Background: Gulf nations employ large numbers of migrant workers. In Saudi Arabia, for example, migrant workers comprise 30% of its total population. However, the health literacy levels of these workers are reported to be low, and studies focusing on this topic are limited. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the level of health literacy of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A convenience sample of 127 migrant workers in Saudi Arabia were surveyed using the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BHLST) from September 2019 to November 2019. A comparison of the BHLST scores of the participants was performed. This study adhered to the STROBE checklist. Key Results: Out of the 127 respondents, 28 reported experiencing health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, back pain, hepatitis A, rheumatic disorders, allergy, headache, kidney disease, and colitis. The majority of the participants (55.12%) had inadequate overall health literacy levels, 31.50% had marginal health literacy levels, and only 13.38% had adequate health literacy levels. Among the 13.38% participants who had adequate health literacy, more Arabic-speaking individuals than their non-Arabic-speaking counterparts had adequate health literacy by percentage. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of the study revealed that most migrant workers had inadequate or low health literacy levels, as indicated by their BHLST scores. The health authorities in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries need to develop health literacy interventions geared toward increasing the health literacy levels of their migrant workers. Keywords: Brief health literacy screening tool; Expatriate workers; Health literacy; Migrant workers; Saudi Arabia
This study aimed to assess the caffeine consumption of Saudi Arabian undergraduate students and to determine if the average amount consumed is within healthful parameters. Caffeine consumption in Saudi Arabia is a major cultural and social feature. Consumption of excessive amounts of caffeine can be deleterious to the health of university students. This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 145 male undergraduate nursing students were surveyed using the Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire to assess their caffeine intake on a typical day. Among this group, 34.5% of students exceeded the 400mg daily safe levels for caffeine consumption. The average consumption of the total group, those consuming below 400mg and those exceeding 400mg were 325.1, 201.2, and 570.1 mg, respectively. Tea and coffee were the major contributors to total caffeine intake ranging from 0-8 (240ml) servings per day. Health promotion aimed at illuminating health risks of caffeine consumption exceeding safe limits may assist in modification of intake to more healthful levels.
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