Explore the Practice and Level of Knowledge of Otorhinolaryngology-Related Issues Among the Population of the Northern Borders Region in Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 12; p. e51222
• Main Authors: Alkhalifah, Khalid M, Muteb Alanazi, Mada, Almushayqih, Shahad I, Aljurayyed, Shaden M, Alanazi, Nawal S, Almazyad, Layan T, Alenezi, Raghad Z, Almazyad, Renad T, Elsayed Elboraei, Yahia Abdelgawad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 28.12.2023; Cureus
• Subjects: Colds; Congenital diseases; Disease prevention; Ear diseases; Epidemiology/Public Health; Family/General Practice; Hearing loss; Influenza; Knowledge; Marital status; Otolaryngology; Perceptions; Questionnaires; Sample size; Sampling techniques; Sociodemographics; Tall, Mustafa Wahbi (1899-1949); Vaccines; Vertigo; Vitamin C; Saudi Arabia; United States > US; Riyadh Saudi Arabia; ent; public awareness; otolaryngology-head and neck surgeons; otorhinolaryngology; knowledge
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51222

The objective of this study was to evaluate public practice and the level of knowledge of common otorhinolaryngology-related issues among the population of the Northern Borders region of Saudi Arabia. A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was done in this research, employing data from 363 participants from the general population in the Northern Borders region of Saudi Arabia. The participants completed an online self-administered questionnaire and ensured anonymity. The questionnaire used in this study had been previously validated. Most of the respondents involved in this study were aged above 20 years (n = 326, 89.8%), and 248 had a medical background (68.3%). The study results show that 139 (38.2%) of the respondents had a good knowledge level, while 224 (61.8%) had poor knowledge about otorhinolaryngology-related issues. The results established a statistically significant association between the demographic information of age, gender, education level, and the level of knowledge about otorhinolaryngology-related issues with p-values < 0.05 (0.001, 0.003, and 0.002), respectively. There were no statistically significant association between marital status, place of residence, occupation, medical background, and the level of knowledge about otorhinolaryngology-related issues (with p > 0.05).  Conclusion: The study found that less than half of the participants had good knowledge of otorhinolaryngology; elder and female participants showed better understanding. Sociodemographic factors, such as age, gender, and education, were statistically linked to knowledge levels. The findings highlight a need for increased public awareness efforts by the medical community regarding otorhinolaryngology issues in Saudi Arabia.