Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Objective:ToquantifytheprevalenceoffastingduringRamadanmonthamongdiabeticpatientsandtoobserve thefactorswhichweredeferringbetweenfastingandnonfastingdiabeticpatients.Methods:Acrosssectional... more
Objective:ToquantifytheprevalenceoffastingduringRamadanmonthamongdiabeticpatientsandtoobserve thefactorswhichweredeferringbetweenfastingandnonfastingdiabeticpatients.Methods:Acrosssectional studywascarriedoutatprimaryhealthcareclinics.Thediabeticpatientswereinterviewedwithastructured dataformbytrainedresearchassistants.Patients'age,gender,maritalstatus,weightandheight,diabetes type,medication,compliance,followup,selfmonitoringandanycomplicationfacedduringthefastingwere collected.Cardiovascularriskfactorsincludingsmokinghabit,hypertension,dyslipidemiaandpreexisting cardiovasculardiseaseswerealsorecorded.Results:Outof920diabeticpatients,95% weresufferingfrom DMtype2.OverallpatientswhofastedthewholemonthofRamadanwere84%.Theproportionoftype1and type2was71% and85% respectively.About63% ofDMtype2patientsweretreatedwithoralhypoglycemic agents(OHAs)aloneand2.4% withcombinationofOHAsandinsulin.Only42% ofDMtype1and36% of DMtype2patientshasvisitedtheirphysicianspriortotheirfastforadvice.The...
Research Interests: Depression, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Family Medicine, Medicine, Motivation, and 15 moreHumans, Complementary Therapies, Female, Headache, Male, Data Collection, Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Health Service, Middle Aged, Adult, Health Problems, Odds ratio, Household Survey, Cross sectional Study, Cluster Sampling, and Flatulence
An observational study in which patients attending a health centre in Riyadh during a typical working week were invited to participate was undertaken, in order to study the variability of patients' attendance rates at a health... more
An observational study in which patients attending a health centre in Riyadh during a typical working week were invited to participate was undertaken, in order to study the variability of patients' attendance rates at a health centre and identify any association with the length and content of consultations. Four hundred and sixty females and 442 males representing 63% of patients seen during the study period agreed to participate. There was an uneven patient attendance rate during the working hours of the study week with 10.16 consultations per doctor per hour in the evening compared with 5.58 in the morning. By international standards the average consultation time was short (5.09 minutes). Contrary to what was expected, the proportion of patients who had long consultation times (> 10 minutes) or were offered health education did not increase during the light work periods. Long compared with short consultations were more likely to include health education issues but did not differ significantly in the rate of prescription, investigation or referral. Recommendations as a result of the study include (i) suggestions to spread the work evenly and (ii) performing assessment and audit studies with the purpose of encouraging longer consultations and including health education more frequently.
Research Interests:
The objective of this study was to validate an Arabic version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in a primary care setting in Saudi Arabia. A total of 60 Saudi patients selected by means of systematic random sampling were asked... more
The objective of this study was to validate an Arabic version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in a primary care setting in Saudi Arabia. A total of 60 Saudi patients selected by means of systematic random sampling were asked to fill out the GHQ-28 Arabic version. The psychiatrist interviewed all patients using the Arabic version of the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS). The best cut-off level for the GHQ-28 indicating best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was 4/5, where the validity values were, sensitivity; 72%, specificity; 74%, positive predictive value; 72%, negative predictive value; 74% and misclassification rate; 27%. The correlation coefficient was r = +0.61 and the Spearman's Rank-difference correlation was rs = +0.57. The area under the ROC Curve was 69%. The cut-off point 4/5 in this study is the same as recommended by others in primary care settings. Although the validity parameters are relatively low, they are within the range found by other studies in USA, UK and developing countries. This supports the suggestion to develop an Arabic Screening Questionnaire based on the translated GHQ with the addition of culturally specific items. The GHQ-28 Arabic Version is a valid instrument that may be of great help to primary care doctors in improving detection of psychiatric morbidity and in epidemiological research.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background Any curriculum change is essentially an environmental change; therefore there is a need to assess the impact of any change in the curriculum on the students’ perception of the Educational Environment (EE) and psychological... more
Background Any curriculum change is essentially an environmental change; therefore there is a need to assess the impact of any change in the curriculum on the students’ perception of the Educational Environment (EE) and psychological well-being. The objectives of the current study are to (i) compare the EE perceptions of medical students studying in a System Based Curriculum (SBC) with those studying in a traditional curriculum (ii) compare the rate of depressive symptoms among the same students studying in both types of curricula (iii) determine whether there is a difference in the EE perception and depressive symptoms based on gender and year of study. Methods A cross sectional survey was conducted in a Saudi Medical School from 2007-2011, a period in which the school transitioned from a traditional to a SBC. A bilingual version of the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) inventory was used for measuring the EE; the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II) was used for s...
