Navigating Thyroid Dysfunction and Comorbidities Among University Students in Abbottabad, Pakistan – A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Screening Tool for Thyroid Dysfunction

Abstract

Ayesha Iqbal,1,2 Saira Azhar,3 Ghulam Murtaza,4 Rashida Bibi,5 Sana Samreen,6 Muhammad Mamoon Iqbal,7,8 Wajid Syed,9 Mahmood Basil A Al-Rawi10 1Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; 2Office of Lifelong Learning and the Physician Learning Program, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G1C9, Canada; 3College of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan; 4Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 54000, Pakistan; 5Department of Pharmacy, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan; 6Aurobindo College of Pharmacy, Warangal, Telangana, India; 7Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22040, Pakistan; 8University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Balmoral Building Leicester Royal Infirmary, Infirmary Square Leicester Leicestershire, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK; 9Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 10Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Wajid Syed, Email [email protected]: Thyroid dysfunction has a direct role in diagnosing, and assessment and indicates the development of thyroid carcinoma. This study aimed to assess thyroid dysfunction through medical camps in different age and sex groups in students of Comsats University Abbottabad Pakistan.Methods: In this study, a cross-sectional survey design was used. For data collection, a two-day medical camp was set in the Comsats University Abbottabad campus. The students were examined physically for symptoms of thyroid dysfunction using the survey questionnaire specifically designed for this study.Results: The current research revealed that 78 out of 1032 students, or 7.6% of the population, had thyroid disease. Although 39.3% (=406) were found to have low risk, followed by 36.7% (n=379) had moderate risk and 23.9% (n=247) had high risk of thyroid dysfunction. Altogether, 6.1% (n=63) of the students had high blood pressure (BP), 3.2% (n=33) had high cholesterolemia, 3.4% (n=33) had angina, and 0.9% (n=9) had diabetes mellitus (DM). In relation, students who exhibit signs and symptoms that last longer than five weeks include 42.2% (n=435) who felt the need for excessive sleep, 35.3% (n=364) who felt tired, 36.8% (n=380) who had trouble concentrating and 30.1% (n=311) who had palpitations. The high risk of thyroid being seen predominantly in students between the ages of 15– 20 years (31.2%, n=148), as opposed to other age groups (p=0.001). Similar to this, women having a higher risk of thyroid disease (26.5%) than men (22.8%) (p =0.001).Conclusion: In conclusion, few students suffer with thyroid found to have high risk of thyroid disease. This method of questionnaire-based screening for thyroid dysfunction is cost-effective, with no additive risk of adverse effects from excessive screening, and could help in the early detection of thyroid and help avoid excess costs related to thyroid dysfunction and cancer screening.Keywords: thyroid dysfunction, screening, medical camp, thyroid cancer

Keywords

• thyroid dysfunction
• screening
• medical camp
• thyroid cancer