Osteoporosis is a growing chronic health problem that could result in mortalities and poor living quality. This study aimed at assessing the awareness of adults in Riyadh about this disease and its associated factors as well as compare KAP levels of men and women. A cross sectional study including 505 participants was conducted in several malls of Riyadh city during March 2012, selected by stratified random sampling technique. Self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. 86% of the participants had heard of osteoporosis. Media was the main source for Participants' knowledge; the mean knowledge score was 56.6% of the maximum achievable score. There was significant differences in knowledge scores by educational level, employment, income and residence (P = 0.005), (P = 0.008) (P = 0.0122) and (P = 0.009), respectively. Participants had low frequencies of preventive practices, especially females who had a mean total score equivalent to 48.8% of the maximum score, while males' mean score was 54.7% (P = 0.000). Perceived susceptibility was higher among females (83 vs. 74%, P = 0.000), and thus had less perception of the barriers to preventive actions, than men (49.6 vs. 55.5%, P = 0.000). Self-efficacy and perceived benefits had the highest scores (95% of the maximum achievable scores). Considerable number of adult males and females are unaware about osteoporosis. Since there is deficiency in the knowledge, and poor application of the preventive actions. Therefore, Education programs are needed to improve awareness and motivating healthy behaviours.

BackgroundVitamin D deficiency is common in the Middle East and in Saudi Arabia, in particular. While several international recommendations on the management of vitamin D deficiency have been documented and practiced globally, these recommendations should be adapted to the conditions of the Middle Eastern region. To address this challenge, the Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis (PMCO) in King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, KSA, together with local experts and in cooperation with the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO), organized a panel that formulated unified recommendations in the diagnosis and treatment of vitamin D deficiency in the region.MethodsThe selection of local and international experts commenced during the 2nd International Vitamin D Symposium conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last January 20-–21, 2016. Reviews of the most recent literature were done, and face-to-face meetings were conducted for revisions and final recommendations.Results: Vitamin D sufficiency is defined as circulating serum 25(OH)D ≥50 nmol (≥20 ng/ml) for the general population and vitamin D adequacy as serum 25(OH)D >75 nmol/L l (>30 ng/ml) for the frail and osteoporotic elderly. Despite overwhelming prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, universal screening is not recommended. Recommendations for the general population, children, pregnant/lactating women, post-menopausal women, the elderly, and those with subsequent metabolic diseases were provided.ResultsVitamin D sufficiency is defined as circulating serum 25(OH)D ≥50 nmol (≥20 ng/ml) for the general population and vitamin D adequacy as serum 25(OH)D >75 nmol/L l (>30 ng/ml) for the frail and osteoporotic elderly. Despite overwhelming prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, universal screening is not recommended. Recommendations for the general population, children, pregnant/lactating women, post-menopausal women, the elderly, and those with subsequent metabolic diseases were provided.ConclusionVitamin D supplementation/correction is advised in all persons whose serum 25(OH)D falls below 50 nmol/l (20 ng/ml), and achieving a target of 75 nmol/l (30 ng/ml) is particularly suited for frail, osteoporotic, and older patients. Conducting well-designed clinical trials in the region that will address economic implications and investigations on the treatment persistence and compliance to vitamin D treatment in the region are encouraged.

The majority of the study cohort had heard about osteoporosis. Female respondents were more knowledgeable. Age was negatively correlated with the level of awareness. Awareness levels and the main sociodemographic determinants were significantly associated. The study recommended that health authorities and physicians should have better involvement in patient education efforts to improve and maintain the information provided on osteoporosis.

Background: Saudi Arabia embarked on transforming its primary health care system in 2016 to meet international standards, gain the people’s trust and respond to the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, as proposed in the Saudi Vision 2030. Aims: This review aims to highlight the progress, identify challenges and prospects for Saudi Arabia’s PHC reform process in order to make recommendations to facilitate strengthening of the PHC system. Methods: A review of previous studies and governmental reports was undertaken to extract, analyse, synthesize and report the findings. Results: The review has indicated that by mid-2019, the reform has contributed to an increase of 37.5% in the rate of PHC visits and 4.7% increase in patient satisfaction, enhanced coverage of rural communities (from 78% to 83%), and contributed to increasing the screening rate for prevalent chronic diseases. However, the country still faces gaps and challenges pertaining to human resources issues, cultural and lifestyle behaviour, geography, intersectoral collaboration and PHC infrastructure. Conclusion: PHC reform process in Saudi Arabia has demonstrated that positive change is achievable. This has been aided by building on previous accomplishments and the wealth of experience gained throughout the PHC journey in Saudi Arabia. However, despite improvement in the quality of services, continuous improvement is required to meet the rising expectations of the population.

Background:Vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with several diseases and injuries including diabetes, osteoporosis, fractures, and falls. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), current data on vitamin D status are lacking.Aims:To inform Saudi public health authorities on the current status of blood levels vitamin D deficiency, we analyzed data from the Saudi Health Interview Survey.Materials and Methods:The Saudi Health Interview Survey (SHIS) is a cross-sectional national multistage survey of individuals aged 15 years and above on sociodemographic characteristics, tobacco consumption, diet, physical activity, health care utilization, different health-related behaviors, and self-reported chronic conditions. A total of 10,735 participants completed a health questionnaire and were invited to the local health clinics for biomedical exams.Results:62.65% of female Saudis and 40.6% of male Saudis aged 15 years and above are deficient in vitamin D. Out of them, less than 1% males and less than 2% females consume vitamin D supplements. Women who have never married and obese individuals are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D, compared to men who were currently married and nonobese individuals. Those consuming vitamin D supplements are less likely to be deficient in vitamin D.Conclusions:Our study showed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Saudi men and women, and the results call for an increased awareness to ensure adequate levels of vitamin D for better health in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, our findings are certainly relevant for other countries in the Gulf region or countries with similar cultures, clothing, and religions.

Introduction:The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a single-chain ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus. As of March 25, 2021, the total number of positive cases and fatalities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) had reached 386,300 and 6624, respectively, with a case fatality rate of 1.71%. The KSA was among the leading nations to heed the advice of WHO officials and put strict precautionary and preventive measures in place to curb the early spread of COVID-19 before it was declared a global pandemic. Methodology: This was an uncontrolled before-after study following a mixed-method approach for data collection. National and regional data were extracted from the Health Electronic Surveillance Network (HESN), a centralized public health collection system for quantitative and statistical data. Quantitative and qualitative methods have been utilized in studying data derived from tech media. Results: The Saudi authorities utilized different technological tools to aid in managing and combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In the case of Al Madinah Al Mounawarah, after the implementation of several technologies, the most important being Tawakkalna, the number of active daily cases decreased by 61%. Conclusion:The use of the Tawakkalna application was proven to be a successful method in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the KSA. This vital and essential experience warrants the use of different digital technology that offers a personalized profile displaying the person's status (affected, vaccinated, or no history of infection). This application played and will continue to play a crucial and effective role in pandemic containment in Saudi Arabia.

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Hypothyroidism is one of the most common chronic endocrine conditions. However, as symptoms of hypothyroidism are non-specific, up to 60% of those with thyroid dysfunction are unaware of their condition. Left untreated, hypothyroidism may contribute to other chronic health conditions. In the Arabian Gulf States, hypothyroidism is thought to be common, but is underdiagnosed, and management approaches vary. An advisory board of leading Saudi endocrinologists and policy advisers was convened to discuss and formulate recommendations for the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism in Saudi Arabia based on their clinical expertise. The final document was shared with leading endocrinologists from the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and aconsensus report was generated and summerized in this article. While there is no consensus Digital Features To view digital features for this article go to