association of
compulsive internet use with mental health and socio-demographic factors. MATERIALS
AND METHODS:A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among participants
registered for the monthly opinion poll survey of University Tunku Abdul
Rahman, Malaysia. The questionnaire contained socio-demographic information,
the use of various internet applications on a five-point Likert scale,
compulsive internet use scale (CIUS) and 12 item general health questionnaire
(GHQ-12). Correlations and linear regression analyzes were carried out. RESULTS:
Of the 330 respondents, 182 were females and 148 were males. The mean age was
23.17 (SD = 3.84). Mean CIUS score was 19.85 (SD = 10.57) and mean GHQ score
was 15.47 (SD = 6.29). Correlation coefficients of CIUS score with age, years
of use and daily hours of internet use were -0.118 (P = 0.03), -0.014 (P =
0.81) and 0.242 (P < 0.001) respectively. Multiple linear regression
analysis showed that age (β = -0.111, P = 0.033) and marital status (β =
-0.124, P = 0.018) were negatively associated with CIUS scores whereas daily
hours of internet use (β = 0.269, P = 0.001) and GHQ score (β = 0.259, P =
0.001) were positively associated with the CIUS score. CONCLUSIONS: Compulsive
internet use was correlated with GHQ score. More research is needed to confirm
our results. Psychologists may consider assessing internet addiction when
evaluating young psychiatric patients.
ABSTRACT
#5
Al-Shaikh GK, Alzeidan RA, Mandil AM, Fayed AA, Marwa B, Wahabi HA. Awareness of an obstetric population about environmental
tobacco smoking. J Family Community Med. 2014
Jan;21(1):17-22. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The reported rate of women's
smoking is typically low. However, many pregnant women are exposed to
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), which could affect their own health and the
health of their growing fetus. The aim of this study was to estimate the
magnitude of the problem of exposure to ETS and assess the awareness of postpartum
women to ETS and its possible effects. DESIGNS AND SETTINGS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on
1182 postpartum women at a university hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between
1(st) January and 30(th) June, 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A structured
questionnaire was used for data collection. Factors associated with the level
of understanding of the possible effects of ETS exposure were analyzed.
RESULTS: The majority of the participating women knew that exposure to ETS had
adverse effects on maternal and fetal health (>80%), but their knowledge of
the specific effects on fetal health was limited. The level of mothers'
education was found to be associated with better knowledge of effects on mother
and fetal health (P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: This study revealed that pregnant
women in our sample had limited knowledge of the specific effects of ETS on
fetal health. This shortcoming in knowledge needs to be addressed by improving
health.
ABSTRACT
#6
Alenizi DA. Consanguinity pattern and heritability of Vitiligo in
Arar, Saudi Arabia. J Family Community Med. 2014
Jan;21(1):CONTEXT: Epidemiological studies have shown that vitiligo is a
complex trait, involving combinations of pathogenic effects of multiple
susceptibility genes as well as environmental risk factors. AIM: To observe
whether consanguinity increased the incidence of vitiligo in Saudi patients
from Arar. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 69 Saudi patients with
vitiligo and their families. These patients, selected from the experience
specialist dermatology center in Arar, from April 2011 to 2012, were
interviewed by a dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis and complete a
questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 69 patients, 40 males and 29 females were
selected. Their mean age was 34.5 ± 11.8 years with the median age of 23 years.
The mean age at onset of disease was 27.9 ± 12.9 years. The mean duration of
the disease was 9.7 ± 5.3 years. The frequency of focal, vulgaris, universal,
and acrofacial subtypes was 22 (31.9%), 21 (30.4%), 8 (11.6%), and 18 (26.1%),
respectively. A positive family history of vitiligo was obtained in 45 (65.2%)
cases. A comparison of the frequency of vitiligo among siblings in relation to
the general population was more in accord with the multifactorial model. CONCLUSION:
Consanguinity in marriage increases the incidence of the disease. Therefore,
genetic counseling and premarital examination would be important contributions
to lower the prevalence of vitiligo.
ABSTRACT
#7
Lawan UM, Amole GT, Jahum MG2, Sani A. Age-appropriate feeding practices and nutritional status
of infants attending child welfare clinic at a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. BACKGROUND:
Appropriate infant feeding is the key to optimum infant and child development
and survival. This study investigates age-appropriate infant feeding practices
and nutritional status of infants attending the immunization and child welfare
clinic at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, a
sample of 300 sets of infants (age ≤12 months) and caregivers was
systematically selected and studied. The data were analyzed using the
MINITAB(®) 12.21 (USA) statistical software. RESULTS: All the infants studied
were still on breast milk. Most of the mothers demonstrated correct body positioning
(89.9) and attachment (78.7%) during breastfeeding, and effective suckling was
demonstrated in 77.0%. Interestingly, none of the infants was either
exclusively breastfed for 6 months or currently on exclusive breastfeeding.
