Objective: Brucellosis is an endemic zoonotic infection in Saudi Arabia, including Jazan Province, and epidemiological reports about this disease are limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding brucellosis among the general population of Jazan Province, southwestern Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted using a pretested questionnaire that assessed the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward Brucellosis. The calculated sample size was 384, and 1,055 participants were included representing various genders, ages, and levels of education. Data were collected between March and April 2022 and analyzed using descriptive, chi-square, and t-test analyses. Results: Only 50% of the included participants have heard about Brucellosis. Among those who had heard about Brucellosis, 70% had a good knowledge about Brucellosis and that was significantly associated with male gender, being healthcare workers (HCWs), and having a higher level of education. Participants who directly involved in animal care represented 9%, and attitudes and practices regarding brucellosis were varied from average to unsatisfactory. This variation was significantly affected by the level of knowledge. Conclusion: About 50% of the general population of Jazan Province had never heard about Brucellosis, in a region found prevalent for this disease. Good knowledge was recorded in 70% of those who were aware of Brucellosis, which was significantly associated with the male sex, job as being HCW, and having a higher level of education. These results necessitate public awareness campaign activities to improve knowledge and practices, especially among women, the younger generation, and individuals with limited educational backgrounds. This action could reduce the burden of the disease.

Background Physical activity (PA) is an important determinant of health because of its role in preventing multiple chronic diseases. A better understanding of the relationship between PA and factors that promote or hinder PA is necessary for adherence to PA recommendations. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of adults of the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia adhering to PA recommendations and to examine the effects of socio-economic factors on meeting these recommendations. Method The official short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess PA. Participants aged 17-74 years (n = 709) were categorized into active or inactive categories. Independent associations between PA categories and socio-economic factors were explored using binary logistic regression. Results The proportion of the adults of the Jazan region who were inactive, i.e., not adhering to the PA recommendations, was 58.3%. Those with body mass index >30 kg /m 2 (OR = 0.51; 95%CI: 0.32-0.84) were less likely to be more active than those with normal weight. Participants who rated their health as very good (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.49-0.96) and good (OR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22-0.70) were less likely to be more active than those who rated their health as excellent. Conclusions More than half of the adult population of the Jazan region did not adhere to the PA levels necessary to promote health and prevent chronic diseases. Such a high prevalence of low PA is a major health problem. Thus, efforts are warranted to promote PA in the Jazan region, particularly among obese female adults. High self-perceived health was an important correlate of PA among the adult population of Jazan. Because of the wide range of physical activity levels among population subgroups, a social-ecological approach for physical activity promotion may be warranted.

Introductions: The median nerve's occasional or persistent compression or entrapment in the carpal tunnel from the wrist to the hand causes carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The main symptoms are pain, tingling, swelling, and loss of grip strength and function in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and thumb of thumb. This study examined Saudi adults' awareness and understanding of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and its link with demographics and chronic conditions. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study examined adults' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding carpal tunnel syndrome from 2021 to 2022 in different Saudi Arabian regions. This study used a researcher-created questionnaire. In the awareness category, general public questions included CTS clinical aspects, etiology, and effects on daily life. Practice questions covered CTS preventive and chronic diseases. Volunteers were selected following informed consent. Result: 420 participants aged 34.8 ± 13.49 years. 280 (66.6%) were male, 140 (33.3%) females. 38 (9.04%) were non-Saudi workers, while 384 were Saudis. 235 (55.9%) individuals knew about wrist CTS and 161 (38.3%) about pain. 157 (37.3%) individuals experienced thumb tingling or numbness, while 117 and 142 agreed that CTS may produce thumb weakness (27.8%) and hand grip (35.2%). The older age group reported more thumb numbness or tingling than the other groups, although there was no statistical difference (p= 0.09). CTS was not associated with chronic disease; however, diabetes was the main comorbidity in all age groups (44; 45.3%), especially in the middle age group (21; 60%). 5.4% had CTS. CTS was rare during pregnancy (0.7%), however all age groups agreed that it could influence their employment and social life (p= 0.014 and < 0.00001). The average knowledge score was 43.3 ± 40.5, whereas the awareness score was 50.1 ± 44.2. These findings indicate that Saudis were aware of CTS clinical symptoms. Conclusion: The study examined Saudi adults' awareness and understanding of CTS and estimated the association between CTS and demographics and chronic conditions. The study found that adult CTS awareness and knowledge were sufficient and associated with age and quality of life. CTS awareness campaigns may lower risk and raise knowledge of prevention and treatment. People who work with discomfort or use computers for long periods of time without breaks are more prone to develop CTS. Larger research is needed to understand how physical exercise causes CTS. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.22 (Special Issue) 2023 p.157-166

