title: Risk profile of coronary heart disease among the staff members of Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the risk profile of coronary heart disease (CHD) among the staff members of Qassim University and assess their knowledge in a screening campaign in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among male and female staff at Qassim University campus. All employees of Qassim University were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The study sample size was 233 staff and employees. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 18. The data analysis focused on providing point estimates for the risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study found that 30% of participants have one or more risk factors for CHD, namely obesity 20.6%, diabetes 10.3%, hypertension 12.4%, dyslipidemia 10.7%, and smokers (11.6%). About 54% of the participants have a family history of at least one chronic disease as a risk factor for CHD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common risk factor of CHD among the staff members is obesity by 20.6%. Risk factors for CHD are quite common among Qassim University staff. These findings need to increase the health education and disease promotion program as an important intervention to reduce the occurrence and severity of CHD risk factors and to improve the quality of the life of the staff members of Qassim University.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sultan A L
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nohair
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulrahman A L
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mohaimeed
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Fawzy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sharaf
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Zahid
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Naeem
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Midhet
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Homaidan A L
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Homaidan
authors.affiliation: Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Winter
keywords: Coronary heart disease; Saudi Arabia; diabetes; dyslipidemia; hypertension; obesity; smoking