Furthermore, only 64 (58.2%) of the 110 infants that were more than 6 months of
age had appropriately been started on complementary feeding from 6 months of
age. Overall, most caregivers (88.7%) had "fair" to "good"
infant feeding practices. The practices were significantly associated with
their level of education, and their relationship with the infants. Up to 40.0%
and 73.7% of the infants had varying degrees of wasting and stunting
respectively. Infant feeding practices and the age of the infants emerged as
the only factors significantly associated with stunting, while both the
caregivers' practices and age of the infants emerged as significant predictors
of wasting in the infants. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Barely 3 years to the 2015 target of the
millennium development goals (MDGs), infant feeding and nutritional status
still poses a serious threat to the dream of realizing the MDG-4. The Ministry
of Health and relevant developing partners in this region should as a matter of
urgency, formulate and implement a strong community-based public health
intervention program to improve the knowledge and practices of mothers on
infant feeding.
ABSTRACT
#8
Jabbari H, Bakhshian F, Velayati A, Mehrabi E,
Allahverdizadeh S, Alikhah H, Maleki A, Ahadi HR, Ghorbaniyan M, Naghavi-Behzad M. Effectiveness
of presence of physician and midwife in quantity and quality of family planning
services in health care centers. J Family Community Med. 2014
Jan;21(1):1-5. BACKGROUND AND AIM: Iran's health sector has been engaging the
services of physicians and midwives in healthcare centers since 2005, with the
hope of improving the quantity and quality of family planning services. The aim
of this study was to assess the effect of serving physicians and midwives on
the quantity and quality of family planning services in the healthcare centers
of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study (Jan 2010
until Sep 2011) was carried out on 600 eligible families who were clients of
healthcare centers of Tabriz, Azarshahr and Osku, cities of Northwest Iran from
2006 until 2011, in two groups (before and after). Some of the characteristics
of the participants and the data on the quality and quantity of family planning
services provided were grouped in a checklist of 16 variables by comparing the
patients' past medical histories. RESULTS: In comparison with 3 years prior to
engaging physician and midwife services in health care centers, the Couple Year
Protection (CYP) and the quantity of family planning service indexes
significantly increased among eligible families. The family size of
participants declined significantly after family physicians and midwives became
available in the healthcare centers (P < 0.005).CONCLUSION: Our findings
showed some improvement in the quantity of services without any noticeable
changes in the quality of services provided as a consequence of this huge
intervention. Therefore, it is suggested that there should be proper oversight
of the duties of the health team in order to keep a close watch on primary
healthcare, design of proper mechanisms for collecting and maintaining
performance reports and statistics, and continuously monitor and control the
quality of services.
ABSTRACT
#9
Al Maghraby MA, Alshami AM. J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):192-7. Learning style and teaching method
preferences of Saudi students of physical therapy. CONTEXT: To the
researchers' knowledge, there are no published studies that have investigated
the learning styles and preferred teaching methods of physical therapy students
in Saudi Arabia.AIM: The study was conducted to determine the learning styles
and preferred teaching methods of Saudi physical therapy students. SETTINGS AND
DESIGN: A cross-sectional study design. MATERIALS
AND METHODS: Fifty-three Saudis studying physical therapy (21 males and 32
females) participated in the study. The principal researcher gave an
introductory lecture to explain the different learning styles and common
teaching methods. Upon completion of the lecture, questionnaires were
distributed, and were collected on completion. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED:
Percentages were calculated for the learning styles and teaching methods.
Pearson's correlations were performed to investigate the relationship between
them. RESULTS: More than 45 (85%) of the students rated hands-on training as
the most preferred teaching method. Approximately 30 (57%) students rated the
following teaching methods as the most preferred methods: "Advanced
organizers," "demonstrations," and "multimedia
activities." Although 31 (59%) students rated the concrete-sequential
learning style the most preferred, these students demonstrated mixed styles on
the other style dimensions: Abstract-sequential, abstract-random, and
concrete-random. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant concrete-sequential learning
style is consistent with the most preferred teaching method (hands-on
training). The high percentage of physical therapy students whose responses
were indicative of mixed learning styles suggests that they can accommodate
multiple teaching methods. It is recommended that educators consider the
diverse learning styles of the students and utilize a variety of teaching
methods in order to promote an optimal learning environment for the students.
