Radhwi Zuhair O, Bin Laswad Bassam M, AlSulami Abdullah A, Bahakeem Faris Y, Abu Zabiba Mohammed A, Bawazer Siraj M, Bajodah Abdullah A, Khairo Yusuf M, Hafiz Waleed A
Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU.
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU.
Cureus. 2023 Jul 3;15(7):e41294. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41294. eCollection 2023 Jul.
Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease that affects mostly females of childbearing age. The exact cause is still unknown, but hormonal and immunological features and genetic predisposition are considered likely etiological factors. Disease presentation is variable but is usually characterized by phases of remission and relapse. Objective This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and awareness of SLE among the general population of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods Data were collected using an online survey created with Google Forms that was distributed to the residents of Makkah aged 18 years and older. The survey was disseminated between November 2022 and January 2023. Results A total of 488 participants were included in the study, and the mean age of the participants was 29.1 years; the majority were female (54%). Only 18.6% of the participants knew someone with SLE, while 52.3% had heard about SLE. Additionally, 79.9% of participants had below-average awareness of SLE. Moreover, 72.1% believed that awareness of SLE should be promoted; 65.5% knew about SLE from the Internet or e-resources. Finally, only 5.5% of the participants had heard about SLE from physicians. Conclusion This study showed an insufficient level of knowledge and awareness of SLE in the general population of Makkah. We recommend conducting physical and virtual disease awareness campaigns and activities to enhance the knowledge and awareness of SLE among the general population of Makkah and other parts of Saudi Arabia.
系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）是一种多系统自身免疫性疾病，主要影响育龄女性。确切病因尚不清楚，但激素和免疫特征以及遗传易感性被认为是可能的病因。疾病表现多样，但通常以缓解期和复发期为特征。目的：本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯麦加普通人群对系统性红斑狼疮的了解和认识。方法：通过谷歌表单创建在线调查问卷，收集2022年11月至2023年1月期间分发给18岁及以上麦加居民的数据。结果：共有488名参与者纳入研究，参与者的平均年龄为29.1岁；大多数为女性（54%）。只有18.6%的参与者认识系统性红斑狼疮患者，而52.3%的人听说过系统性红斑狼疮。此外，79.9%的参与者对系统性红斑狼疮的认识低于平均水平。此外，72.1%的人认为应该提高对系统性红斑狼疮的认识；65.5%的人通过互联网或电子资源了解系统性红斑狼疮。最后，只有5.5%的参与者从医生那里听说过系统性红斑狼疮。结论：本研究表明，麦加普通人群对系统性红斑狼疮的了解和认识水平不足。我们建议开展实体和虚拟疾病宣传活动，以提高麦加及沙特阿拉伯其他地区普通人群对系统性红斑狼疮的了解和认识。
