Résumé
Background: Rhinitis is a common worldwide disease affecting more than 20% of people in many western and developing countries as well
Objectives: Assessing the prevalence of rhinitis and its association with smoking in a nationwide survey of Saudi adults
Methods: A national wide survey based on a cross-sectional study conducted among general adult Saudi population during the period from August to November 2017
Results: About 32.85% of the subjects suffered from nasal allergies, 29.5% suffer from runny nose, 31.4% had sneezing and itchy nose and 28.9% had red and itchy eye. The overall prevalence of rhinitis after diagnosis and revising the medical history of respondents was 32.8%. There was a significant association between the younger ages, male gender with the prevalence of rhinitis. Also, a highly significant association was found between smoking status and higher prevalence of rhinitis
Conclusion: The overall prevalence of rhinitis was high among Saudi subjects and it was significantly associated with smoking status. Educational programs and good lifestyle and habits would play an important role in decreasing the prevalence of rhinitis among Saudi population