Background and Objectives:Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major depressive episode that occurs four weeks after delivery. Its risk increases during the first ninety days after delivery and continues for almost two years. The aim of present study is to assess the prevalence of PPD and the associated risk factors in the Eastern Province capital of Saudi Arabia.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in the five largest Primary Healthcare Centers of Dammam. Four hundred and fifty mothers – visiting the health centers for immunizing their children at age two to six months – were selected by proportionate allocation to the population served by each health center. The mothers were screened for PPD using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and interviewed for the associated risk factors.Results:It was found that 17.8% of the women had PPD. Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of PPD was a family history of depression, followed by non-supportive husband, lifetime history of depression, unwanted pregnancy, and stressful life events. It was recommended to screen all high-risk mothers for PPD, while visiting the Primary Care Well-Baby Clinics.

Background:Smoking is the most important avoidable cause of premature morbidity and mortality in the world. The estimated annual death rate of 4.9 million people in 1999 is expected to rise to 10 million by the 2020s and 2030s, 7 million of which will occur in developing countries.Aim:The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of smoking and assess its pattern among non-medical female college students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted of 1020 female students selected from the literature and science colleges by multi-stage stratified random sampling technique with proportional allocation. Data were collected using a self-administered modified WHO Global Youth Tobacco Survey questionnaire.Results:Results revealed that occurrence of smoking among female college students was 8.6%. It was significantly higher among literature college students (12.1%) than among Science College students (3.4%). The mean age at which smoking started was 16 ± 2.4 years, with a minimum of 11 years. More than half of the students who smoked were cigarette smokers, while 43.2% were shisha smokers. There was a strong relationship between parents who smoked and daughters who smoked. The main motive for smoking was curiosity (44.3%), followed by relief of tension (26.1%).Conclusions:It may be concluded that smoking is increasing among female college students in Saudi Arabia. Accordingly, it is recommended that a preventive comprehensive health education program on smoking be initiated for females in middle schools, that stricter tobacco control measures be adopted by the government, and that anti-smoking clinics be established in colleges.

Context:The prevalence of bronchial asthma (BA) is increasing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Primary health care (PHC) centers follow the national protocol, which is based on the severity of the disease for the management of asthma. The Saudi initiative for asthma (SINA) management adopted from the global initiative for asthma guidelines, which was recommended by several recent studies, is based on the control level of asthma.Aims:To assess the knowledge of PHC physicians and family medicine (FM) residents in Al-Khobar, about the management of BA.Methodology:A cross-sectional study was conducted in all PHC centers and the university FM clinic in Al-Khobar. All PHC physicians and 3rd and 4th year FM residents were included in the study. A self-administered questionnaire developed according to SINA guidelines was used to assess theoretical knowledge of BA, and a predesigned checklist was used to assess the different inhaler techniques. Scoring was established and collected data were analyzed.Results:Only 8% of the sample had good theoretical knowledge of BA; 41% had poor knowledge. The knowledge of the residents was better than that of the PHC physicians. The mean knowledge score was significantly better among those using guidelines compared to the rest. About 23% had good knowledge of inhaler techniques. Knowledge of PHC physicians and FM residents about dry powder inhalers was deficient, and PHC physicians had little knowledge of metered dose inhalers with spacers.Conclusion:The knowledge of physicians about the management of BA was deficient. The national guidelines based on the level of control for asthma management should be updated and physicians given periodic training.

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Background: Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. It is estimated that 5-10% of the population at any given time is suffering from identifiable depression needing psychiatric or psychosocial intervention.

Background: Breast cancer has been the most common cancer among the Saudi female subjects for the last decades.Objective: To screen primary health-care (PHC) attendees for the risk factors of breast cancer in Eastern Saudi Arabia and assess their practice for the early detection of the disease. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in the PHC centers of Al-Khobar city. Women attending the PHC centers aged 25 years and older were included in the study. Six hundred PHC attendees were selected from five health centers by proportionate allocation to the average population served by each health center. Data were collected by an interview questionnaire, which was composed of three sections: sociodemographic information, risk factors among PHC attendees, and practice for the early detection of breast cancer. The cancer risk was calculated by a cancer risk calculator and classified into low, moderate, and high risk.Result: About 7% of the study sample showed a moderate to high risk of developing breast cancer. The most common risk factor of breast cancer among the PHC attendees was the use of contraceptive pills (51.2%), followed by obesity (42.8%), breastfeeding for a period less than 12 months (24.3%), age of puberty less than 12 years (18.7%), history of breast cancer in the second degree relatives (9.5%), menopause (9.3%), and the use of hormonal replacement therapy (8%). Among the avoidable risk factors, obesity was significantly more common among the less-educated women, while breastfeeding for less than 12 months was more common among the highly-educated women. Moreover, the most common practiced measure for the early detection of breast cancer was breast self-examination (44.6%), followed by mammogram (16.3%) and, last, clinical examination (11.6%). Conclusion:A substantially large proportion of female PHC attendees showed the avoidable risk factors of breast cancer. Moreover, more than half of the population was not involved in screening for the early detection of the disease. This situation demands the attention of medical and public health workers.

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