OBJECTIVES Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most common causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Medical, applied medical science, and dental students constitute a high-risk group for HBV and HCV infections during their training or at the beginning of their careers. This study aimed to explore senior health science students' knowledge of and attitudes t...

OBJECTIVES To identify the prevailing myths and misconception about vitiligo among the school students in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS We conducted a cross sectional study in 18 schools of Qassim Regions in Saudi Arabia, Data was collected by 486 pre-tested, self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires included a section on social-demographic information (age, sex, education...

Hirsutism is a common clinical condition that usually has a benign course. A genetic abnormality causing hirsutism is supported by the observation that different members of the same family are often affected.The goal of this study is to evaluate the genetic aspect of inheritance and consanguinity patterns of hirsute cases in Qassim region, Saudia Arabia. A total 83 hirsute patients were studied...

BACKGROUND This work was planned to check for the association of polymorphisms related to methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) genes with overweight/obesity among Saudi subjects from Qassim region. METHODS This work included 130 subjects having overweight or obesity and 111 normal controls. Their age mean +/- SD was 27 +/- 9.8 and 24 +/- 8.8 year...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the sero-response to measles component of the first measles, mumps and rubella MMR dose given at 12 months by measuring measles antibody before and one month after the vaccination. METHODS A follow-up study where, 57 children at the age of 12 months were recruited randomly from the Primary Health Care Centers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia using a multistage sampling techniques...

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of health education on diet, smoking, and physical activity among patients visiting the primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Al-Qassim province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS We conducted an uncontrolled experimental study from January to October 2009 to evaluate the impact of health education on smoking, diet, and physical activity among attendees of...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the physicians' perspectives and practices in relation to breaking bad news (BBN) to patients. METHODS A quantitative survey was performed in the Qassim Region from January to July 2011. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire administered to all practicing physicians working in both hospitals and Primary Healthcare centers in...

Introduction Few studies have estimated screen time among Arab adolescents, and no studies, to date, have published data on addiction to video games or Internet games among Arab adolescents. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of addiction to video games and its correlation with mental health in a sample of expatriate high school students from the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Metho...

BACKGROUND Rational treatment of pneumonia requires knowledge of the likely aetiological diagnosis in any community. Little is known about the pattern and outcome of pneumonia in Saudi Arabia. METHODS A total of 567 pneumonic episodes in adult patients from the Al-Qassim area were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS Patients had a mean age of 42.7 years, with 103 patients (18%) aged 13 to 20 ...

Facebook is increasingly becoming a popular senvironment for online learning. Despite the popularity of using Facebook as an e-learning tool, there is a limitation when it comes to presenting content: another platform is required to run the files. Presented in this paper is a case study of how the Facebook iframe code can be used as a hosting environment tool to support collaborative activities...