Background: Health officials need current knowledge of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and related risk factors to prioritize prevention and control measures due to lifestyle changes, population structure, and the high incidence of diabetes in Saudi Arabia. The present systematic review aims to estimate the current pooled prevalence of T2DM and related risk factors among the general adult population in Saudi Arabia between 2016 and 2022. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for cross-sectional studies that reported T2DM among adults in Saudi Arabia and were published between December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2022. The PRISMA guidelines and the AXIS tool were employed to report and evaluate study quality and bias risk. Results: The meta-analysis with a fixed effect model included 10 studies comprising 8457 general men and women adults aged 18 or older. The prevalence of T2DM was 28% (95% CI = 27–28, P < .001), and risks of T2DM in persons over 40 were nearly twice as high (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.34–2.27) than in age under 40 among general adult population in Saudi Arabia between 2016–2022. This difference was statistically significant (P < .0001). Conclusion: The evidence from this review provided alarming and highlighted points about the prevalence of T2DM between 2016 and 2022, but there was high heterogeneity between the studies. Individuals aged 40 or older had a high risk of T2DM among the general adult population in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: The integration of technology into medical education has witnessed significant growth in recent years, with tools such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and telemedicine gaining prominence. These tool in medical education, offering immersive, experiential learning experiences. Methods: We approached medical students currently enrolled in medical education programs and who are familiar with and actively use AI in medical education. Initially, we invited 21 random students to participate in the study; however, only 13 agreed to interviews. Some students cited their busy exam schedules as the reason for not participating. The participants were informed of the objective of the study before the commencement of the recorded interviews. Semi-structured interviews were used to guide the record interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using Atlas.ti, a qualitative data analysis software. Results: Participants exhibited a diverse range of perceptions and levels of awareness regarding VR, AI, and telemedicine technologies. Learning with virtual reality was considered to be fun, memorable, inclusive, and engaging by participants. The use of virtual reality technology is seen as complementing current teaching and learning approaches, helping to build learners’ confidence, as well as providing medical students with a safe environment for problem-solving and trial-and-error learning. The students reported that AI was seen as a potential game-changer in the healthcare sector. Participants hoped that telemedicine would provide healthcare services to remote and underserved populations. Conclusion: The study conducted focus group discussions with medical students and residents in Saudi Arabia to explore their views on integrating VR, AI, and telemedicine in medical education and practice. Their insights highlight the need for informed decision-making and strategic development to optimize the benefits and address challenges like initial investments, technical issues, ethics, and regulations. These considerations are crucial for fully realizing the potential benefits of technology in medical education globally.

Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior pose significant health concerns, particularly among young adults like college students. However, little research exists on the attitudes towards physical activity among Saudi Arabian healthcare students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of physical activity and determine the reason for being physically inactive among students and interns across all programs in the College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS) at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between March and May 2023. CAMS students aged 18 and above, fluent in Arabic or English, and willing to participate were included. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to measure physical activity. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Out of 433 respondents, 377 met the inclusion criteria (response rate: 89.3%). Physical activity prevalence was 54.60%, with walking being the most common activity (42.70%). Lack of time was the primary reason for inactivity (51.40%). On average, students engaged in 1.5 hours/day of vigorous-intensity activities and 1.3 hours/day of vigorous-intensity sports and fitness activities at work. Sedentary behavior, characterized by continuous sitting, averaged 5.37 hours per day. Approximately half of CAMS students are physically active, while 20% rely solely on short walks due to time constraints, limited activity hours, or sedentary habits. A lack of time was cited as the primary reason for inactivity by most students. Future research should focus on strategies to enhance physical activity among healthcare students. In addition, academicians and policymakers should propose time-efficient initiatives that accommodate the demanding and busy schedules of healthcare students.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) technologies are increasingly applied in neurorehabilitation, but most research has focused on their therapeutic applications rather than assessment potential. Objective: The aim of this scoping review was to map the evidence on VR-based assessment tools in neurorehabilitation, including types of tools, targeted neurological conditions, technological specifications, and research gaps. Methods: A scoping review was conducted and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251113260). Searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), IEEE Xplore, and grey literature were performed from inception to July 2025. Eligible studies involved VR for assessment purposes in neurological populations and reported validity, reliability, usability, or assessment performance. Data were charted and synthesised thematically. Results: Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most adapted established assessments such as the Box and Block Test, Action Research Arm Test, or Virtual Peg Insertion Test into VR formats. Populations included stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and movement disorders. VR systems ranged from custom-built motion-tracking platforms to commercial head-mounted displays with controllers or optical hand-tracking. Convergent validity ranged from moderate to excellent ( r = 0.65–0.99), with optical tracking and mixed reality systems ( r > 0.90) generally outperforming controller-based approaches (r ≈ 0.65). Usability was often rated highly but varied across conditions and modalities, with some studies reporting higher usability ratings for physical tasks compared to VR. Key gaps included limited normative datasets, heterogeneous hardware/software, and minimal longitudinal evaluations. Conclusions: VR-based assessments in neurorehabilitation remain a developing field. Preliminary evidence suggests good validity, usability, and feasibility, with potential to provide richer performance data that augment conventional assessment. However, large-scale, standardised, and condition-specific studies are required before widespread clinical implementation.

