A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Parents' Awareness Towards Testicular Torsion and Their Response to a Potential Torsion: A Northern Saudi Study.

BACKGROUND

Assessment of parents' awareness of testicular torsion (TT) is essential to plan for necessary awareness-raising campaigns by policymakers. Hence, the preventable loss of testis due to inadequate awareness can be avoided. We aimed to evaluate the awareness of TT amongst parents from the Aljouf region, KSA, and to assess their response to a potential torsion.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study among parents from the Aljouf region. The sample population was obtained using a consecutive sampling method. The present study used a pretested Arabic questionnaire. We used a statistical package for social science software for data analysis.

RESULTS

There were 320 parents who participated in different public places for the present study. Of the respondents, 10.6% of their children had sudden pain in the scrotum. More than half (52.2%) had never heard of testicular torsion, and 72.5% of parents agreed that they would seek immediate medical attention for severe testicular pain, but a low (42.5%) proportion of parents responded that they would seek help immediately. Nearly one-fourth of them responded that less than 6 hours is the critical time for repair. Parents who were knowledgeable at the critical time had more odds of presenting to a healthcare facility immediately for both mild (OR = 2.77, CI = 1.55-4.03, p = 0.001) and severe (OR = 1.92, CI = 1.03-3.63, p = 0.032).

CONCLUSION

We found a lack of awareness of TT among Saudi parents. It is suggested to improve the knowledge among them through awareness-raising campaigns by the concerned health authorities through feasible methods. Furthermore, we recommend conducting a futuristic multicenter and exploratory study to find province-specific awareness.