Abstract
Background: There is a paucity of information in the medical literature on the awareness of the harmful effect of the combination of smoking and using oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) on cardiovascular health (CVH).
Objective: To evaluate this awareness among Saudi working women.
Methodology: This is a cross-sectional community-based study conducted on Saudi women working in the private sector. An international standard questionnaire was distributed electronically. Apart from the records of the patients' demographics, their cigarette smoking habits and use of contraceptive pills were also noted. The participants' awareness of the risk of combining smoking and OCPs and its effects on CVH was assessed.
Results: The study population consisted of 301 women who responded and answered the questions, with an age range of 21-30 years. While 77 (25.6%) women were using OCPs, only 13 (4.3%) were both smokers and users of OCPs. Overall, 256 (85.0%) women believed that smoking increases CVH risk. Additionally, 39.3% and 34.7% were aware that combined smoking and use of OCPs will lead to heart disease or risk of stroke, respectively, more than smoking alone, and 18% and 16.3% were aware that using OCPs alone can lead to heart disease and increase risk of stroke. There was no significant difference between women who used OCPs and smoked and those who did not use OCPs and not smokers. Only 66 (21.9%) of the participants were willing to use other means of birth control when warned that combining smoking and the use of OCPs was harmful.
Conclusion: The majority of the respondents were not aware of the effects on CVH when combining smoking and the use of OCPs. Public health awareness on this matter among Saudi women is therefore warranted.