Diabetic foot is one of the complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Adequate knowledge and practice are an important aspect to control further deteriorating conditions such as ulcers and amputations. Thus, the objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the impact of the education levels of diabetic patients on diabetic foot care knowledge and practice. This cross-sectional study with a convenient sampling technique was conducted on 534 patients with diabetes mellitus from public and private care hospitals. The data was collected using a validated, pretested and structured bilingual (Arabic, English) questionnaire. There were 534 patients interviewed, 39.1% of whom were males and 60.9% of whom were females and 61.4% of the patients had had T2DM for over 10 years. There was a significant difference in education levels between the male and female patients (53.8% and 46.2%, P = .001). Furthermore, 83.9% patients were married. The difference in education between the married and the single, divorced, and widowed patients was significant (P = .007). Patients with uncontrolled HbA1c were 2.43 times more likely to have hypertension (RR = 2.43, P = .03), while patients with highly uncontrolled diabetes had 3.1 times more chances of hypertension (RR = 3.1, P = .009). Heart disease prevalence was 3.27 times higher in diabetes patients with uncontrolled HbA1c and 3.37 times higher in patients with highly uncontrolled HbA1c. Patients with diabetes who have been diabetic for more than 10 years have a greater risk of heart disease (RR = 2.1; P = .03). Patients with lower education levels exhibited more diabetic complications compared to patients with higher education levels (P < .05). The present study highlights the importance of education and awareness campaigns targeting diabetic patients, especially those with lower education levels, to improve diabetes control and prevent, or manage, comorbidities. Healthcare providers should also prioritize patient education and medication adherence to improve diabetes management and reduce the risk of complications.

Background: Walking ability, which has been connected to better health and independence, is one of the daily activities that is negatively impacted by Down syndrome. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the walking capacity and its association with the quality of life of children who have Down syndrome compared to those who do not have Down syndrome in Saudi Arabia. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we recruited 68 Arabic-speaking children aged 6 to 12 using a convenience sampling method from August to November 2021. Children were divided into two groups: those who do not have Down syndrome (n = 38) and those who have Down syndrome (n = 30). Children in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia who do not have Down syndrome were chosen randomly from two schools. Children who have Down syndrome were selected from multiple associations and centers in the same region. A 6-minute walk test was used to measure the child’s walking capacity. The Arabic version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory scale was used to assess the child’s or parent’s perceptions of the child’s quality of life and its physical, emotional, social, and school functioning domains. Results: The difference in the mean 6-minute walk test scores between children who have and who do not have Down syndrome was statistically significant, with a mean difference = 105.6, 95% confidence limit = 57.2—154.0, p < .0001. The linear regression analysis after adjusting for age, height, weight, and body mass index revealed that walking capacity was found to be significantly associated with the worst score on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory scale (β = −2.71, SE = 0.49, p < .0001) and its domains of physical, social, and school functioning (β = −2.29, SE = 0.54, p < .0001; β = −2.40, SE = 0.58; p = .001; β = −3.71, SE = 0.56, p = .002, respectively) in children who have Down syndrome, but they had better emotional functioning than children who do not have Down syndrome. Conclusions: Children who have Down syndrome were less able to walk and were highly associated with the worst possible quality of life, which included the lowest levels of physical, social, and school functioning. Early interventions with techniques must be developed to improve the quality of life for these children.