Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.
Lebanese American University Medical Center - Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 2;19(8):e0306825. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306825. eCollection 2024.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a rapidly growing global health problem. Despite its growing incidence and potential for significant repercussions, MAFLD is still widely misunderstood and underdiagnosed.
The purpose of this study was to investigate MAFLD-related knowledge, attitudes, and risk profiles among university students aged 17 to 26.
A cross-sectional study with 406 university students in Lebanon, equally distributed among males and females, was conducted using a questionnaire that includes demographics, medical information, dietary habits, physical activity, and MAFLD-related knowledge and attitudes.
The findings demonstrated a significant lack of knowledge regarding MAFLD, with more than half of participants (54.7%) having no prior knowledge of the illness. Students exhibited unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as smoking (68%), insufficient physical exercise (44.1%), and poor food habits (52.5%). Having a family history of heart disease, personal history of diabetes mellitus, a balanced diet and prior knowledge of the disease were associated with a higher knowledge score (p<0.05). A higher attitude score existed among those who have a personal or family history of chronic diseases and those who have a prior negative impression about the disease, prior knowledge of the disease, and those who are physically active (p<0.05).
Despite knowledge gaps, university students in Lebanon have, in general, an appropriate and positive attitude towards MAFLD. We recommend the introduction of focused educational interventions to address the necessity of lifestyle changes among university students and the community as a whole. Developing comprehensive MAFLD prevention methods requires future studies in different age groups and demographics.
代谢相关脂肪性肝病（MAFLD）是一个快速增长的全球性健康问题。尽管其发病率不断上升且可能产生重大影响，但 MAFLD 仍然广泛被误解和漏诊。
本研究旨在调查 17 至 26 岁大学生中与 MAFLD 相关的知识、态度和风险概况。
在黎巴嫩进行了一项横断面研究，共有 406 名大学生参与，男女各占一半，使用的问卷包括人口统计学信息、医疗信息、饮食习惯、体育活动以及与 MAFLD 相关的知识和态度。
研究结果表明，学生们对 MAFLD 的知识明显匮乏，超过一半的参与者（54.7%）对该病一无所知。学生们表现出不健康的生活方式行为，如吸烟（68%）、体育锻炼不足（44.1%）和不良的饮食习惯（52.5%）。有心脏病家族史、个人糖尿病史、均衡饮食和对该病的了解与较高的知识评分相关（p<0.05）。对慢性病个人或家族史、对该病有负面印象、对该病有了解和积极运动的人具有更高的态度评分（p<0.05）。
尽管知识存在差距，但黎巴嫩大学生对 MAFLD 总体上有适当和积极的态度。我们建议引入有针对性的教育干预措施，以解决大学生和整个社区改变生活方式的必要性。为了制定全面的 MAFLD 预防方法，需要在不同年龄组和人群中进行未来的研究。
