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Background: Although cognitive impairment is common in the elderly population, studies investigating its rate in Hajj pilgrims are lacking. Objectives: To estimate the rate of cognitive impairment among a sample of Arabic-speaking elderly Hajj pilgrims and examine its association with their activities of daily living (ADL). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the Hajj season 1438 Hijri Calendar (August 2017). Hajj pilgrims were recruited using a probability sampling method and were interviewed for demographics, the MINI-Cog and the ADL instrument. Results: Among the 340 recruited pilgrims, 99 (29.2%) had positive results in the MINI-Cog indicating probable cognitive impairment. In multivariate logistic regression, the educational level (odds ratio (OD) 0.456; 95% CI 0.346 to 0.598) and the need for help during Hajj (OD 0.581; 95% CI 0.342 to 0.984) were found significantly associated with positive MINI-Cog. Although no significant differences in the ADL were found between pilgrims with and without positive MINI-Cog, the scores of the ADL and the MINI-Cog were found to be positively correlated but weak (r s = 0.134, P = 0.013) indicating a possible association between better cognitive functions and better ADL performance. Conclusion: Probable cognitive impairment among Arabic elderly Hajj pilgrims was found to be very common. Further diagnostic studies and studies on the impact of cognitive impairment on the performance of Hajj pilgrims are warranted.

Background: Raising the general population knowledge of Alzheimer's disease is crucial for optimizing care and ultimately enhancing the quality of life of people diagnosed and their caregivers. Aim: To assess knowledge among the general population in Makkah Region about symptoms, diagnosis, causes, course, life impact, care giving, and management of Alzheimer disease. Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during July to August 2018 in three main cities of Makkah Region, i.e., Makkah, Jeddah, and Taif, Saudi Arabia. Two to three mosques and/or malls were selected randomly from a list of all mosques and malls in each city, and then every fifth subject was selected using a systematic random technique, entering the mall or getting out from the mosques. Both genders, aged 18 years or more and able to understand Arabic were included. Valid and reliable Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) was used to assess knowledge about the diseases, in addition to socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. Results: The study included 862 adult participants. Their age ranged between 18 and 65 years with a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 31.2 ± 10.3 years. History of having a relative with Alzheimer's disease was mentioned by 20.8% of the participants. Overall, the percentage of total Alzheimer's disease knowledge score ranged between 26.7 and 100% with a mean of 58.5%, median of 60%, mode of 56.7%, and standard deviation of ± 11.5%. There was a significant positive correlation between participant's age and their knowledge regarding Alzheimer's disease (Spearman's correlation coefficient "r" = 0.099, p = 0.004). The highest known subscale of Alzheimer's disease was assessment (mean percentage was 62.21%), followed by treatment (62.09), care giving (61.83%) and course of the disease (60.99%) whereas the lowest known subscale was symptoms (53.25%). Participants who reported a history of having a relative with Alzheimer's disease were more knowledgeable regarding symptoms than those who did not had such history (mean ranks were 470.48 and 421.28, respectively), p = 0.014. Conclusion: Knowledge of the general population in Makkah Region is deficient, particularly regarding symptoms, risk factors and life impacts. Therefore, health education campaigns are required for general public in this regards.

Background: This paper explores elective surgery patients' and family members' needs during the perioperative period, in a specialized hospital in Saudi Arabia. Needs are influenced by context and could differ from a setting to another. Methods: Two questionnaires, one for the patient group and the other for the family member group, were adopted from a previous similar study. The participants were asked to rate the importance of each need and how much it was satisfied. Data were collected in 5 weeks. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the average rate and standard deviation of each item. Results: Patients highly rated the need for adequate symptom management in the recovery area. Family members highly rated the importance of being informed if the surgical procedure is taking more time than expected and communicating with the surgeon after the procedure. Conclusion: Systematically involving the family member in the perioperative care of the patient is advantageous. However, interventions and extent of involvement of the family member to the care of the patient would have to be adapted according to the cultural context.