Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Front Immunol. 2024 Oct 24;15:1464622. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1464622. eCollection 2024.
Probiotics and Prebiotics are essential for supporting both overall health and gastrointestinal health. However, the perception of these dietary components among the general public in Saudi Arabia is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate public awareness, knowledge, and beliefs regarding prebiotics and probiotics across Saudi Arabia.
Our cross-sectional study included 1,306 participants aged 18 years and above. Data were collected in Saudi Arabia between May and July 2023 using a self-administered online questionnaire via convenience sampling.
A high level of awareness was self-reported by only 21.9% of participants, whereas more than half (51.8%) of participants rated their level of awareness as low. Overall, 37.5% of participants displayed a high level of knowledge about probiotics and prebiotics, whereas 15.5% had a low level of knowledge. The majority of participants believed in the beneficial effects of probiotics and prebiotics on overall digestion/gut health (84.1%) and supporting the immune system (72.5%). However, less than half of participants believed in their beneficial effects on overweight/obesity (42.3%), stress management (35%), mental health/stress (29.2%), and heart health (28.7%).
The obtained findings indicate sufficient levels of knowledge about prebiotics and probiotics among a population sample of Saudi adults. However, enhanced educational efforts and optimized strategies for promoting a comprehensive awareness and understanding of probiotics and prebiotics are recommended.
益生菌和益生元对于支持整体健康和胃肠道健康至关重要。然而，沙特阿拉伯公众对这些膳食成分的认知尚不清楚。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯公众对益生元和益生菌的认知、知识和信念。
我们的横断面研究包括 1306 名年龄在 18 岁及以上的参与者。数据于 2023 年 5 月至 7 月期间通过便利抽样，使用自我管理的在线问卷在沙特阿拉伯收集。
仅有 21.9%的参与者自我报告了高水平的认知，而超过一半（51.8%）的参与者认为自己的认知水平较低。总体而言，37.5%的参与者对益生菌和益生元有较高水平的了解，而 15.5%的参与者则知识水平较低。大多数参与者相信益生菌和益生元对整体消化/肠道健康（84.1%）和支持免疫系统（72.5%）有益。然而，不到一半的参与者认为它们对超重/肥胖（42.3%）、压力管理（35%）、心理健康/压力（29.2%）和心脏健康（28.7%）有益。
研究结果表明，沙特成年人群体对益生元和益生菌有足够的了解。然而，建议加强教育努力并优化促进对益生菌和益生元的全面认知和理解的策略。
