Alqahtani, Jaber S;
Aldhahir, Abdulelah M;
Siraj, Rayan A;
Alqarni, Abdullah A;
AlDraiwiesh, Ibrahim A;
AlAnazi, Afrah F;
Alamri, Areej H;
... AlAhmari, Mohammed D; + view all
(2023)
A nationwide survey of public COPD knowledge and awareness in Saudi Arabia: A population-based survey of 15,000 adults.
PloS One
, 18
(7)
, Article e0287565. 10.1371/journal.pone.0287565.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a concerning lack of representative data on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) awareness in Saudi Arabia, and a significant proportion of the population is vulnerable to developing a smoking habit, which is a major risk factor for the disease. METHODS: Population-Based Survey of 15,000 people was conducted to assess the public knowledge and awareness of COPD across Saudi Arabia from October 2022 to March 2023. RESULTS: A total of 15002 responders completed the survey, with a completion rate of 82%. The majority 10314 (69%) were 18–30 year and 6112 (41%) had high school education. The most common comorbidities among the responders were depression (7.67%); hypertension (6%); diabetes (5.77%) and Chronic Lung Disease (4.12%). The most common symptoms were dyspnea (17.80%); chest tightness (14.09%) and sputum (11.19%). Among those who complains of any symptoms, only 16.44% had consulted their doctor. Around 14.16% were diagnosed with a respiratory disease and only 15.56% had performed pulmonary function test (PFT). The prevalence of smoking history was 15.16%, in which current smokers were 9.09%. About 48% of smokers used cigarette, 25% used waterpipe and around 27% were E-cigarette users. About 77% of the total sample have never heard about COPD. Majority of current smokers (73.5%; 1002), ex-smokers (68%; 619), and non-smokers (77.9%; 9911) are unaware of COPD, p value <0.001. Seventy five percent (1028) of the current smokers and 70% (633) of the ex-smokers have never performed PFT, p value <0.001. Male, younger age (18–30 years), higher education, family history of respiratory diseases, previous diagnosis of respiratory disease, previous PFT, and being an ex-smokers increases the odds of COPD awareness, p-value <0.05. CONCLUSION: There is a significantly low awareness about COPD in Saudi Arabia, especially among smokers. A nationwide approach must include targeted public awareness campaigns, continued healthcare professional education, community-based activities encouraging diagnosis and early detection, advice on smoking cessation and lifestyle changes, as well as coordinated national COPD screening programs.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | A nationwide survey of public COPD knowledge and awareness in Saudi Arabia: A population-based survey of 15,000 adults |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0287565 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287565 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2023 Alqahtani et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10183310 |
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