Research Interests: Psychology, Depression, Medical Education, Saudi Arabia, Medicine, and 12 moreMedical Education & Training, Curriculum, Medical Students, Humans, Female, Male, Educational Environment, Public health systems and services research, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Depressive Symptoms, Cross Sectional Studies, and Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Research Interests:
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to deal with your own and others emotions. Medical students are inducted into medical schools on the basis of their academic achievement. Professionally, however, their success rate is variable... more
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to deal with your own and others emotions. Medical students are inducted into medical schools on the basis of their academic achievement. Professionally, however, their success rate is variable and may depend on their interpersonal relationships. EI is thought to be significant in achieving good interpersonal relationships and success in life and career. Therefore, it is important to measure EI and understand its correlates in an undergraduate medical student population. The objective of study was to investigate the relationship between the EI of medical students and their academic achievement (based on cumulative grade point average [CGPA]), age, gender and year of study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The SSREIS and demographic survey were administered in the three medical schools in Saudi Arabia from April to May 2012. The response rate was 30%. For the Optimism subscale, the mean score was M = 3.79, SD ± 0.54 (α = 0.82), for ...
Research Interests:
Context: Students’ achievements, satisfaction, and success have been found to correlate with their perception of their educational environment (EE). Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to identify (a) the medical... more
Context: Students’ achievements, satisfaction, and success have been found to correlate with their perception of their educational environment (EE). Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to identify (a) the medical students’ perceptions of their EE at a school with a teacher-centered curriculum (b) the reasons behind the items with low ratings and (c) ways to improve the EE at this school. Methods: In this article, the focus will be on the qualitative part of the mixed method of study, which was conducted at a large medical school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during 2006-2007. A total of 1132 students filled out a bilingual (Arabic and English) version of the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) inventory. Five focus group discussions with 28 students were conducted. The low scoring areas of the DREEM were used as input for the discussion. Findings: The mean total DREEM score for the medical school was 94.7 (± 21.5) out of a maximum of 200. The main curriculum variables contributing to poor DREEM scores were curriculum overload, stress, lack of feedback, and poor teaching skills. The possible solutions to these problems, as suggested by the students were to involve the students in the learning process, courses to help the faculty to develop their teaching skills, assessments with provision of feedback, stronger student support system and introduction of study skills courses for student’s. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the reasons associated with a poor learning climate. The strategies to promote a healthy EE point to relatively more student-centered elements in the curriculum and the introduction of a study skills course in the 1st year.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Health Sciences, Adult Education, Psychometrics, Educational Measurement, Faculty Development, and 15 morePakistan, Evidence, Staff Development, Humans, Effect size, Evaluation methods, Checklist, Students Attitudes, Experimental Study, Repeated Measures, Analysis of Variance, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Health Sciences Education, Psychological and Educational Testing, and Assessment and Measurement
Research Interests: Dentistry, Science Education, Higher Education, Educational Psychology, Educational Measurement, and 15 moreMedical Education, Saudi Arabia, Qualitative Research, Teaching, Dental Education, Learning, Staff Development, Humans, Female, Male, Feedback, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Personal Satisfaction, Cohort Studies, and Random Allocation
Objectives Medical residents’ direct contact with patients with COVID-19 places them at high risk of psychological disturbance. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms, and their relationship with... more
Objectives Medical residents’ direct contact with patients with COVID-19 places them at high risk of psychological disturbance. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms, and their relationship with the COVID-19 pandemic among medical residents in KSA. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March of 2021. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) were used to screen for depressive disorders and generalized anxiety disorder, respectively. Results A total of 533 medical residents participated in the study; 52% were men, and 58% were single. Most residents had direct contact with one or more patients with COVID-19. The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms was 65.8% and 58.3%, respectively. The study revealed that gender was a risk factor for diagnosis with COVID-19 among residents: male residents were diagnosed with COVID-19 to a greater extent than female residents. In addition, being a nonsmoker rather than a smoker was associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 diagnosis. A multivariate regression analysis revealed that gender (female) and residency level (R5) were independently associated with anxiety symptoms. Similarly, the independent correlates of depression symptoms were gender (female) and specialty (family medicine). Conclusion A high prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms was found among medical residents trained in KSA. The rates were significantly higher among female than male residents.
