Assessment of General Population Understanding and Awareness of Drug Addiction before and after a Health Educational Campaign in Taif City, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES

An awareness campaign was carried out in Taif City to increase awareness about substance abuse and its dangers. This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign in enhancing the study participants' awareness and knowledge about drug addiction.

METHODS

Using pre- and post-campaign surveys, we assessed the campaign's impact on participants' understanding of drug addiction. The survey included demographic items, followed by 12 items for awareness, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with the total scores ranging up to 60.

RESULTS

A total of 146 visitors, with a mean age of 33.4 years (SD = 9.2), completed both the pre- and post-questionnaires. Notably, in the post-campaign, 47.3% of the participants acknowledged the risk of IV drug-related infections, a substantial increase from 28.1% from the pre-campaign. Overall, the mean total awareness score increased significantly, from 47.4 (SD = 6.6) pre-campaign to 50.4 (SD = 6.4) post-campaign (paired t = -4.052, < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the potential of such campaigns to significantly improve understanding and awareness of drug addiction.