Background: Hyposmia and anosmia are the reduced ability and inability to perceive odors, respectively. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a novel coronavirus that was first detected in late 2019 in China and has spread globally since mid-February 2020. Olfactory dysfunction (OD), such as anosmia or hyposmia, is an important early indicator of COVID-19. Objective: This study aimed to compare the incidence and duration of COVID-19-related hyposmia before and after vaccination. Design: This was cross-sectional study. Setting: Jazan region, February–July 2022. Patients and Methods: Data were collected from the adult population of the Jazan region using a self-administered questionnaire in the Arabic language. Data are presented as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Analysis of variance was used to compare means between groups while the Chi-square test was used for the comparison of categorical variables. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Main Outcome Measures: The incidence and duration of COVID-19-related OD before and after vaccination. Sample Size: The sample size was 466. Results: Of the 510 respondents, 466 met the study criteria. OD just after receiving the vaccines was reported by 53 (12.2%) participants. COVID-19 was confirmed in 268 participants (52.5%; 118 men and 150 women); of these, 163 (60.8%) had OD and 144 (53.7%) reported taste dysfunction. OD was more frequent in women than in men (66.7% vs. 53.4%, P = 0.03) and was the only symptom in 10 respondents (3.7%). OD was less frequent in postvaccination infection (54.9% vs. 73.8%, P = 0.003). Moreover, the OD duration was significantly shorter in postvaccination COVID-19 infection (improvement in the 1st week, 66.3% vs. 33.9%, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Among patients with COVID-19, OD occurs less frequently in men and after vaccination, and the duration is shorter after vaccination. Limitations: This study was limited by the small sample size, cross-sectional design, and small number of respondents with common chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Background: Vitamin D plays a very important role in the human body. In Saudi Arabia, the sun exposure is limited for many reasons. The use of vitamin D-fortified food or supplements may complement the daily body requirements. The knowledge and perception of the general population towards vitamin D-fortified intake in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, are not known. Objectives: In this study, we aim to evaluate the knowledge and attitude toward vitamin D-fortified food intake among the general population in the Jazan region. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study using the convenient sampling method on the Jazan general population. The questionnaire was composed of questions distributed over three domains. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23. Frequency and percentages were used to display categorical variables. Mean and standard deviation were used to present numerical variables. The independent t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test were both used to test for factors associated with knowledge and perception score. Results: A total of 921 participants were included in the study. The majority of participants (72.2%) were between 20 and 40 years; the female gender and Saudi nationality represent the majority of participants in this study. In terms of occupation, 32.9% were currently employed, and 44.5% were students. Regarding education, 64.9% had a bachelor’s degree, and 19.9% had a high school education. The minimum knowledge score was 0, the maximum was 25, and the mean was 10.6 + 4.35. The knowledge levels toward the vitamin D-fortified food intake showed that 64.9% had a moderate knowledge level. With regard to the assessment of participants’ perception towards vitamin D-fortified food intake, 69.6% reported having a vitamin D-rich food before, while 5.8% reported they never did, and 34.6% did not know. The most commonly reported reason for never having vitamin D-fortified food was not knowing what food to take for 19 participants (35.8%). Occupation and education levels of participants were significantly associated with knowledge of vitamin D-fortified food intake. Conclusion: Despite the population in the current study having a moderate level of knowledge about vitamin D-fortified food, the practices towards intake of vitamin D-fortified food or supplements are still underused.