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Food culture plays a vital role in societal dynamics, with various factors influencing dietary choices beyond hunger. Among these factors are external eating, triggered by environmental cues, and emotional eating, which are common stress-coping mechanisms among college students. Social media has a significant impact on nutrition by providing access to food-related content, which can lead to restrictive diets or unhealthy eating habits. High social media engagement is associated with an increased risk of chronic diet-related conditions such as metabolic syndrome. This study investigated the association between social media use and dietary habits among college students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The cross-sectional study surveyed 401 participants online. The findings revealed that 74.6% of participants were women, with a mean age of 20.75 years. A significant portion (51.9%) reported spending over four hours daily on social media, with TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube being the primary sources of nutritional information. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences in dietary scores related to having children, medical conditions, and social media usage time. This study highlights the negative impact of extensive social media use on dietary habits and suggests the need for targeted public health interventions. Recommendations include promoting reliable nutrition-related content on social media, offering affordable healthy food options on campuses, and conducting further research to establish causality between social media use and dietary habits., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Saudi and Turkish coffee consumption in Saudi Arabia is increasing considerably, and the nationwide consumption patterns need elucidation to determine the contributions of Saudi and Turkish coffee toward nutrition and health., Aim: To describe the frequency and quantity of Saudi and Turkish coffee consumption and assess their association with sociodemographic factors., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,030 participants (Saudi Arabia) recruited via an online questionnaire study that collected information on general characteristics and coffee consumption. The caffeine content in Saudi and Turkish coffees was quantified using a standard laboratory technique. The total caffeine intake and exposure were calculated. Associations between the different parameters were assessed., Results: Significant differences were observed in several demographic and sociodemographic factors according to the frequency of coffee intake. Specifically, individuals who consumed Saudi coffee almost every day (approximately 40% of respondents) were more likely to differ in age, body mass index, marital status, work status, monthly income, and region compared to those who consumed it less frequently. Additionally, one-third of the respondents consumed Turkish coffee, and the frequency of its consumption showed significant differences according to age, nationality, marital status, educational level, and region. Notably, the highest caffeine exposures were 0.95 mg/kg/d for Saudi coffee, 1.31 mg/kg/d for Turkish coffee, and 2.07 mg/kg/d for both coffees combined. The mean contribution to the 400 mg daily caffeine intake limit was significantly higher for Saudi coffee compared to Turkish coffee ( p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Saudi and Turkish coffee consumption patterns vary across sociodemographic characteristics, where Saudi coffee is generally more consumed. Our study may form a basis for nutrient education in terms of coffee consumption to promote a healthy lifestyle., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Bawazeer, Binsunaid, Alraqea, Al Fayez, Alhumaidan, Fallata, Aldahash and Benajiba.)

Aim: To compare diabetes mellitus (DM) knowledge, risk perception, and health practices before and after a mass awareness program among Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University students, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Methods: A DM awareness program was conducted between November 2020 and February 2021 in three phases (total 13 weeks). The program comprised educational messages, short videos, virtual lectures, and peer-to-peer education. A total of 558 participants (before group, n = 360; after group, n = 198) were included in the study., Results: Majority of the students had normal body mass index (BMI). The knowledge scores were significantly higher after the program (median 16, quartile range 13-18) than before (median 14, quartile range 12-16) (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in risk perception between the two groups (p > 0.05). In addition, increased moderate practice score and decreased poor practice score (p < 0.001) were observed. Factors influencing DM knowledge were higher education and awareness. Factors influencing health practices were higher BMI and knowledge after the program., Conclusion: DM awareness program improved DM knowledge and health practices among university students., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Assessing knowledge, self-efficacy, and practice among a given population us-ing a validated and reliable questionnaire is crucial. The aim of this study was to translate, validate, and test the reliability of the knowledge, self-efficacy, and practice in the Arabic population. Methods and Study De-sign: A previously published knowledge, self-efficacy, and practice nutrition questionnaire was translated and validated into Arabic. A panel of translation and nutrition experts from Arab countries participated in translation and testing validity. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit participants across 22 Arab countries. An online self-administered questionnaire was completed twice with an interval of 2 weeks. Tests of validity (face and content) and reliability (consistency and test-retest reliability) were used., Results: A total of 96 participants had a mean age of 21.5 years, 68.7% were female, and 80.2% were students. The mean expert proportional content validity index scale was 0.95, and intra class correlation values ranged from 0.59 to 0.76; all of these values were highly statistically significant at retest., Conclusions: The Arabic version of the questionnaire provided valid and reliable results for assessing knowledge, self-efficacy, and practice among Arab adolescents and young adults. This tool could assess nutritional education programs in a community setting and educational institutions targeting this population in Arab countries.

