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Biomedical subjects

M A Abolfotouh

Publications and source records attributed to M A Abolfotouh.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Pattern of erectile dysfunction in Jeddah city.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the demographic features of erectile dysfunction patients attending different specialized clinics in Jeddah city, and to identify possible risk factors associated with erectile dysfunction problem. METHODS: All newly erectile dysfunction patients (n=388) who attended 6 andrology and urology clinics within a period of 3 months were subjected to a modified structural interview questionnaire to collect demographic data and risk factors for erectile dysfunction. RESULTS: The study revealed the following results among erectile dysfunction patients; Saudi patients constituted (81%). The age ranged from 20-86 years with mean age of 43.23+12.56 years, 73% were married with one wife, 23.5% married with two wives, and 8% were single. About one-half (43%) were less than secondary education level. Retired patients constituted (13%) of all patients. Lack of exercise was the most frequent risk factor among 82% of patients, followed by smoking (56%), use of regular medication (44%), diabetes (30%), hypertension (15%), history of pelvic surgery (14%) alcoholism (13%), and drug addict (8%). CONCLUSION: Erectile dysfunction is a problem of not only old age but also of middle and young age. This might be attributed to the high frequency of some risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug addiction. This finding may reflect the necessity for construction of prevention strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Endemic goitre in schoolchildren in high and low altitude areas of Asir region, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: A deficiency of iodine is characteristic of mountainous regions of the world, and the frequency of goitre in such areas has been recognized for centuries. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of goitre among schoolchildren in high and low altitude areas of Asir Region. METHODS: The study was carried out upon 940 male students randomly selected from 12 schools at 2 high altitude areas (Tamnia and Al-Soda) 3150 meters above sea level and one low altitude area (Marabah) 500 meters above sea level. All students were subjected to clinical examination of the thyroid and classification of goitre grading was based on the criteria endorsed by the World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund/International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. RESULTS: An overall prevalence of goitre of 24% was estimated in the areas studied (24% in elementary, 24% in intermediate and 23% in secondary education). This prevalence was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) in high altitude (27%, 95% confidence interval: 24%-30%) than in low altitude areas (13%, 95% confidence interval: 8%-18%). Children of high altitudes were 2.5 times more likely to develop goitre as compared to their counterparts in low altitudes (odds ratio = 2.5, 95% confidence interval 1.6-3.8). However, comparison between the 2 high altitude areas revealed that children of Tamnia area were nearly 2 times more likely to develop goitre than their counterparts in Al-Soda (odds ratio = 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.6). CONCLUSION: Endemic goitre is more prevalent in mountainous, high altitude areas of Asir Region. However, the distribution of goitre in these areas is patchy and differs from area to area. Well water might have been a contributing factor for the high prevalence in Tamnia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Psychosocial assessment of geriatric subjects in Abha City, Saudi Arabia.

Psychosocial assessment of geriatric subjects was carried out through a home-based survey of people aged 65 years and over (n = 810) in the catchment areas of 3 primary health care centres. All the participants had a structured interview and were given a short version of the geriatric depression scale. Depression was found in 17.5% of the subjects, more commonly in women (27.7% versus 12.7%). The combined effect of impaired perceived health status (52.4%) and functional capacity (26.6%), loneliness (4.5%), single status (24.3%), and lack of education (80.5%) explained 23.7% of the variance in depression score by multiple regression analysis. Depression is a problem among the geriatric population in the region, especially women. Periodic home psychosocial screening of geriatrics is recommended.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2001

