Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of polypharmacy in community-dwelling, older Kuwaiti patients, describe the number and types of drugs used, and identify risk factors associated with polypharmacy. Subjects and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey in which we interviewed 500 community-dwelling Kuwaiti adults over 65 years of age. The data collection occurred during a 4-month period from March to July 2017. Results: Fifty-two percent (n = 260) of the patients were males, with a mean age of 71.73 ± 5.32 years. The prevalence of polypharmacy (5–8 drugs) and excessive polypharmacy (>8 drugs) was 58.4% (n = 292) and 10.2% (n = 51), respectively. The risk factors associated with an increased number of medicines used were: female gender (p = 0.019), a lower level of education (p = 0.003), a high number of hospital admissions (p = 0.000), clinics visited by the patient (p =0.000), and number of comorbidities (p = 0.000). The most commonly used medications (82.6% of the study population) were blood glucose-lowering agents, excluding insulin. Other commonly used medications were antihypertensive drugs and lipid-modifying agents. Conclusion: A significant sector of the older Kuwaiti patient population has a high prevalence of polypharmacy and is thus exposed to its potential hazards. The current study highlights the need to revise the drug-dispensing policy among community-dwelling, older Kuwaiti people, as well as to initiate educational programs among healthcare practitioners concerning prescribing issues in older individuals.

No abstract

Objectives: To assess knowledge and attitude related to cervical cancer prevention, and screening among female students in the college of nursing in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey in which 250 female students were recruited to answer the questionnaire. Results: Mean age of the students was 20.91 ±4.28 years. Ninety percent (n = 227) of them have heard of cervical cancer, but only 25.72 % (n = 65) recognized infection with the human papilloma virus as a risk factor. Only 23.33% (n=58) of the students studied are aware of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination. Seventy-nine percent (n=198) of the students studied were aware of the Papanicolaou cervix smear (Pap smear), and 42% of them gave a positive response when asked about the test's necessity. When students with a history of marriage were compared to those without a history of marriage, they demonstrated a statistically significant increase in their intention to undergo cytological examination (61.5 % vs 38.5 %, p=0.036). Comparing students in years 3 and 4 of a bachelor's program to those in years 1 and 2 revealed that student in years 3 and 4 were more knowledgeable about the relationship between HPV infection and cancer cervix (23.7% Vs 16 %, p=0.003). Conclusion: Nursing students have a limited understanding of cervical cancer, HPV vaccination, and Pap smear screening as an early detection practice. Cervical cancer prevention and screening issues must be immediately integrated into nurses' existing teaching and training curricula.