Buhiliga Yosra F, Alkhars Hussam F, Alkhars Abdullah, AlAlwan Abdullah, Alkhars Ali F
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dammam Medical Complex, Dammam, SAU.
Medicine and Surgery, King Faisal University, Al Hofuf, SAU.
Cureus. 2025 Feb 7;17(2):e78695. doi: 10.7759/cureus.78695. eCollection 2025 Feb.
Introduction Dupuytren's contracture (DC) is a progressive and irreversible fibroproliferative disorder affecting the palmar fascia. Restricting hand mobility can significantly impact an individual's quality of life. This study aims to assess public awareness of DC in Saudi Arabia and identify factors associated with awareness levels to inform prevention and management strategies. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to October 2024 among Saudi nationals aged 18 years and older. Data were collected via a Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA) survey distributed on social media platforms. The questionnaire was validated using the Lawshe method, and knowledge of DC symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options was assessed. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics version 26.0 (IBM Corp. Released 2019. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Participants were categorized into "poor" and "good" knowledge groups based on a knowledge score. Factors associated with knowledge and awareness were analyzed, with p-values <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results A total of 713 participants were included in the study. Awareness of DC was generally low, with 231 participants (32.4%) having heard of the condition. Only 28.3% identified diabetes as a risk factor, and 28.5% recognized finger immobility as a symptom. Treatment awareness was limited; while 28.2% knew about surgical options, fewer participants knew of non-surgical treatments such as collagenase injections (24.5%) and physical therapy (29.4%). Factors significantly associated with better awareness included residing in the Central Region (p<0.001), being aged 36-45 years (p<0.001), holding postgraduate degrees (p<0.001), and having previous knowledge of DC (p=0.00001). Conclusions Public knowledge and awareness of DC in Saudi Arabia were limited, with significant gaps in understanding its risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options. Educational campaigns are needed to improve awareness, particularly regarding the associations with diabetes, family history, and lifestyle factors such as tobacco and alcohol use. Increasing public knowledge of clinical symptoms and treatment options could lead to earlier diagnosis and better management. Further research is recommended to explore regional and population-level differences in awareness and to address limitations in understanding DC.
引言
杜普伊特伦挛缩症（DC）是一种影响手掌筋膜的进行性、不可逆的纤维增生性疾病。手部活动受限会对个人生活质量产生重大影响。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯公众对DC的认知情况，并确定与认知水平相关的因素，以为预防和管理策略提供依据。
材料与方法
2024年1月至10月对18岁及以上的沙特公民进行了一项横断面研究。数据通过在社交媒体平台上分发的谷歌表单（谷歌有限责任公司，美国加利福尼亚州山景城）调查问卷收集。问卷采用劳希方法进行验证，并评估了对DC症状、危险因素和治疗选择的了解情况。使用SPSS Statistics 26.0版本（IBM公司。2019年发布。适用于Windows的IBM SPSS Statistics，版本26.0。纽约州阿蒙克：IBM公司）进行统计分析。根据知识得分将参与者分为“知识水平低”和“知识水平高”两组。分析与知识和认知相关的因素，p值<0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
结果
共有713名参与者纳入研究。对DC的认知普遍较低，231名参与者（32.4%）听说过这种疾病。只有28.3%的人将糖尿病识别为危险因素，28.5%的人认识到手指活动受限是一种症状。治疗认知有限；虽然28.2%的人知道手术选择，但知道胶原酶注射（24.5%）和物理治疗（29.4%）等非手术治疗的参与者较少。与更好的认知显著相关的因素包括居住在中部地区（p<0.001）、年龄在36 - 45岁之间（p<0.001）、拥有研究生学位（p<0.001）以及之前了解过DC（p = 0.00001）。
结论
沙特阿拉伯公众对DC的知识和认知有限，在理解其危险因素、症状和治疗选择方面存在重大差距。需要开展教育活动以提高认知，特别是关于与糖尿病、家族史以及烟草和酒精使用等生活方式因素的关联。提高公众对临床症状和治疗选择的了解可能会导致更早的诊断和更好的管理。建议进一步研究以探索认知方面的地区和人群水平差异，并解决对DC理解方面的局限性。