Effect of erectile dysfunction on quality of life.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common diseases of male sexual dysfunction. A cross-sectional study of 388 ED patients who attended six andrology and urology clinics in Jeddah for the first time was performed during a period of 3 months. ED was rated as mild (21% of patients), moderate (60%) or severe (19%), and was strongly associated with age. After adjusting for age, only lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and drug addiction were significantly associated with severity; hypertension, cardiac diseases and smoking were not. About two-thirds of the patients had poor quality of life; severe ED was the only significant predictor of this. Severe ED was not an indicator for co-morbidities.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Screening for asthma and associated risk factors among urban school boys in Abha city.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to measure the prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms among male school children in Abha City and to determine some of the possible risk factors influencing its occurrence. METHODS: A randomly selected sample of 4300 male school children aged 7 to 15 years in Abha were subjected to a previously validated questionnaire for asthma to be completed by parents. Asthma was identified based on the Rush Medical College and International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children questionnaire. Information of asthma family history, asthma related symptoms, and other atopic conditions, smokers in the family, pets ownership and monthly family income were collected. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of asthma was 9% (95% Confidence Interval: 7.73%-9.67%). Doctor-diagnosed asthma was reported by 4%, exercise-induced asthma by 4% and wheeze in the past year by 8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that positive family history of atopic condition (Odds Ratio=437.11, P<0.001), pets ownership (Odds Ratio=2.91, p<0.001), and lower monthly family income (Odds Ratio=2.00, P<0.02) were significant factors influencing the development of asthma. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the screening methodology adopted in this study could be applied for all children at the beginning of the school year, being simple and non-invasive measure. The prevalence of asthma in school children in Abha is greater than that reported from most developing countries and closer to the rates reported in developed countries. Avoidance of pets ownership at home, improving social class and premarital counselling for atopic persons are all recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

The pattern of hearing impairment among schoolboys in an Institute for deaf subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to study the pattern of deafness among boys of Al-Amal Institutes for the Deaf in Abha, the capital city of Asir Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia. METHODS: All students (n=155) were subjected to full otoscopic and audiometric examinations, and the type and degree of deafness were graded according to the recommendation of the British Society of Audiology. Computerized tomography scan was carried out to exclude congenital inner ear deformity, and specific Igm antibodies assay for TORCHS was carried out when the history of intrauterine infection was positive or suggestive. RESULTS: More than 97% of students had sensori-neural hearing loss of various grades (55% profound, 28% severe and 14.5% moderate), while congenital conductive deafness constituted 3% of all cases. Residual hearing was reported for 43% of cases. There was delayed identification of deafness with an inverse relation between the age of identification of deafness and its severity (F = 227.66, P < 0.001). Prematurity (30%), intrauterine infection (17%) and heredity (15.5%) were the most frequently encountered causes of deafness. Postnatal causes accounted for only 20%, mostly due to meningitis 12%, other childhood fevers 5% and trauma 2.5%. Deafness of unknown cause constituted 12% of all cases. CONCLUSION: The preventable causes of deafness in the region has not yet been overcome, a finding that will necessitate more efforts to upgrade the prenatal and perinatal health care. Late identification of hearing impairment will make the improvement in the audiology screening for infants the priority need.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate during steady state, painful crisis and infection in children with sickle cell disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in children with sickle cell disease. METHODS: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was performed in 95 children with sickle cell disease during the period from December 1992 to June 1999. Patients were classified into 4 groups. Patients in the steady state (group 1), painful crisis (group 2), mild infection (group 3) and moderate/severe infection (group 4). Comparison between the groups was performed using ANOVA and ANCOVA. RESULTS: There were 55 males (58%) and 40 females (42%) with a mean age of 79.1 months. The mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate values for the various groups were as follows: Group 1 (n=10); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 5 mm/hr (+/-4.6) and was significantly the lowest (p<0.05), group 2 (n=44); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 25.8 mm/hr (+/-16.3), group 3 (n=18); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 28.1 mm/hr (+/-25.8), while group 4 (n=23); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 99.2 mm/hr (+/-33.5) and was significantly the highest (p<0.05). Two cut-off values for the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (> or = 30 mm/hr then > or = 50 mm/hr) were considered to evaluate their specificity and sensitivity for moderate/severe infection. CONCLUSION: Although the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is low in sickle cell disease, it does increase during painful crisis and infection and it is a useful indicator of moderate/severe infection.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Risk factors of coronary heart disease: attitude and behaviour in family practice in Saudi Arabia.

