College is a critical time where students are more prone to engage in risky health behaviors known to negatively affect well-being, such as physical inactivity, stress, and poor dietary habits. A health promoting lifestyle is an important determinant of health status and is recognized as a major factor for the maintenance and improvement of health. This study was designed to assess the health-promoting lifestyle of students in health colleges and non-health colleges in Saudi Arabia. A total of 1656 students participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Data gathering was conducted from November 2016 to February 2017 at King Saud University. Participating students completed a self-reported questionnaire that included questions regarding their demographic characteristics and their health-promoting behaviors. The majority of participants were females (70.4%), 20% of the participants were overweight and 11.3%, were obese. The analysis showed that there was a significant difference between health colleges and non-health colleges with regards to the factor of health responsibility. Students at both schools were found to have an inadequate level of adherence to recommendations regarding physical activity and healthy eating habits. The analysis also found that majority of the students in both colleges do not attend educational programs on health care. The model shows that gender, type of college, year in school, and family structure were significant predictors of the health lifestyle of students in Saudi Arabia. The results of the current study indicate that university students are leading unhealthy lives, where the majority of them have unhealthy eating habits and poor physical activity level. Universities are ideal settings for implementing health promotion programs. Therefore, planning and implementing programs to motivate students to be more responsible for their own health, to engage more in physical activity, and to practice healthy eating habits and other forms of wellness are of paramount importance.

The aim of this study was to assess inadequate glycaemic control and its associated factors among people with type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study design was used. Adults with type 2 diabetes attending diabetes centres in Riyadh, Hofuf and Jeddah cities were interviewed and their anthropometrics were measured. Their medical records were also reviewed to collect information related to recent lab tests, medications, and documented comorbidities. Multivariable logistic regression were used for data analysis. A total of 1111 participants were recruited in the study. Mean age was 57.6 (±11.1) years, 65.2% of the participants were females, and mean HbA1c was 8.5 ± 1.9%. About three-fourths of participants had inadequate glycaemic control (≥ 7%). Multivariable analysis showed that age ≤ 60 years, longer duration of diabetes, living in a remote location, low household income, low intake of fruits and vegetable, low level of physical activity, lack of knowledge about haemoglobin A1c, high waist-hip ratio, low adherence to medication, and using injectable medications were independent risk factors for inadequate glycaemic control. Inadequate glycaemic control is prevalent among people with type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia. In order to improve glycaemic control diabetes management plan should aim at controlling the modifiable risk factors which include low intake of fruits and vegetable, low level of physical activity, lack of knowledge about haemoglobin A1c, high waist-hip ratio, and low adherence to medications.

Background: As the COVID-19 Delta variant has spread across the globe, healthcare workers’ (HCWs) knowledge, worries, and vaccine booster acceptance should be assessed. Methods: Online questionnaires aimed at HCWs in Saudi Arabia were distributed between 9 and 12 August 2021, aiming to evaluate HCWs’ perceptions and worries about the Delta variant as well as their feelings about receiving a booster-vaccine. Results: A total of 1279 HCWs participated, with 51.1% being physicians and 41.7% nurses. 92.5% were aware of the emergence of the Delta variant. Still, only 28.7% were found to have sufficient knowledge of the variant, and their level of worry about it was higher than their level of worry about the Alpha variant (2.32/5 versus 1.79/5). The main information sources cited by the participants were social media (50.5%), while 30.5% used scientific journals. Overall, 55.3% were willing to receive a vaccine booster, while one third would have preferred to receive a new mRNA vaccine specifically developed for the Delta variant. Factors associated with vaccine booster acceptance were receiving both vaccination doses (p = 0.008), believing that the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine is effective against variants (p < 0.001), and agreement that mixing/matching vaccines is effective against variants (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A high percentage of HCWs were aware of the Delta variant, but only a small fraction had decent quality of knowledge about it. The participants exhibited high worry levels and showed a modest acceptance of receiving a vaccine booster dose. These results should encourage public health officials to scale up educational efforts to disseminate reliable information about the different variants and provide recommendations about receiving a vaccine booster. Further research on methods to alleviate HCWs’ worries about emerging variants is warranted.

Studies from Saudi Arabia have reported a continued increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and their associated risk factors. The objective of this study was to measure the gender differences in the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk based on Framingham risk scores (FRS) and to explore the association of FRS with sedentary life style including physical inactivity, sitting time and central obesity among Saudi adults. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 2997 Saudi adults (males = 968, females = 2029) selected from 18 primary health care centres in Riyadh city, from December 2014 to August 2015. A detailed interview that evaluated lifestyle and past medical history was conducted; furthermore, anthropometric measurements and blood samples were collected for lipid profiling. The FRS were calculated based on the age, gender, systolic blood pressure, treatment for hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, total blood cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein levels. These scores were categorized into low risk (FRS < 10) and high/intermediate risk (≥10). A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. The mean (±SD) age of the males and females was 43.1(±11.7) vs 43.8(±10.9) years (p = 0.07), respectively. The number of Saudi male participants with intermediate-to-high FRS scores (≥10) was almost twice that of females (males 33% vs 17%). The multivariable logistic regression model after adjusting for education level and housing type, found that low physical activity (aOR & 95%CI for males 2.91 (1.45, 5.80); females 1.38 (1.06, 1.81); prolonged sitting time (aOR &95%CI for males 1.36 (0.98, 1.90) females 1.58 (1.20, 2.07), high central obesity (defined as waist circumference in males > 102 cms, and females > 88 cms) (aOR & 95%CI for males 2.38 (1.67, 3.41); females 3.35 (1.92, 5.87) were associated with high/ intermediate risk for CVD. A significant percentage of Saudi population revealed FRS ≥10. Females beyond the age of 50 were found to have a higher prevalence for CVD risk compared with males of the same age group. Modifiable risk factors like low physical activity, prolonged sitting time and central obesity have strong implications for primary prevention and management services that can change the risk profile of the Saudi population.

Background: Cancer patients under psychological distress have reduced compliance with treatment and prolonged hospitalizations. Identifying cancer patients who may be more likely to suffer from psychological distress over the disease trajectory is essential to targeting the proper interventions and providing the best care. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we aim to assess the levels of emotional and physical distress, depressive symptoms, and social concerns of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A total of 148 cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy from five different public tertiary-level hospitals in Saudi Arabia participated in this study. The survey was conducted by a trained researcher from November 2015 through April 2016. The Psycho-Oncology Screening Tool was used to identify levels of distress of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Emotional and physical distress, depressive symptoms, and social concerns in receiving psychosocial services were assessed. Results: The findings show above average levels of physical and emotional distress was (342.07±78.9) and social concerns was (7.27±1.68). Age was a significant predictor of psychological distress and in social concerns (P<0.05). Marital status and employment status emerged as significant predictors of depressive symptoms and social concerns (<0.05), (P<0.001), respectively. The patients’ type of cancer was significantly associated with the level of physical distress, emotional distress, and depressive symptoms (P<0.05). Conclusion: Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy displayed above-average levels of distress. This may have significant implications on their adherence for treatment and patient outcomes. Routine screening and support services or psychosocial care for patients are warranted among cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.