ABSTRACT
#10
Patil S, Yadav N, Patil P, Kaswan S. Prevalence and the relationship of oral mucosal lesions in
tobacco users and denture wearers in the North Indian population. J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):187-91. AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine the
prevalence and the relationship of oral mucosal lesions in tobacco users and
denture wearers in a North Indian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 3,749 patients attending
the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Jodhpur Dental College General
Hospital between September 2008 and December 2012, for the treatment of dental
problems other than oral mucosal lesions. The ages ranged from 28 years to 83
years, with a mean age of 49.7 years. The results were evaluated using the
Pearson Chi-square test, with Yate's correction and ANOVA tests. RESULTS: A total of 2,318 patients were diagnosed with
lesions associated with the use tobacco and the wearing of dentures. The most
frequently seen lesion was melanin pigmentation (29.9%) followed by lineaalba
(22.2%) and frictional keratosis (19.9%). Ulcers (6.1%) were the most common
oral lesion seen in patients who wore dentures, followed by hyperplasia (4.8%).
A statistically significant relation (P < 0.05) was established between tobacco
and melanin pigmentation, frictional keratosis, traumatic ulcerations and
leukoplakia. In those who wore dentures a statistically significant relation (P
< 0.05) was found between candidiasis, traumatic ulceration and frictional
keratosis. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that the
association of frictional keratosis with tobacco users and wearers of dentures
can help in determining the diagnosis and treatment plan for oral cancer.
Wearers of dentures should also be recalled for periodic checks at regular
intervals and optimum preventive measures implemented.
ABSTRACT
#11
Al Hayek AA, Khader YS, Jafal S, Khawaja N, Robert AA, Ajlouni K. Prevalence of low testosterone levels in men with type 2
diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study. J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):179-86. BACKGROUND: A high
prevalence of low serum testosterone (LST) in men with type 2 diabetes have
been reported worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence
and associated factors of LST in men with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted among 1,089 men (aged
30-70 years) with type 2 diabetes who consecutively attended a major diabetes
center in Amman, Jordan, between August 2008 and February 2009. The patients'
demographic characteristics were collected using a prestructured questionnaire.
Duration of diabetes, smoking habits, presence of retinopathy, neuropathy, and
nephropathy were collected from the medical records. All participants were
asked to complete the Androgen Deficiency in Ageing Male (ADAM) questionnaire.
Venous blood sample was collected to test for total testosterone (TT), free
testosterone (FT), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), serum lipids, and
glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). LST was defined as TT <3 ng/ml. RESULTS:
Overall, 36.5% of patients with diabetes had TT level <3 ng/ml and 29% had
symptoms of androgen deficiency. Of those with serum testosterone level <3
ng/ml, 80.2% had symptoms of androgen deficiency, 16.9% had primary
hypogonadism (HG), and 83.1% had secondary HG. Univariate analysis showed a
significant relationship between age, income, education, body mass index (BMI),
smoking, duration of diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and
HbA1c. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated age, income, BMI,
and diabetic neuropathy as the independent risk factors of LST. CONCLUSIONS:
The prevalence of LST among men with type 2 diabetes is high. Age, income, BMI,
and diabetic neuropathy were found to be the independent risk factors for LST.
ABSTRACT
#12
Shaker HA, Farooq MU. Computer literacy of physicians among the hospitals of
Makkah region. J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):173-8.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A confidential inquiry by the
Directorate General of Health Affairs, Makkah region, Saudi Arabia, found
physicians in different hospitals were reluctant to enter patients' related
information in electronic medical record systems. One of the major issues
raised was that they didn't have the required computer literacy. Our aim,
therefore, was to conduct a survey to highlight the computer literacy among the
physicians of Makkah region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was performed
from May to July 2009. A structured questionnaire of four A4 size paper was
distributed among the physicians of the Makkah region working in seven
different hospitals. The questionnaire contained questions on background
knowledge of computers, i.e., (a) basic computer vocabulary knowledge (BCVK)
(10 questions), (b) basic computer skills (BCS) (22 questions), (c) basic
communication and internet skills (BCIS) (12 questions). RESULTS: Response rate of 368, i.e., 81.6% of sample
size (n = 451) was attained. The maximum response came from King Abdul Aziz
Hospital (Taif), i.e., 79%. Overall BCVK, BCS and BCIS were the highest among
the physicians of Alnoor Specialist Hospital, i.e., 71.3%, 91.4%, 87.7%,
respectively. All the hospitals had a satisfactory level of BCVK, but levels of
BCS and BCIS were above satisfactory except King Abdul Aziz Hospital (Jeddah)
that showed a satisfactory level in BCIS. CONCLUSION: Majority of the physicians had a good or an
excellent level of computer background knowledge that gave a prediction toward
the issues of their non-promising attitude and beliefs about electronic data
entry.
ABSTRACT
#13
Fida HR, Abdelmoneim I. Prevalence of smoking among male secondary school students
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):168-72. OBJECTIVES: This study
was conducted to examine the prevalence of smoking and habits of smoking among
male secondary school students in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and to
assess their knowledge and attitudes toward it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in
Jeddah, using a two-stage cluster sampling, randomly selecting 4 out of 85
government male secondary schools. Data were obtained through a
self-administered questionnaire eliciting responses to questions on personal
background, smoking behavior, knowledge, behavior, and attitude toward smoking.
