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Knowledge and Patterns of Dietary Supplement Use among Students Attending King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT: Oral dietary supplements (DSs) include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, energy drinks, and herbal products. The use of DSs is increasing and their manufacturers promote their benefits. Studies have validated some of these benefits, but have also indicated that some DSs can have adverse effects, especially if used without the appropriate supervision. Little information on DS use among Saudis is available. This study assessed the use of dietary supplements among male and female university students with the goal of educating the community about DSs and the dangers associated with their misuse. Online and paper validated questionnaires were administered to King Abdulaziz University (KAU) students between September 2019 and January 2020. The responses were collected and analyzed statistically. Of the 954 KAU students who completed the survey, one-third used DSs (42.9% women vs 25.7% men). Of these, 51.7% believed that DSs are essential for health, 41.7% classified them as both food and drugs, 67.2% were aware that DSs could not replace a healthy diet, and 25.8% were aware of their potentially harmful effects. Multivitamins and minerals were the most used DSs. DS awareness among KAU students is limited. Additional health education is necessary to assist students in their selection of the most suitable DSs.

SUBMITTER: Alqrache A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8743916 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:IntroductionEpilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by repetitive seizures which could occur in different forms depending on the site of brain disturbance. It has both psychological as well as social effects resulting in stigmatization and isolation of epileptic patients. Even though medical students are considered a role model of well-educated communities, previous studies showed that students lack the satisfactory knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy, so it is important to evaluate the concept of epilepsy and to measure awareness and attitudes toward epileptic patients among medical students of King Abdulaziz University. The aim of this study is to determine knowledge, perception and attitudes toward epilepsy among medical students at King Abdulaziz University.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 455 medical students from Faculty of medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Western region) through a web-based survey in July 2018. The survey is composed of many sections (demographic variables, knowledge, attitudes and practices toward epilepsy). The survey was applied as a Google form and the data were analyzed by IBM-SPSS for Windows, version 21.0. The chi-square test of independence was used for data analysis.ResultsFour hundred thirty-six out of 455 students (98.5%) were aware about epilepsy. However, the level of knowledge varies depending on the educational level of these students, because 88.5% of the students responded that brain injury is the most common cause and 57.3% said it is a genetic disease, while 3.7% stated that it was due to evil spirit. As a treatment method, medication and God's help were chosen by 95.8% and 57.8%, respectively. Objection to marry an epileptic patient was the most common negative attitude toward epileptics among the participants. Nonetheless, the overall attitude was found to be positive.ConclusionKing Abdulaziz University medical students have had some misunderstandings regarding causes, manifestations and treatment of epilepsy which could affect their attitudes toward epileptic individuals. Educational programs which include more clinical exposure to such common diseases are required to improve students' impressions of these diseases.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Dietary supplements (DS) are nutraceuticals that improve overall health and well-being of an individual as well as reduce the risk of diseases. Evidence indicates a rising prevalence of these products worldwide especially among college students. Studies have reported an increasing use of supplements among Saudi students. However, the scope of those researches was limited to prevalence data. Hence, the aim of our study was to document the prevalence, opinions, attitudes, reasons for use and monthly cost attributed to dietary supplement use. METHODS:A 3-month cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate use of dietary supplement among health and non-health college students at a public-sector university in Dammam city, Saudi Arabia. It was conducted using Arabic version of the Dietary supplement questionnaire (DSQ-A). A total of 469 male students responded to the survey giving a response rate of 93.8%. The students were from ten colleges of the university. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 22. The study was approved by Institutional Review Board of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia (IRB-UGS-2018-05-074). RESULTS:The overall prevalence of dietary supplement use in the university was 29.42%. In health cluster colleges, it was reported at 35.91% while in non-health cluster college it was 23.69%. Maintaining general health and well-being was the most common reason for use. Prevalence of multivitamins and whey proteins was approximately 23%. Average monthly cost of supplement was SAR 278.92 (USD 74.39). Cost was positively correlated (??=?0.305) with satisfaction score. Students preferred brand products (16.4%). 41.4% students opined that DS may prevent chronic illness if used regularly and agreed that they are good for health. Majority of students (65%) recommended DS use only upon physician's recommendation. College clusters and study-year was associated (p-value<?0.01) with students' opinion. Students in health cluster colleges were more likely to recommend supplements (OR 3.715, p-value<?0.0001). CONCLUSION:Prevalence of dietary supplement use was lower than other local and international university students. Health cluster colleges had higher prevalence as compared to non-health cluster colleges. Multivitamins and whey protein were the most commonly used types of DS. Students preferred brand products, had positive opinions and attitudes towards dietary supplement. However, they recommended supplements use to others only upon a physician's recommendation.

Project description:BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is a well-known cause of cervical cancer. The prevalence of HPV, insufficient preventive services, inadequate treatment access, socioeconomic conditions, certain cultural causes and values and opinions regarding cervical cancer have been established as factors contributing to the occurrence of cervical cancer in various parts of the world.ObjectiveTo determine university students' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding HPV and its vaccine.Material and methodsThe present cross-sectional study included students enrolled at the University of Hail, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from January to May 2020 using a previously validated 26-item questionnaire.ResultsA total of 386 participants responded to the survey; the response rate was 80%. The majority of the respondents (63%) were male and 332 (86%) respondents were single among the overall study population. Most respondents were aged 21-25 years (75.6%), followed by 26-30 years (12.7%). In total, 130 (33.7%) respondents reported that they had heard of HPV before, while 174 (45.1%) reported that HPV infections are rare in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, 102 (26.4%) respondents thought that HPV causes genital warts, while almost 29.5% believed that HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease. Nearly 76.2% of the respondents did not believe that HPV infection can occur without symptoms. Moreover, 53.4% of the respondents stated that they did not know the health problems associated with HPV infection, while 148 (38.8%) stated that cervical cancer is a health problem associated with HPV infection. When asked about their understanding of the HPV vaccine, nearly 267 (62.2%) respondents believed that there is no vaccine for HPV, while 239 (61.9%) believed that the vaccine does not minimise the risk of cervical cancer. In addition, the respondents reported that they would be far more likely to get an HPV vaccine if recommended by their doctors [relative importance index (RII) = 0.745], followed by their friends (RII = 0.675).ConclusionThe present findings provide a clear understanding of university students' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes regarding HPV; this information can be used to raise awareness by developing an effective educational strategy. However, further research with a larger sample size is recommended; such efforts would also aid in the development of educational services for various age ranges.

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Knowledge and Patterns of Dietary Supplement Use among Students Attending King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

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