Background: One of the most highly prevalent costly gastrointestinal disorders is IBS. It is a consequence of emotional conflicts and stress. So people who are in medical education, they have highest percentage of IBS. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of IBS and its effects on the academic achievement among medical students of KFU, Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A crosssectional study was carried out among medical students and interns from August 2015 to September 2016 at (KFU) in Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia. All participants were asked to complete a confidential self-administered questionnaire. Diagnosis of IBS was according to Rome III criteria. Results: 173 medical students completed the survey. The prevalence of IBS was 44.5%, with a high prevalence in females (31.8%). IBS was present significantly higher among students who experience emotional stress in the past 6-month (25.4%) and higher among students with a positive family history of IBS. Moreover, IBS was associated with a decrease in the academic performance among medical students (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study revealed a high percentage of IBS among medical students and interns in KFU. Female gender, having emotional stress in the past 6 months and family history of IBS were the main predictors of IBS. However, the main predictor of IBS was in family history.

Background: Menarche is the first menstrual period of a girl at puberty. The timing of menarche is significant for health in future life. Saudi Arabia has developed immensely over the last three decades as evidenced by the economic and health sectors throughout all parts of the vast Kingdom. The current study measured the menarche age of school adolescents Girls in Saudi Arabia and explored environmental factors that could impact the onset of menarche. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1486 healthy Saudi school adolescents' girls between 10 -19 years old. The data were collected in 2016 using self-administered questionnaires. Health status, dietary intake, physical activities and parent's education were recorded along with other environmental factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.1. Results: Out of 1486, 767 girls (51.6%) had experienced menarche with a mean age of 12.46 ± 1.57; 681 girls (45.8%) had experienced menarche at age of 13 -15; 38 girls (2.6%) had experienced menarche at age of 16. A significant association between menarche and social factors was detected. Besides, the study discovered a significant association between menarche and the lifestyle of the studied groups.