Alshareef Lujain, Alnafei Khalid H, Alibrahim Ibrahim S, Alsharif Abdullah M, Althubiani Teyf M, Mandurah Hadeel T, Alsairafi Rani
College of Medicine and Surgery, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternity and Children Hospital, Makkah, SAU.
Cureus. 2024 Jan 27;16(1):e53030. doi: 10.7759/cureus.53030. eCollection 2024 Jan.
Constipation is a common gastrointestinal issue with significant economic implications. Its prevalence varies globally, and it can have acute or chronic forms with primary or secondary causes. The pathophysiology of constipation is influenced by various factors. While previous studies have reported varying levels of awareness of constipation and its complications in different regions of Saudi Arabia, no comprehensive research has assessed such awareness among the general population. This study, thus, aimed to assess awareness of constipation and its complications among the public in Saudi Arabia.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia on individuals aged 18 and above, excluding healthcare workers. Data were collected using a validated survey distributed online between September 2023 and November 2023.
A total of 1,139 participants were included in the study, predominantly female 739 (64.9%), and most of the participants 595 (52.2%) aged between 19 and 30 years, The majority of participants 850 (74.6%) had bachelor's degree. Regarding the source of medical information, 312 (27.4%) of the participants stated that they obtained medical information from social media. Additionally, 811 (71.2%) of participants reported experiencing constipation. Overall, 847 (74.4%) of participants demonstrated a good level of awareness of constipation, while 292 (25.6%) had a poor level of awareness. Significant associations were found between awareness level and age, city of residence, and occupation.
Most adults in Saudi Arabia have a high level of awareness of constipation and its complications.
便秘是一种常见的胃肠道问题，具有重大的经济影响。其患病率在全球范围内各不相同，可分为急性或慢性形式，有原发性或继发性原因。便秘的病理生理学受多种因素影响。虽然先前的研究报告了沙特阿拉伯不同地区对便秘及其并发症的认知水平各不相同，但尚未有全面的研究评估普通人群的这种认知情况。因此，本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯公众对便秘及其并发症的认知情况。
在沙特阿拉伯对18岁及以上的个人进行了一项描述性横断面研究，不包括医护人员。数据收集采用了一份经过验证的调查问卷，于2023年9月至2023年11月在线发放。
共有1139名参与者纳入研究，其中大多数为女性，共739人（64.9%），大多数参与者595人（52.2%）年龄在19至30岁之间，大多数参与者850人（74.6%）拥有学士学位。关于医疗信息来源，312名（27.4%）参与者表示他们从社交媒体获取医疗信息。此外，811名（71.2%）参与者报告有便秘经历。总体而言，847名（74.4%）参与者对便秘有良好的认知水平，而292名（25.6%）认知水平较差。在认知水平与年龄、居住城市和职业之间发现了显著关联。
沙特阿拉伯的大多数成年人对便秘及其并发症有较高的认知水平。
