Background Asthma is a major noncommunicable disease that affects around 235 million people, including children, globally. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the incidence of childhood asthma continues to increase. The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has attempted to put policies in place to prevent the occurrence of asthma-related complications by encouraging parents to vaccinate their diagnosed asthmatic children with the flu vaccine. To date, however, there have been no studies investigating the use of flu vaccine among asthmatic children in KSA. Our research aims to explore the perception of parents with asthmatic children towards flu vaccination and its effect on the decision to vaccinate their children.

Background: Childhood obesity remains a public health issue globally. The latest estimate from the World Health Organization showed that over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 were overweight or obese in 2016. Objective: Our study aimed to assess the density of fast food outlets around educational facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: We employed geospatial and quantitative analyses using data on fast food outlets (from surveys conducted between November 2019 and May 2020) and educational facilities in Riyadh city. Data analyses conducted using ArcMap 10.6 and Stata 15 compared the density within 500 m and 500–1000 m from the facilities. Results: We found a high density of fast food outlets around educational facilities. Nearly 80% of fast food were within twelve-minute walking or five-minute driving distances from schools, and nearly 70% of all educational facilities had at least one fast food outlet within the buffer. We also found the densities were high within both the areas closer and the areas farther away from educational facilities. In addition, the density was significantly higher around private schools compared to government schools, and the density around girls-only schools and both-gender schools was higher than that around boys-only schools. Conclusion: There is a high density of fast food outlets around educational facilities in Saudi Arabia. Effective policies are needed to help reduce potential exposure to fast food among young people in Saudi Arabia and other countries with similar settings.

BackgroundIn Saudi Arabia, cardiovascular diseases are among the top causes of death and disability, and smoking is one of the leading risk factors, particularly among males.ObjectiveOur study aims to evaluate the compliance with the anti-smoking law among cigarette retailers and examine the visibility of cigarette retailers around educational facilities in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia.MethodsWe conducted a mapping survey and geospatial analysis of cigarette retailers around educational facilities from February to March 2020 (before the COVID-19 restriction) in Al-Olaya municipality in Riyadh city as a pilot study. We found 249 retailers, of which 152 sold cigarettes. Data analyses in ArcMap 10.6 compared the visibility within 250 and 500 meters from educational facilities.ResultsWe found many retailers were not compliant with the tobacco control regulation: 57.1% of minimarkets sell cigarettes, 15.8% of cigarette retailers display the products openly, and 12.5% of cigarette retailers sold cigarettes by the stick. Moreover, 71% of the total cigarette retailers were within 500 m from schools, and 62% of all schools had at least one cigarette retailer within 500 m buffer (5-min walking or 2–3-min driving distance).ConclusionThere is non-compliance with the anti-smoking law among cigarette retailers and high visibility of cigarette retailers around educational facilities in Saudi Arabia. Monitoring is needed for the effective implementation of tobacco control policies.

Background Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are frequently prescribed for contraception, to regulate ovulation and treat endometriosis, and to control menopausal symptoms. A major risk of hormonal contraceptives is vascular thrombosis. Methods A retrospective chart review of female patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), or other sites of thrombosis or emboli seen in the thrombosis clinic of the department of internal medicine at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia between March 2010 and February 2015 was performed to identify and characterize which women were taking COCs. Results Of 1,008 patients treated for DVT, PE, or other sites of thrombosis or emboli, 100 (9.9%) were taking COCs. Venous (98%) and arterial (2%) thromboses were seen. Overall, 62% of the patients experienced a DVT and 26% pulmonary emboli, and 20% of the patients experienced unusual sites of thrombosis. Furthermore, 53% were obese or morbidly obese. The incidence of venous thrombosis was the highest during the first year of COC use (73%). Of the patients, 8% had thrombophilia. Conclusion This study characterizes Saudi women with thrombotic events taking COCs and identifies risk factors, including unusual sites of thrombosis. Most patients experienced the vascular event during the first year of taking COCs. Age of 40-50 years, obesity, and thrombophilia were the commonly observed risk factors.

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