ABSTRACT
Introduction Amblyopia, also known as the lazy eye, is the reduction of the best-corrected visual acuity of one or both eyes that cannot be attributed exclusively to a structural abnormality of the eye. This study investigated the Hail population's awareness of amblyopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from May to October 2022. Data entry and analysis were done using RStudio (R version 4.1.1). Results This study included 496 of the general population (23.8% males and 76.2% females), and the majority of them had a university degree (65.7%). Of the population, 52.4% knew the definition of amblyopia, 43.4% knew the treatment of amblyopia, and 85.1% knew the importance of checking the child's vision before school to ensure normal development. In 35.7% of the population, the main source of information was the internet and social media. The median knowledge score of participants was 4 (interquartile range (IQR): 3-5) with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 9. Based on the univariate analysis, participants aged 41 years or older had significantly lower knowledge scores (ß = -0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.81 to -0.99, p = 0.049), whereas respondents with a positive family history of amblyopia had a significantly higher knowledge score (ß = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.02 to 0.61, p = 0.034). Conclusions This study assessed the awareness and knowledge of amblyopia among the population in Hail city. According to our data, we found a significantly poor awareness and knowledge compared to other big cities in the same country such as Riyadh and Jeddah. This indicates that knowledge in smaller cities is deficient in enough and accurate sources of knowledge of eye conditions.
ABSTRACT
Background The skin is the largest organ of the body. Burns are important health issues that significantly affect a variety of population groups. Skin grafting is still regarded as the gold standard in surgical burn treatment. The availability of skin for grafting is one of the main challenges in burn surgical therapies. Thus, this study aimed to assess the public perception and attitude regarding skin donation in Saudi Arabia. Method The study was a cross-sectional study that included the general population in Saudi Arabia (≥ 18 years old). A self-administered survey was distributed online. Statistical analysis was carried out using RStudio (R version 4.1.1). Categorical data were presented as frequencies and percentages, while continuous data were expressed as the median and interquartile range (IQR). Results A total of 8515 were included in the study. Most participants (71.5%) were females. Among the respondents, 64.9% were between the ages of 18 and 30. Females had a higher knowledge level of skin graft donation compared to males. Participants aged >30 years had lower knowledge levels compared to younger participants. Lower knowledge scores were also observed among married, widows, as well as uneducated participants. Five thousand two hundred and seven (61.1%) participants support skin donation. The most reported barrier to skin donation was religious reasons (52.4%), while the main motives for supporting skin donation were humane-related factors (73.2%). The influence of close relatives on participants' decisions to donate was evident in 52.6% of the instances. Conclusion It was found that most participants support skin donation in Saudi Arabia. Religious reasons were the most common hindering factors against skin donation. Females and young-aged groups were found to have a higher knowledge level. Further studies are recommended to shed light on this subject allowing for appropriate solutions implantation.
