This cross-sectional study aimed at estimating prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and predictors of hypertension among Saudi adult population. Multistage stratified sampling was used to select 4758 adult participants. Three blood pressure measurements using an automatic sphygmomanometer, sociodemographics, and antihypertensive modalities were obtained. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 25.5%. Only 44.7% of hypertensives were aware, 71.8% of them received pharmacotherapy, and only 37.0% were controlled. Awareness was significantly associated with gender, age, geographical location, occupation, and comorbidity. Applying drug treatment was significantly more among older patients, but control was significantly higher among younger patients and patients with higher level of physical activity. Significant predictors of hypertension included male gender, urbanization, low education, low physical activity, obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. In conclusion prevalence is high, but awareness, treatment, and control levels are low indicating a need to develop a national program for prevention, early detection, and control of hypertension.

Data were collected and analyzed from a cross-sectional study using the World Health Organization's STEPwise approach, to estimate the prevalence of various types of dyslipidemia and determine their associated factors among adults in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study population included 4490 Saudi adults aged 15 years and older who were selected by a stratified, multistage, cluster random sampling technique. Lipid profile was determined by spectrophotometrically by biochemical methods, high total cholesterol (TC) was defined as TC of 5.2 mmol/L or more, hypertriglyceridemia as serum triglycerides level 1.7 mmol/L or more and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) as serum HDL-C 0.9 mmol/L or less, LDL-C 3.35 mmol/L or more and TC/HDL ratio 5 or more. Of the 4490 subjects (94.4% of total sample) included in the final analysis, 51% were females, 23% of study subjects were less than 25 years and 11% were 55 or more years of age. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia ranged from about 20% to 40%. The highest prevalence was for triglycerides where about 44% of all subjects were affected. About a fifth of the subjects had high level of total cholesterol. Males had significantly higher prevalence of all types of dyslipidemia than female except LDL-C and TC. Higher dyslipidemia prevalence of total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly found in older subjects, illiterates and housekeepers. Lower prevalence rates for HDL-C was significantly observed in retired and youngest subjects. There were significant regional variations and significantly higher prevalence of dyslipidemia among hypertensives, diabetics, obese/overweight, smokers and physically inactive subjects. There were no significant differences according to income or fruits and vegetable consumption. Logistic regression analysis revealed that obesity/overweight, gender, age, diabetes were the most important significant predictors of dyslipidemia. The findings of this study suggest that the prevalence of dyslipidemia is high in Saudi Arabia. Multisectorial intervention strategies are needed targeting the predictors and significant risk factors identified.

A cross-sectional questionnaire study of the correlates of ever-smoking among adolescents was made in Tabuk government schools in Saudi Arabia. Of 1505 students aged 12-19 years, 657 (43.7%) were ever-smokers (i.e. ever tried cigarette smoking, even 1 or 2 puffs); 65.0% of males and 23.1% of females. In logistic regression analysis significant predictors for ever-smoking were: male sex, belief that smoking helps people feel comfortable in social situations, owning something with a cigarette logo, having pocket money ≥ 20 riyals/day, poor school performance and having friends or parents who smoked. Corrélats de l'expérience du tabagisme chez les adolescents de Tabouk (Arabie saoudite) RÉSUMÉ Une étude transversale par questionnaire sur les corrélats de l'expérience du tabagisme chez les adolescents a été réalisée dans les écoles publiques de Tabouk (Arabie saoudite). Sur 1 505 élèves âgés de 12 à 19 ans, 657 (43,7 %) avaient déjà fumé (ne serait-ce qu'une fois, même une ou deux bouffées) ; 65,0 % des garçons et 23,1 % des filles. Dans l'analyse de régression logistique, les facteurs prédictifs significatifs de l'expérience du tabagisme étaient l'appartenance au sexe masculin, la croyance que le tabagisme aide à se sentir plus à l'aide en société, la possession d'un objet comportant un logo de cigarette, le fait de recevoir au moins 20 riyals d'argent de poche par jour, les mauvais résultats scolaires et le fait d'avoir des amis ou des parents fumeurs.

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Objective:To determine the prevalence of smoking among medical students at the medical college at King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh, and assess the association between smoking and socio-demographical factors, smoking contacts, reasons for smoking and attempts to quit.Materials and Methods:Cross-sectional survey in which anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was used to survey the cigarette smoking habits of the first- and second-year medical students in the Faculty of Medicine, King Fahad Medical City in June 2009.Results:Overall 39.8 % of the investigated students (153) had smoked before, and 17.6% were current smokers. The mean age of initiating smoking was 15.8 (±3.3). There were significantly more males than females. The most important reasons for smoking were leisure, imitation of other people and a means of relieving psychological pressure. Reasons for not smoking were mostly health and religion-based. Smokers tended to have friends who smoked.Conclusion:Cigarettes smoking is highly prevalent among medical students in the Faculty of Medicine, King Fahad Medical City. Contact with smokers particularly friends are the major risk factors for the initiation of the habit. Health and religious considerations are important motives for not smoking, quitting or attempting to quit. These findings can be of help in designing future intervention strategies.