Research Interests:
Background The cost of depression among residents is staggering as it extends into the quality and safety of patient care. Finding an explanation to resident depression by investigating the associated factors is therefore important. Study... more
Background The cost of depression among residents is staggering as it extends into the quality and safety of patient care. Finding an explanation to resident depression by investigating the associated factors is therefore important. Study skills can be a possible factor, and a clear gap in the literature exists in this regard. We sought to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms among residents and their study skills. Methods This was a correlational study and a non-probability sample of 240 residents completed the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and the Study Skills Inventory (SSI). Chi-square test was used to compare different categorical variables, while student t-test and ANOVA for continuous data. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was performed to find the relationship between depressive symptoms and study skills and the association that these measures have with the demographic variables. Results Overall, 186 residents (76%) filled out the questionnaire. ...
Research Interests:
The data of depressive symptoms among Health Professions' students study from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. (XLSX 159 kb)
Medical students are faced with enormous academic demands that may influence their emotional wellbeing. The high rate of depression among medical students and its negative impact is an impetus to find explanation for the factors... more
Medical students are faced with enormous academic demands that may influence their emotional wellbeing. The high rate of depression among medical students and its negative impact is an impetus to find explanation for the factors associated with it. Study skills that students possess might be such a factor. The current tools for the assessment of the study skills may have certain limitations, particularly for different cultural settings. This study aimed to develop and validate a Study Skills Inventory (SSI), and to investigate the relationship between the students' study skills and the extent (severity) of depressive symptoms, measured using the validated tool. The first version of the SSI was developed through expert consensus. The inventory was then administered to a randomly selected group of medical students. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the internal validity. External validation was conducted by comparing the results of the SSI with the "Approaches an...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Physicians experience several work-related stressors that have been mounting up in recent decades. This study aimed to examine perceived stress and its risk factors and consequences among consultant physicians in Saudi Arabia. A... more
Physicians experience several work-related stressors that have been mounting up in recent decades. This study aimed to examine perceived stress and its risk factors and consequences among consultant physicians in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to March 2015 among physicians who were assigned rank of consultant. The stress level was assessed using perceived stress scale (PSS). A total of 582 consultants participated. The average age was 46.9±7.9 years, 71% were males, 56% were Saudi, 15% were smokers, and 68% slept ≤6 hours per night. The median PSS score was 17 (interquartile range of 14-21), which represented 44% of maximum possible PSS score. The upper tertile of PSS score (represents a high stress level) was significantly associated with being younger, female, and Saudi. The majority (85%) considered job environment to be stressful and ~50% attributed that to a high workload and a noncooperative administration. In the year preceding this st...
Research Interests:
There are concerns that the use of social media (SM) among medical students could affect academic performance. The objectives of the study were to investigate the pattern and reasons for SM use and their association with academic... more
There are concerns that the use of social media (SM) among medical students could affect academic performance. The objectives of the study were to investigate the pattern and reasons for SM use and their association with academic performance. A stratified random sample, frequency distribution and comparison of categorical variables with Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used. Of the 97% who responded, 98% used SM. The most popular were Whatsapp (87.8%), You tube (60.8%) and Twitter (51.8%) for general use; while You tube (83.5%), Whatsapp (35.5%) and Twitter (35.3%) for learning. For general use, there was a significant higher number of visits to You tube and Facebook among male students, while the reverse was true for Instagram and Path. Around 71% visited SM >4 times/day and 55% spent 1-4 hours/day. The main reasons for SM use were entertainment (95.8%), staying up-to-date with news (88.3%), and socializing (85.5%); for academic studies (40%). There was no significant asso...
