Alhaj Shaikha Salah, Allami Sajad, Mohamadiyeh Amjad, Agha Ammar, Ali Abdul Kareem Abu, Habbal Joudi M Bassam, Saeed Balsam Qubais
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 10;20(1):e0298993. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298993. eCollection 2025.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are infections of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra, are a worldwide public health concern. As compared to men, women are more prone to UTIs. There have been several studies that explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women regarding UTIs in different countries, but no such study has been conducted in the UAE; therefore, we conducted this study in the UAE setting.
This study was conducted using an online survey created on Microsoft Forms. The minimum sample size required for our study was 385. This study was conducted after obtaining ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sharjah. A personally designed questionnaire consisting of 21 items, derived from previous research was used to record data. The data was analyzed using SPSS.
A total of 475 females were included in the study. Most respondents were aged 18-30 years (47.4%). Our study found that a majority of the participants (69.7%) correctly identified bacteria as the most common cause of UTIs. With regards to practices undertaken during UTIs, among the participants with a history of UTI episodes, 32.6% waited 24-48 hours before seeking medical attention at a hospital or clinic, while 10% did not visit a hospital at all. Distinct trends were found when comparing demographic factors with knowledge levels. Most notably, the age group of 18-30 years showed the highest percentage of high-knowledge individuals (49%) compared to other age groups (p < 0.05). Education level was significantly (p = 0.003) associated with UTI knowledge. Going to the hospital/clinic was reported by 41% with high knowledge but only by 20% of those with poor knowledge. Moreover, a higher proportion of individuals with high knowledge sought medical attention immediately within 24 hours (47%).
Most of the participants possessed adequate knowledge regarding UTIs. Higher knowledge levels were associated with more proactive and appropriate health behaviors, such as seeking medical attention promptly and drinking more water.
尿路感染（UTIs）是指肾脏、输尿管、膀胱或尿道的感染，是一个全球性的公共卫生问题。与男性相比，女性更容易患尿路感染。已有多项研究探讨了不同国家女性对尿路感染的认知、态度和行为，但阿联酋尚未开展此类研究；因此，我们在阿联酋进行了这项研究。
本研究使用在微软表单上创建的在线调查问卷进行。我们研究所需的最小样本量为385。本研究在获得沙迦大学研究伦理委员会的伦理批准后进行。一份由21个项目组成的个人设计问卷，源自先前的研究，用于记录数据。数据使用SPSS进行分析。
共有475名女性参与了本研究。大多数受访者年龄在18 - 30岁之间（47.4%）。我们的研究发现，大多数参与者（69.7%）正确识别出细菌是尿路感染最常见的病因。关于尿路感染期间采取的行为，在有尿路感染发作史的参与者中，32.6%的人在前往医院或诊所就医前等待了24 - 48小时，而10%的人根本没有去医院。在比较人口统计学因素与知识水平时发现了明显的趋势。最显著的是，与其他年龄组相比，18 - 30岁年龄组的高知识个体比例最高（49%）（p < 0.05）。教育水平与尿路感染知识显著相关（p = 0.003）。知识水平高的人中有41%报告会去医院/诊所，而知识水平低的人中只有20%会去。此外，知识水平高的人中有更高比例的人在24小时内立即就医（47%）。
大多数参与者对尿路感染拥有足够的知识。较高的知识水平与更积极和适当的健康行为相关，如及时就医和多喝水。
