ABSTRACT
Background: Osteoporosis refers to a disorder of the skeletal tissues that affect the density and quality of thebone. In most communities, the disorder is known to affect up to half of the population of women aged above 50years, while affecting up to 205 of men of the similar age. Various research studies have however revealed thatthe majority of people are usually not aware of this condition. Normally, fractures resulting from osteoporosiscan lead to disability, premature mortality or poor quality of life.This study therefore aims to assess the knowledgeand awareness among adult residents of Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding osteoporosis and itsrisk factors. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, data was collected among adult residents in Riyadh inSaudi Arabia. It used stratified random sampling method for the selection of the study population. For the datacollection, the study used a pre-coded self-administered questionnaire. It used SPSS software version 20 in datamanagement and analysis. Results: 385 completed the survey through the questionnaires, 41.8% were females,and 58.2% were males. From the chi-square analysis, we failed to reject the null hypothesis that there is noassociation between gender and awareness of risk factors associated with osteoporosis. Conclusion: Althoughvarious research studies have asserted that awareness of risk factors associated with osteoporosis is mostworrisome compared to other elements such as attitude and preventive measures, this study deduces thatawareness does not depend on gender or age. Instead, it agrees with assertions from other studies, which indicatethat awareness is positively correlated with levels of education.
ABSTRACT
Background: Without corrective action, patients suffering from hypothyroidism may exhibit increased risk ofcardiovascular diseases, dysrhythmias and fractures, and are also at risk of adverse effects on bone mass, lipidmetabolism, blood pressure, and a declined cognitive function. Methods: We adopted a cross-sectional survey toassess the knowledge, attitude, and practices in patients with hypothyroidism in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Participants for the study were recruited from 04/08/2019 till 24/09/2019 through convenience sampling method.For an individual to participate in the study, they were required to be 18 years of age and diagnosed withhypothyroidism, a Saudi citizen and a resident of Riyadh. The participants were assessed on a number ofindicators; demographics, questions on knowledge domain, questions on attitude domain, and questions onpractice domain. In our construct, the knowledge section consisted of 20 factual statements to assess variousindicators of hypothyroidism, including the symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Results: 55% of therespondents were female and 45% were male. The study indicates that hypothyroidism occurs at a higherprevalence in females in the 45+ age category, which is consistent with previous literature. Equally, 24% of therespondents strongly disagree that women are at a greater risk of developing hypothyroidism and should be testedat regular intervals for hypothyroidism; while, 19% of the respondents agree that women are at a greater risk ofdeveloping hypothyroidism and should be tested at regular intervals for hypothyroidism. The findings indicate aworrying lack of knowledge about hypothyroidism among residents of Riyadh. Conclusion: There is a need forgreater public education and awareness in Saudi Arabia to improve the level of knowledge about hypothyroidism.