To study risk factors of attitudes and behaviour towards coronary heart disease (CHD), 280 Saudis > or = 20 years attending a family practice answered a structured health and lifestyle questionnaire and had their weight, height, blood pressure and random total cholesterol measured. Significant difference was found between males and females in the mean number of cardiovascular risk factors (t = -3.03, P < 0.01). Few people with high dietary fat intake, obesity or physical inactivity perceived their behaviour as harmful. The number of people who perceived an associated risk to their health increased with incidence of smoking and obesity but not with high fat intake. Physically inactive people were least likely to perceive their behaviour as harmful.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The impact of a lecture on AIDS on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of male school-age adolescents in the Asir Region of southwestern Saudi Arabia.

The aim of this study was to assess the levels of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs and AIDS among secondary school students in the Asir Region of Southwestern Saudi Arabia, and to assess the impact of a one-session AIDS education lecture given in some schools in the region during World AIDS Day, December 1992. An Arabic version of a previously reported self-administered questionnaire including factual and attitudinal items about AIDS was constructed. The questionnaire was given to two randomly selected groups of students; an experimental group of 335 students who had been exposed to a one-session lecture program about AIDS, and a control group of 503 students not previously exposed to the lecture. The results showed marked variability in correct responses to various specific items within and between groups. However, overall, 65% of the experimental group and 63% of the control group gave correct responses (P=0.517). Both groups were particularly less aware that casual contact cannot spread AIDS. However, fear of getting AIDS was significantly less among the experimental than among the control group (47% versus 58%, P = 0.011). Student knowledge about AIDS is inadequate, and the impact of an isolated one-session AIDS education lecture is less than satisfactory. AIDS education through a comprehensive school health program is recommended.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Parasitic infections and gastrointestinal symptoms among preschool children in day care centers in Alexandria, Egypt.

There is a considerable amount of speculations concerning the presence of symptoms in various parasitic infections. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of different parasitic infections among children in day care centers (DCCs), and to establish the relation of such infections to gastrointestinal symptoms. A total of 623 stool samples were collected from 700 preschool children aged 2-5 years who attended 3 DCCs of different social classes in Alexandria. These samples were tested for parasitic infection by the conventional microscopy. Parents were interviewed as regards the gastrointestinal symptoms frequently suffered from by their children included in the sample during the 3 months period preceding the interview. The prevalence rate of parasitic infection was 56.0%. Giardiasis was the commonest infection (34.7%), followed by Ascariasis (24.4%) and Trichuriasis (4.6%). Boys showed a significantly higher prevalence than girls (58.3% vs. 52.9%, p<0.01). Social children were more infected with G. lamblia than unsocial ones (39.6% vs. 22.1%, p<0.01). Vomiting was strongly associated with G. lamblia infection (OR=7.1, p<0.01), diarrhea with multiple infections (OR=48.2, p<0.01), while abdominal pain was not significantly associated with any of these infections. The high prevalence of Giardiasis in DCCs emphasizes the need for increased surveillance for G. lamblia as a cause of vomiting in children, especially among active and social boys. Routine and periodic administration of a protozoan treatment to such children is recommended.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1994

Prevalence of amblyopia among schoolboys in Abha city, Asir Region, Saudi Arabia.

The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of amblyopia among schoolboys in Abha City and to examine its relations with anisometropia and strabismus. A total of 971 male school children were selected randomly from the elementary schools for male in the city. Using the criterion of a visual acuity of 6/9 or worse, with no obvious structural disease of the eye, to define amblyopia, 18 cases have been found to have the condition, with a prevalence of 1.85%. Those cases consisted of 7(47%) with anisometropic amblyopia and strabismus, and 2(13%) with deprivation amblyopia. Amblyopia showed a prevalence equal to 27% and 31% among children with anisometropia and those with strabismus respectively. An effective screening program for early detection of amblyopia through the well baby clinics is recommended.

