Objective: The objectives of this study are to identify the prevalence and the factors behind overweight and obesity among the healthcare profession’s students. Methods: A well-structured and validated questionnaire was distributed to a heterogeneous purposive sample of the healthcare profession’s students in Saudi Arabia. Results: About 21.0% and 15.5% were overweight and obese, respectively. The average knowledge score was 70.6% and increased with age and among obese participants. The average attitude score was 74.8% with no variation within age, body mass index (BMI), and gender. The average practice score was only 36.7%. There was a significant variation of the practice within the different age groups (P = 0.021). There was a significant association between the participant’s knowledge and attitude, and practice. Conclusion: The average practice score was poor. Despite their good knowledge and positive attitude, the students are exposed to heavy junk food marketing, which encourages overconsumption by instilling positive emotional associations with the junk food. They are mostly physically inactive, anxious and sleep deprived, which can lead to poor eating habits. For this group, various strategies and motivators will likely be needed.

A high body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for coronavirus infection in hospitalized patients. Our study examined the association between BMI and complications and the survival rate among COVID-19 patients. This retrospective analysis used data from a tertiary hospital in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia during two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 600 participants, with the majority being between 41 and 60 years old (41.3%) and men comprising 63.5% of the sample. Approximately 42.5% of patients were obese, and 31.3% were overweight. The results showed that BMI was significantly linked to respiratory diseases (p = 0.013); end-stage renal disease (p = 0.021); and cardiovascular disease (p = 0.003) but not diabetes mellitus (p = 0.064). Death occurred in 10.8% of patients; 33.8% were admitted to the ICU; 13.8% needed mechanical ventilation; and 60.7% had lung infiltration. Obese patients with oxygen saturation levels below 93% were 2.45 times more likely to require mechanical ventilation than those in the normal-weight group. Overweight and obese patients were also more likely to require mechanical ventilation than normal-weight patients, with odds ratios of 3.66 and 2.81, respectively. The BMI categorized was not associated with survival rate in COVID-19-hospitalized patients using Kaplan-Meier survival plots (p = 0.061). However, the BMI categorized was associated with survival rate in COVID-19 ICU patients (p < 0.001). In addition, the overweight showed a statistically significant higher hazard ratio of 2.22 (p = 0.01) compared to normal-weight patients using a Cox regression model. A high BMI was identified as an independent risk factor for reduced oxygen saturation (<93%), the need for mechanical ventilation, lung infiltration, mortality, and longer ICU stays in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose: Broad evidence points out that women workers in Saudi Arabia face a range of inequitable work practices despite continued efforts for gender equality. The study aims to assess the satisfaction of Saudi women working in the health sector among certain factors in the work environment, factors that enable them to gain opportunities and benefits and make decisions. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which involved the use of closed-ended surveys on 261 Saudi women working in the healthcare sector. Results: Most of the females were aged between 25 and 34 years (59%) and more than half of them worked in the governmental sector (53%). Fifty-eight percent of the females hold clinical jobs, 25% of the administrative jobs were 37% of them have more than 19 years of working experience. The finding showed a significant association between female workers in health sector satisfaction with factors related to the workplace environment, training, and development, and their involvement in decision-making. Conclusion: Most women felt empowered when they received equitable tasks and were able to reach managerial-level positions in their organizations. Establishing a positive work environment characterized by opportunities has the potential to enhance women workers’ satisfaction.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. A multi-omics approach has contributed in identifying various cancer-specific mutations, epigenetic alterations, and cells response to chemotherapy. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with colorectal cancer survival and develop and validate a polygenic survival scoring system (PSS) using a multi-omics approach. Patients and Methods: Data were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Colon Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-COAD) data were used to develop a survival prediction model and PSS, whereas rectal adenocarcinoma (TCGA-READ) data were used to validate the PSS. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between the demographic characteristics, clinical variables, and mRNA gene expression. Results: Overall accuracy of PSS was also evaluated. The median overall survival for TCGA-COAD patients was 7 years and for TCGA-READ patients was 5 years. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model identified age, cancer stage, and expression of nine genes as predictors of colon cancer survival. Based on the median PSS of 0.38, 48% of TCGA-COAD patients had high mortality risk. Patients in the low risk group had significantly higher 5-year survival rates than those in the high group (p < 0.0001). The PSS demonstrated a high overall accuracy in predicting colorectal cancer survival. Conclusion: This study integrated clinical and transcriptome data to identify survival predictors in patients with colorectal cancer. PSS is an accurate and valid measure for estimating colorectal cancer survival. Thus, it can serve as an important tool for future colorectal cancer research.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact globally, and understanding the relationship between inflammatory markers and disease progression is crucial for effective management. This retrospective study aimed to examine the association between various inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer, ferritin, and procalcitonin (PCT), and the characteristics of disease progression and outcomes in individuals affected by COVID-19. Methods: This study collected raw data from 470 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR. Results: The logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated LDH levels were associated with male gender, ICU admission, low oxygen saturation (O₂ < 93%), the need for mechanical ventilation, death, and the presence of lung infiltrates. Higher D-dimer levels were associated with older age, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, and low oxygen saturation. Ferritin levels were significantly associated with older age, ICU admission, low oxygen saturation, mechanical ventilation, and lung infiltrates. In contrast, CRP was only significant regarding lung infiltrates and procalcitonin levels were not significantly associated with any of the examined factors. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of monitoring key inflammatory markers, such as LDH, D-dimer, and ferritin, as they are significantly associated with the severity of COVID-19 illness. These findings can inform clinical decision-making and guide the development of targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes.