BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic's mandatory quarantine encouraged a sedentary lifestyle, which had detrimental effects on health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the health effects of the prolonged COVID-19 quarantine. MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire to assess the effects of physical activity and dietary patterns on weight gain and perceived stress. ResultsOf the 384 participants, the majority (58.6%) experienced stress, while 22.4% saw a dramatic decline in physical activity and only 19.8% performed regular physical activity. Although 64.1% of the participants reported eating healthily, 40.6% gained weight during the quarantine. Insufficient exercise (OR 1.966, 95% CI: 1.001-3.858) and consuming soft drinks frequently (OR 2.363, 95% CI: 1.137-4.910) were the two most important predictors of weight gain. The likelihood of developing psychological stress was increased by consuming more food (

BackgroundDepression and anxiety are among the most prevalent illnesses worldwide. Although depression affects many individuals throughout their lives, physicians are at a heightened risk of developing the disorder due to their high-stress levels and enormous responsibilities. The study aimed to examine the prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders among surgical doctors in Makkah city hospitals as well as the risk factors. MethodsAnalytical cross-sectional research was performed at all public hospitals in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia. The Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used as the screening tool. ResultsOf the 153 surgeons, 47.1% were Saudis, 81.7% were men, and 46.7% were residents. A personal history of anxiety or depression was apparent among 11.8% of the surgeons, while 4.6% had a family history of a mental disorder. Based on the HADS questionnaire responses, the prevalence rate of anxiety was 30.7%, and 27.5% of the surgeons had depression. Based on the univariate regression analysis, anxiety was significantly linked with being a participant in the Saudi Board program (p=0.010), working for more than nine hours (p=0.020), and having work-related stress (p=0.011 for moderate stress and p=0.001 for severe stress) as well as related to those who were rarely or never satisfied with their income (p=0.016 and p=0.047, respectively) and who was rarely satisfied with their career (p=0.019). Depression among surgeons was significantly linked with the age of 50 to 59 (p=0.023) as well as related to those who were usually satisfied with their career (p=0.022) and those with moderate work-related stress (p=0.016). ConclusionPsychological disorders such as depression and anxiety are prevalent among surgeons. They should be appropriately evaluated at regular intervals throughout life, especially during residency programs, to ensure physical and mental well-being, appropriate training exposure, and patient safety.

Background: Obesity significantly affects daily activities and contributes to countless diseases and comorbidities that can drastically alter an individual’s life. This study aims to measure the awareness of the indications and complications of sleeve gastrectomy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study was cross-sectional, and participants completed an online self-administered questionnaire on sleeve gastrectomy in Riyadh through Google Forms. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel 2013 and statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The total number of respondents assigned is 1,700. Among these individuals, women outnumbered males with a percentage of (67.4%) versus (23.6%). The majority of respondents held a bachelor’s degree (64.0%). The majority of participants are familiar with the complications associated with sleeve gastrectomy (43.9%). However, 33.1% of the participants are unaware of the complications related to sleeve gastrectomy surgery. As a result, the study has a favorable attitude among the target populations, as the majority are well aware of the surgery. Conclusion: According to our findings, the study population is moderately aware of the indications and complications. However, to ensure that our community has a significant level of knowledge about complications, we must raise social awareness about the indications and complications of sleeve gastrectomy. Keywords: Sleeve surgery, obesity, gastrectomy, complications, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Increasing vaccination rates and reducing the spread of influenza are both greatly improved by raising public knowledge about seasonal influenza. To promote acceptance and create awareness it is necessary to identify any potential barriers to vaccination. This study aimed to assess seasonal influenza awareness, knowledge, vaccination uptake, and barriers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted as an online survey of 355 medical and non-medical students of Umm Al-Qura University. Results: Out of the total 355 participants, 175(49.3%) were medical students and 180 (50.7) were non-medical students. There was an almost equal distribution of males (178 (50.1%) and females 177 (49.9%) in both groups. Most of the students 208 (58.6%) were aged 21-24 and most of them were single 346 (97.5%). Awareness of seasonal influenza was 172 (98.3%) among medical students and 157 (87.2%) among non-medical students. The mean knowledge score was 7.75 ± 2.9, with a statistical difference between the two groups (P < 0.001). Vaccination uptake was low in both groups 29 (16.6%) vs 46 (25.6%) in medical and non-medical respectively. The most prominent barriers to vaccination were the negative perceptions of the vaccine’s efficacy (53%) followed by accessibility (20%) and vaccine safety concerns (17%). More than one-third (37.7%) of the medical students and (8.9%) of non-medical students had good knowledge levels of seasonal influenza. Surprisingly, 145 (40.8%) had a poor knowledge level of seasonal influenza with a significant difference between the medical and non-medical groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Despite the high level of awareness, the knowledge level and vaccine uptake were unsatisfactory. Negative perceptions of the vaccine’s efficacy, and accessibility were the most significant barriers to vaccination. Campaigns and health education programmes should be considered to encourage others to get vaccinated to reduce the burden of seasonal influenza. Keywords: Awareness, seasonal influenza, vaccine uptake, knowledge