Poor adherence to levothyroxine is a potential risk factor for treatment failure that ultimately leads to increased healthcare costs and serious health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between illness perception and medication adherence among primary hypothyroidism patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among primary hypothyroidism patients who met the inclusion criteria in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia using a questionnaire with demographic characteristics, clinical factors, the 12-Item Medication Adherence Scale, and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). We included 400 patients in the analysis. Results: We found a significant positive correlation between BIPQ subscalespersonal control, treatment control, and understandingwith all domains of the 12-Item Medication Adherence Scale. The other dimensions of BIPQ subscales did not significantly correlate with medication adherence. However, a high BIPQ overall score was significantly correlated with poor medication adherence. Conclusion: This study found a significant correlation between a high BIPQ overall score and poor medication adherence. This finding suggests the need to consider the emotional and cognitive representation of hypothyroidism in hypothyroid patients to improve their treatment adherence.
Purpose To evaluate the association between dry eye disease (DED) symptoms and daily beverage intake among adults in Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods In this cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study, we distributed an online questionnaire to men and women older than 18 years living in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of items related to the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and two validated indices: the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the brief 15-item Beverage Intake Questionnaire (BEVQ-15). Participants were excluded if they were aged less than 18 years; wore contact lenses; had existing eye disease (excluding refractive errors), history of eye surgery (including corrective eye surgeries), or autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren’s syndrome); or were currently taking specific medications including antidepressants, antihistamines, and diuretics. Results After applying the study exclusion criteria, a total of 615 participants were included in the statistical analysis. The majority of participants were 18–34 years old (450, 73.2%), and men (381, 62%) exceeded women (234, 38%) by approximately 1.5-fold. OSDI scores showed that 344 participants (55.9%) had DED symptoms, 145 (23.6%) had mild dry eyes; and 106 (17.2%) and 93 (15.1%) had moderate and severe dry eyes, respectively. There was a significant association between sex and DED symptoms (p = 0.012); the frequency of DED symptoms in women exceeded that in men. However, no significant differences were observed with other demographic data such as age and location of residence. Although beverage intake was moderately correlated to OSDI score (R = 0.27), we found no significant association between beverage intake and DED symptoms. Conclusion This is the first study to highlight the association between DED symptoms and daily beverage intake. We found a significant association between DED symptoms and female sex. However, no significant association was found between DED symptoms and other demographic characteristics or beverage intake.
IntroductionKeratoconus is a bilateral non-inflammatory ectasia, characterized by well-described histopathological changes such as stromal thinning, epithelial iron deposition, and breaks in Bowman's layer. The success of clinical intervention among patients with keratoconus is widely determined by randomized clinical trials, and despite associated difficulties, such trials may improve vision and quality of life. AimThis study aimed to assess the willingness of patients with keratoconus in Saudi Arabia to undergo clinical trials. We further aimed to identify patients' beliefs and attitudes towards clinical trials and to establish possible barriers to trial recruitment, potentially improving the quality of future clinical trials and research. Materials and methodsThis was a quantitative analytical cross-sectional study conducted between October 2020 and March 2021 among patients with keratoconus in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the targeted patients. The questionnaire identified the socio-demographic characteristics of the patients and included questions on willingness, motivation, potential barriers, and helpful resources. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp, Armonk, USA). ResultsA total of 462 patients were recruited. The most common age group was 16-25 years (39.8%). There were slightly more females (51.3%) than males (48.7%). The prevalence of patients with a previous history of keratoconus was 36.8%. Results revealed that 37.2% of the patients had great motivation to take part in clinical research, and 22.3% indicated a high score in potential barriers to participation, whereas nearly 48% showed a high score in helpful resources. Statistical tests revealed that being in an older age group, having children, and possessing a higher monthly income were factors associated with increased barriers to participation in clinical research. ConclusionPatients with keratoconus showed great motivation to participate in clinical research studies and provided helpful resources. The knowledge that participation could benefit others was a primary motivator, while encouragement from other patients who participated in clinical research was the main helpful resource. Possible side effects were shown to be the major concern of the patients.
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