Introduction: Carbohydrate counting (CC) is an important nutritional strategy to improve glycaemic outcomes among patients with diabetes. Few studies have investigated CC knowledge among individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate CC knowledge in Saudi adults with T1DM., Study Design and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and February 2022, including 224 patients with T1DM from the University Diabetes Center, Riyadh. Adults aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with T1DM for >1 year, and residing in Saudi Arabia were included. CC knowledge was assessed using a previously well-studied tool (AdultCarbQuiz), which was translated into Arabic and tested for validity by a group of dieticians. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis, and bivariate and regression analyses were conducted., Results: The AdultCarbQuiz questionnaire-Arabic version had good validity and reliability (Cronbach's α: 0.87). The CC method was used by 54% of the participants. The mean CC knowledge score was 23.01±7.31. A significant negative linear relationship between the participants' CC knowledge scores, and age and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, was revealed by simple regression analysis. Furthermore, significant independent variables related to CC knowledge scores were CC use, HbA1c levels, being taught about CC (>5 times), insulin pump usage and DM duration (≤15 years)., Conclusions: Approximately half of the patients used the CC method. The mean CC knowledge scores were better in patients who used the CC method, were more frequently taught about CC, were treated using an insulin pump, and had a shorter DM duration than their counterparts. Therefore, designing and implementing a well-structured nutrition education programme tailored to individuals with diabetes is crucial to provide them with up-to-date dietary information, as well as the necessary knowledge and skills, to improve their outcomes and manage their condition., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

We investigated dietary patterns and their associations with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in Saudi adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 297 participants (154 men and 143 women) with a mean age (standard deviation) of 54.0 (7.0) years were enrolled in the current study. Self-reported information on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, eating behavior, and frequency of consumption was collected from all participants. Principal component analysis was used to determine dietary patterns. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the associations between dietary patterns and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. We identified five dietary patterns: "Vegetables and olive oil," "Refined grains and sweets," "Dairy products and legumes," "Dates and beverages," and "Fruit." Age was inversely associated with the pattern "Refined grains and sweets" (β = -0.036, p <0.001). Females were more likely to have higher scores with the "Fruit" pattern (β = 0.410, p = 0.011). Smoking was associated with "Vegetables and olive oil" (β = 0.919, p = 0.001) and "Dates and beverages" (β = -0.947, p = 0.001) patterns. The level of physical activity was associated with "Dates and beverages" (β = 0.104, p = 0.048) and "Vegetables and olive oil" (β = -0.102, p = 0.048) patterns. The number of snacks consumed was associated with "Dates and beverages" pattern (β = -0.241, p = 0.005), and the frequency of meals eaten in fast food locations and restaurants per month was associated with "Vegetables and olive oil" pattern (β = -0.043, p = 0.034). Each dietary pattern was associated with different sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and eating behaviors. This study provides insights into the underlying nutritional habits of Saudi Arabian patients with T2DM. Future studies are necessary to assess these associations in representative samples., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The link between sleep duration and obesity has been well established in adults, but several epidemiological studies revealed inconsistent findings in adolescents and younger children. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep length and obesity in Saudi students. A total of 5,877 Saudi students, boys (55.2%) and girls (44.8%), aged between 10 and 19 years were randomly selected from elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools in different regions of Riyadh. A questionnaire on sleep behaviors was given. Anthropometry included BMI and waist and hip circumferences. Sleeping