Public perception in the management and prevention of common ear, nose, and throat diseases in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the awareness and knowledge of and attitudes toward common ear, nose, and throat (ENT)-related diseases among Saudi Arabian adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in Riyadh in April 2018 through 2500 self-administered, convenient sampling technique online questionnaires. Sociodemographic data, as well as knowledge regarding common ENT-related conditions, were collected and evaluated. Results: Of the 2500 distributed questionnaires, 1611 responses were received (response rate = 64.4%). The majority of participants (79.4%) had poor knowledge of ENT-related diseases (<50% score). In terms of general knowledge, 69.6% of the participants correctly answered the questions related to the safety of cotton buds for the ears and 17.75% and 19.9% correctly answered the questions related to the role of Vitamin C in the treatment of the common cold and the difference between dizziness and vertigo, respectively. Most participants had acceptable knowledge when questioned on hearing loss (score ≥50%), whereas only 18.37% scored correctly regarding the use of hearing aids in infants. The question related to the initial step in controlling nasal allergies was the highest scoring question (95.65%). The most common information resources were community, social media, and Internet websites. Conclusion: Lack of awareness of ENT-related issues is common among people in Riyadh. In addition, our findings imply that there is a need to educate and increase public awareness, especially through community-based public health campaigns and awareness programs, as community was the major information source among participants in this study.

Keywords

• community
• ear
• hearing loss
• knowledge
• larynx
• saudi arabia
• throat