A total of 695 students responded to the questionnaires with 87.4% response
rate. RESULTS: Of the studied group, 258
(37%) currently smoked, and of these, 83.7% had started smoking at the age of
14 years or less. The most common reason for smoking was the influence of
family, especially the presence of someone at home who smoked (65, 9%) and
friends who smoked (42.5%). Many of the students search for information on the
risks of smoking (66.3%), and only (45.3%) knew about the bad effects of
passive smoking on others. Two-third of the students who smoked wanted to quit smoking
(63.2%), especially if suitable help was offered, whereas (60.9%) had tried to
quit. While 50% of students smoked for recreation and entertainment, and
(33.6%) had difficulty avoiding smoking in no smoking areas. CONCLUSION: A well-planned integrated antismoking
campaign is urgently required, especially among students and teachers. The
study revealed that the prevalence of smoking was high. This will contribute to
an increase in smoking-related health problems in the future if proper
preventive measures are not taken.
ABSTRACT
#14
Salih SB, Yousuf M, Durihim H, Almodaimegh H, Tamim H.Prevalence and associated factors of polypharmacy among adult
Saudi medical outpatients at a tertiary care center. J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):162-7.OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence
of polypharmacy (PP) and the associated factors in medical outpatients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study was carried out in adult
medical outpatients attending internal medicine clinics at King Abdulaziz Medical
City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 1 March 2009 to 31 December 2009. PP was
defined as the concomitant use of ≥5 medications daily. The number of
medications being currently taken by patient was recorded. Effect of patients'
age, gender, educational level, number of prescribers, disease load and disease
type on PP was assessed by multivariate analysis using Statistical Package for
Social Sciences Incorporated (SPSS Inc) Version 18. RESULTS: Out of 766
patients included in the study, 683 (89%) had PP. The mean number of prescribed
medications, oral pills and doses was 8.8, 9.6 and 12.1, respectively. Factors
significantly associated with PP included age (≥61 years), disease load and the
number of prescribers. Gender had no impact on PP while education beyond
primary education significantly decreased PP. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus
and dyslipidemia alone and as a cluster increased PP. CONCLUSION: We found an
extremely high level of PP in medical outpatients at our tertiary care center.
The impact of PP on medication compliance and control of underlying diseases in
Saudi Arabia is unknown and needs to be studied at different levels of care.
ABSTRACT
#15
Alqahtani JM. The prevalence of pterygium in Alkhobar: A hospital-based
study.J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):159-61. OBJECTIVE: To analyze
the epidemiology of pterygium in a hospital-based population in Alkhobar, which
is located in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, non-randomized, and
consecutive case study. Out of 88,666 patients who were seen in the
ophthalmology clinic between January 1995 through the end of December 2010, 116
patients were diagnosed with advanced pterygium. The medical records of these
patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of pterygium was found
to be 0.074%. There was no significant difference by either gender, side, or by
laterality (P > 0.05). A significant increase was noticed in the prevalence
of pterygium with increasing age and nasal location (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:
The overall prevalence rate of pterygium in Alkhobar is low when compared with
results reported from other areas of the world.
ABSTRACT
#16
Al-KhaldiYM.Attitude of primary care physicians toward patient safety
in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia.J Family Community Med. 2013
Sep;20(3):153-8.OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to assess the
attitude of physicians at primary health-care centers (PHCC) in Aseer region
toward patient safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted among
working primary health-care physicians in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia, in August
2011. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of three parts was used; the
first part was on the socio-demographic, academic and about the work profile of
the participants. The attitude consisting of 26 questions was assessed on a
Likert scale of 7 points using attitude to patients safety questionnaire-III
items and the last part concerned training on "patient safety",
definition and factors that contribute to medical errors. Data of the
questionnaire were entered and analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS) version 15.RESULTS: The total number of
participants was 228 doctors who represent about 65% of the physicians at PHCC,
one-third of whom had attended a course on patient safety and only 52% of whom
defined medical error correctly. The best score was given for the reduction of
medical errors (6.2 points), followed by role of training and learning on
patient safety (6 and 5.9 points), but undergraduate training on patient safety
was given the least score. Confidence to report medical errors scored 4.6
points as did reporting the errors of other people and 5.6 points for being
open with the supervisor about an error made. Participants agreed that
"even the most experienced and competent doctors make errors" (5.9
points), on the other hand, they disagreed that most medical errors resulted
from nurses' carelessness (3.9 points) or doctors' carelessness (4
points).CONCLUSION: This study showed that PHCC physicians in Aseer region had
a positive attitude toward patient safety. Most of them need training on
patient safety. Undergraduate education on patient safety which was considered
a priority for making future doctors' work effective was inadequate.