Research Interests:
Background: There is a need to better understand the depression phenomenon and to clarify why some students become depressed and others don't. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of depressive symptoms among health... more
Background: There is a need to better understand the depression phenomenon and to clarify why some students become depressed and others don't. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of depressive symptoms among health professions' (HP) students, and to explore the association between socio-demographic factors (e.g. year of study, discipline, gender) and depressive symptoms. Methods: In this descriptive–analytic, cross-sectional study, stratified proportionate sampling strategy was used to select the study sample during the academic year 2012–2013. The students from four health professions' schools situated within a large, public university located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were screened for depressive symptoms using the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II). Chi-square test, student t-test and ANOVA were used to compare different categorical variables.
Methodology: A total of 60 Saudi patients selected by means of systematic random sampling were asked to fill out the GHQ-28 Arabic version. The psychiatrist interviewed all patients using the Arabic version of the Clinical Interview... more
Methodology: A total of 60 Saudi patients selected by means of systematic random sampling were asked to fill out the GHQ-28 Arabic version. The psychiatrist interviewed all patients using the Arabic version of the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS). Results: The best cutoff level for the GHQ-28 indicating best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was 4/5, where the validity values were, sensitivity; 72%, specificity; 74%, positive predictive value; 72%, negative predictive value; 74% and misclassification rate; 27%. The correlation coefficient was r = +0.61 and the Spearman's Rank-difference correlation was rs = +0.57. The area under the ROC Curve was 69%. The cutoff point 4/5 in this study is the same as recommended by others in primary care settings. Although the validity parameters are relatively low, they are within the range found by other studies in USA, UK and developing countries. This supports the suggestion to develop an Arabic Screening Questionnaire based on the translated GHQ with the addition of culturally specific items. Conclusion: The GHQ-28 Arabic Version is a valid instrument that may be of great help to primary care doctors in improving detection of psychiatric morbidity and in epidemiological research.
BACKGROUND: There is an international move from traditional curriculum towards the learner - centered, and patient-oriented curriculum. In spite of its advantages, problem-based learning requires a larger number of teaching staff and... more
BACKGROUND: There is an international move from traditional curriculum towards the learner - centered, and patient-oriented curriculum. In spite of its advantages, problem-based learning requires a larger number of teaching staff and space. This study was done to compare the problem-based learning (PBL), lectures and modified PBL methods.METHODS: Thirty-three fifth year medical students who were taking the Family Medicine rotation participated in the study at the College of Medicine, King Saud University. Three instructors participated in the teaching of three topics to the three groups of students. Students acted as control for themselves across the three instructional methods, namely; lectures, PBL and modified PBL. The main outcomes were students' recall of knowledge, problem solving skills and topic comprehension.RESULTS: In the initial assessment, there was a significant difference in favor of PBL and the modified PBL regarding comprehension of the topic as tested by the short answer questions (p = 0.0001), problem solving skills as tested by the modified essay question (p = 0.002). Non-significant results were observed at the second stage of assessment. The modified PBL method was the preferred one for 39% of the students, followed by the PBL (36%) and lastly the lectures (25%).CONCLUSION: This empirical study suggests some advantages for the PBL method and the modified PBL over the lecture method. Larger studies are needed to confirm our results of this important issue as the modified PBL is an affordable option for schools that can not meet the staff and space requirements of the PBL curriculum.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This is a retrospective clinical study of 40 inpatients diagnosed as suffering from hysteria, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III-R), admitted to King Khalid University Hospital at Riyadh over... more
This is a retrospective clinical study of 40 inpatients diagnosed as suffering from hysteria, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III-R), admitted to King Khalid University Hospital at Riyadh over a period of 10 years (1985-95). The female:male ratio was 3:1, 80% were less than 30 years of age and 60% were single. Hysterical conversion was the most common type (95%), whereas hysterical dissociation was rare (2.5%). A stressful situation preceded the onset of symptoms in 62.5% of the cases. Twenty-five percent of the patients were clinically depressed. The typical histrionic personality was rare.