Background:The popularity of e-cigarettes is increasing rapidly worldwide and advertisements for such products are becoming ubiquitous in the media. Health concerns and smoking cessation are the most commonly reported reasons for traditional tobacco smokers to shift to e-cigarettes. As a result, the global market for e-cigarettes is on the rise. However, they are still a potential cause for many diseases.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study carried out at Qassim University in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia. A prevalidated questionnaire was distributed to medical students in April 2018 to evaluate the experience, knowledge, and awareness of e-cigarettes among the participants.Results:About one in ten students confirmed having smoked an e-cigarette. There was no significant relationship between e-cigarette users and demographic factors, such as gender, academic level, or age. However, the study showed a significant association between e-cigarette smoking and having an e-cigarette smoker among family members or friends. Most students 71.9% were not sure whether e-cigarettes were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for smoking cessation. Only 23.3% of those surveyed believed that e-cigarettes can help in smoking cessation, whereas only 11% said that they would recommend it for a patient. On the contrary, 49.6% agreed that e-cigarettes are addictive. In response to another question, 92% reported receiving no education in medical school about e-cigarettes.Conclusion:Our study showed that medical students lacked knowledge about e-cigarettes. Therefore, more studies are needed to raise awareness about e-cigarettes, especially since the habit of using e-cigarettes is invading our society.

Although most of the participating physicians were keen to help their patients, they lacked the essential knowledge and skills for breaking bad news. Thus, they are in need of specific training in this regard.

Abstract:Objectives: To identify the prevailing myths and misconception about vitiligo among the school students in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Methods:We conducted a cross sectional study in 18 schools of Qassim Regions in Saudi Arabia, Data was collected by 486 pre-tested, self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires included a section on social-demographic information (age, sex, education of parents) besides prevailing myths on vitiligo. Data was analyzed by using SPSS (version 17 for Windows). Results:The response rate: Males 46.3%, and females 53.3%. With vitiligo disease: 24.1% and non-diseased 75.9%, with positive family history: Males 9.3%, female 13.8%. Myths among students compared with gender: Vitiligo with; Fish/milk food (P= 0.374), calcium deficiency (P= 0.001), iron deficiency (P= <0.001),Vit C deficiency (P= 0.225), infectious (P= <0.001), Chicken pox like disease (P= <0.001), precancerous (P= 0.212) and not curable (P= <0.001). Myths among students compared with diseased/not diseased, namely that relation of vitiligo with: Fish/milk food (P= 0.006), calcium deficiency (P= <0.001), iron deficiency (P= 0.022), Vit C deficiency (P= <0.001), infectious (P= 0.228), Chicken pox like disease (P= <0.001), precancerous (P= 0.051) and not curable (P= 0.231). Conclusion:The prevailing myths and conceptions delay seeking medical advice and should be addressed by focused health education programs through school health services.

Although the degree of students' satisfaction with the different learning activities varied, students felt that having a variety of learning and teaching experiences was more appropriate.

Modern day chronic diseases such as diabetes are related with the lifestyle, especially unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. This study aims to determine the level of compliance of diabetic patients with their doctors' advice about diet and physical activity, comparing ambulatory patients with those who were recently hospitalized. We developed a combined database of the two studies. Both studies were cross-sectional studies using systematic random sampling comprising patients of T2DM, and including the following variables: health facility used by the patient; age; gender; marital status; education; whether the patient received health education in the past; patient's weight and height and presence of other diseases; family history of diabetes; current smoking; dietary habits; and exercise. We used the SPSS data reduction method factor analysis to summarize the data on these two dimensions (diet and exercise) into a single summary variable each. The total number of diabetic patients included in this study was 442. Prevalence of smoking was 7.2% (6.3% among PHC patients and 9.4% among hospital patients; p=0.16). A little more than one third of the PHC patients and nearly three fourth of hospital patients had hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD) or both (p<0.001). Similarly, a significantly greater proportion of the hospital patients had a family history of diabetes (p<0.001). Obesity was significantly higher among the PHC patients (p=0.011). The prevalence of unhealthy diet was significantly higher among hospital patients (p<0.001). Percentage of patients having unhealthy diet was significantly higher in among hospital patients in both sexes (p < 0.05), and in the 40-59 age-group; having secondary and higher level education, the prevalence of unhealthy diet was several times higher among hospital patients (p < 0.001); same was true among married patients, where the percentage of unhealthy diet was almost twice among hospital patients (p < 0.001). Finally, the prevalence of unhealthy diet was significantly higher among non-obese hospital patients than the non-obese PHC patients (p = 0.001). The prevalence of physical inactivity among male hospital patients was significantly higher than the male PHC patients (p=0.028). In the age 60 years and above, physical inactivity was significantly higher among hospital patients (p < 0.001). Similarly, among patients having less than secondary school education, physical inactivity was significantly higher among hospital patients (p = 0.002). Prevalence of unhealthy diet is significantly higher among hospital patients. We conclude that health care providers in Saudi Arabia should put greater emphasis on health education about diet and exercise. with T2DM.