Amblyopia↗
PubMed1993

A study of some psycho-social characteristics of blind and deaf male students in Abha City, Asir region, Saudi Arabia.

Psychosocial characteristics including depression, attitude towards their handicap, hobbies and problems of living situations have been studied among 152 male students in the Institute for the Blind (n = 44) and in the Institute for the Deaf (n = 108) in Abha City. All students were subjected to a constructed Arabic version of the rating scale 'Children Depression Inventory (CDI)'. They were categorised according to their scores on this CDI, into depressed and non-depressed. Also, an interview questionnaire was administered to collect data related to the handicap, such as age of onset, and its cause and family history of the same handicap. The effect of the handicap upon the attitudes of students in relation to their social tendencies, hobbies and problems in living situations was studied. The mean ages for blind and deaf students were 15.70 and 13.04 years respectively. About 91.% and 75.% of blind and deaf students respectively were born with their handicap. Depression was more prevalent among the blind (14%) than among the deaf (6.5%) students. Difficulty in mobility was the main problem among blind students (44%) while difficulty in communication with people was the main problem among the deaf (52%). Reading was the commonest hobby for the blind (51%), while playing football was the commonest among the deaf (62%). This information should be considered when planning for rehabilitative services for these groups.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

A method for adjusting the international growth curves for local use in the assessment of nutritional status of Saudi pre-school children.

The aim of this study is to illustrate a method for adjusting the internationally used National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth curves for local use in the assessment of nutritional status of Saudi children. All children 1-60 months in three semiurban-rural communities in Asir region, Saudi Arabia (N = 1168) were subjected to weight and height (or length) measurements. These measurements were individually compared with those of the NCHS reference population. The distribution of the study population was found to be significantly shifted to the left of the normal distribution for reference population on the percentile growth curves (P < 0.001). This denoted the inappropriateness of the NCHS reference standards for local use. Accordingly, the lower limits for the expected normal on the growth curves has been shifted from the 3rd percentile line to -3 standard deviation line, to be suitable for the Saudi children. This led to 70% & 56% reductions in the estimation of undernutrition, based on wt/age and ht/age indicators respectively. It is recommended that this adjustment be supported by other studies locally and in other developing countries.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1990

Growth and nutritional status of preschool children attending the well-baby clinics.

This study aimed at the assessment of growth and nutritional status of preschool children by comparing it with internationally recognized growth standards, using the anthropometric indices of nutritional status. A cross-sectional study was carried out upon a sample of children (N = 660) aged 0-71 months who attended the well-baby clinics in the MCH centres in Alexandria. Individual measurements of weight and height were done for each child. Anthropometric indices of weight and height were calculated. These indices were related to the US National Centre of Health Statistics (NCHS) reference population by standard deviation scores (Z-scores). The growth pattern of children was different from that of western reference populations, while it resembled that of most developing countries. Of all children, 10.5% suffered from malnutrition (weight for age less than 2 S.D. of the reference median), 14.1% were stunted, and 5.5% were wasted. Parents of all children were interviewed, and analysis of specific social risk factors associated with poor attained size was done using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Few of such factors reached statistically significant association such as sex, infant feeding pattern, birth order and parental consanguinity.

Child Health Services↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Central obesity in elderly individuals in south-western Saudi Arabia: prevalence and associated morbidity.

Central obesity in all individuals aged 65 years and over (n = 810) in the catchment areas of three primary health care centres in Abha was determined from the waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The age-adjusted prevalence of central obesity was 32.4% and 43.5% based on the WC and WHR indicators respectively. WC was significantly associated with the risk of diabetes and hypertension, while WHR was significantly associated with the risk of diabetes only. These findings suggest that reducing the prevalence of central obesity in old age would decrease the risk of diabetes and hypertension. WC is a powerful independent predictor mainly of hypertension risk, while WHC is a good predictor of the risk of diabetes.

Age Distribution↗