Alhammadi Nouf Ahmed, Mohammed Al Oudhah Saud Mushabbab, Mofareh Asiri Mofareh Ahmed, Alshehri Mohammed Abdullah, Almutairi Bassam Ahmed B, Mohammed Abdullah Thalibah Abdullah, Asiri Fahad Nasser Mohammed, Alshahrani Abdullah Saad Aldarani
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2023 Sep;12(9):1854-1858. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2202_22. Epub 2023 Sep 30.
Corticosteroids have been used since the 50s and it represent the most important and frequently used class of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of several diseases such as numerous neoplastic, asthma, allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, and dermatological disorders. This study aims to determine the public awareness of side effects of systemic steroids in Asir region, Saudi Arabia.
A descriptive cross-sectional web-based study was used. An online questionnaire was developed by the study researchers based on the literature review and consultations of the field experts. The questionnaire included the following components: Participants demographic data, medical history, and steroids use. Also, it covered participants awareness regarding systemic steroids and side effects.
A total of 439 participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria completed the study questionnaire. Ages ranged from 18 to 65 years with mean age of 26.1 ± 13.9 years old, of those, 227 (51.7%) respondents were males. Around 346 (78.8%) had poor overall awareness level while only 93 (21.2%) had good awareness regarding systematic steroids. The study also showed that awareness was significantly higher among young aged participants in the health care field and among those who previously used steroids. Two hundred and eighty two (64.2%) of the respondents reported previous use of steroids.
In conclusion, the current study showed that nearly one out of each five people know about systemic steroids and related side effects which is below the satisfactory level. Higher awareness was observed with regards drug associated side effects and long-term use consequences.
自20世纪50年代以来，皮质类固醇就已被使用，它是治疗多种疾病（如多种肿瘤、哮喘、过敏、类风湿性关节炎和皮肤病）最重要且最常用的一类抗炎和免疫抑制药物。本研究旨在确定沙特阿拉伯阿西尔地区公众对全身性类固醇副作用的认知情况。
采用基于网络的描述性横断面研究。研究人员根据文献综述和领域专家的咨询意见编制了一份在线问卷。问卷包括以下内容：参与者的人口统计学数据、病史和类固醇使用情况。此外，还涵盖了参与者对全身性类固醇及其副作用的认知。
共有439名符合纳入标准的参与者完成了研究问卷。年龄范围为18至65岁，平均年龄为26.1±13.9岁，其中227名（51.7%）受访者为男性。约346名（78.8%）参与者的总体认知水平较差，而只有93名（21.2%）对系统性类固醇有良好认知。研究还表明，医疗保健领域的年轻参与者以及曾使用过类固醇的参与者的认知明显更高。282名（64.2%）受访者报告曾使用过类固醇。
总之，当前研究表明，每五个人中几乎只有一人了解全身性类固醇及其相关副作用，这低于令人满意的水平。在药物相关副作用和长期使用后果方面观察到了更高的认知度。
