Alshehri Abdulelah, Khan Salahuddin, Alshammari Khalid, Alotaibi Bandar, Al-Mutairi Faisal M, Alhazzani Rana, Al-Ahmari Osama, Alzakari Meshal
College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, SAU.
Department of Biochemistry, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2025 May 19;17(5):e84441. doi: 10.7759/cureus.84441. eCollection 2025 May.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, its prevalence is increasing due to modifiable risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Raising public awareness of these factors is essential for effective prevention. This study aims to assess public knowledge and awareness of CAD risk factors and to examine their associations with demographic characteristics among adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 21 and February 5, 2025, involving 901 participants aged 18 and older. A validated, structured questionnaire was distributed online to assess demographic characteristics and knowledge of CAD risk factors. Data were analyzed using RStudio (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria), with chi-square tests used to examine associations between demographic factors and CAD knowledge.
Among the participants, 59.3% (n=534) were female, and 50.4% (n=454) were between 18 and 29 years of age. Overall, based on the scoring system, 88.1% (n=794) of participants demonstrated good awareness of CAD risk factors with a mean of 0.881 and SD (0.32), with smoking (n=697, 77.4%), physical inactivity (n=779, 86.5%), and obesity (n=855, 94.9%) being the most recognized. Higher awareness levels were significantly associated with female gender and postgraduate education (p < 0.05). However, gaps in knowledge persisted regarding diabetes and family history.
Although awareness of CAD risk factors is generally high, targeted educational initiatives are required to address misconceptions, particularly about non-modifiable risk factors. Strengthening public education efforts could help further reduce CAD prevalence in Saudi Arabia.
冠状动脉疾病（CAD）仍是全球主要的死亡原因。在沙特阿拉伯，由于肥胖、糖尿病和高血压等可改变的风险因素，其患病率正在上升。提高公众对这些因素的认识对于有效预防至关重要。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯利雅得成年人对CAD风险因素的公众知识和认识，并检查它们与人口统计学特征的关联。
于2025年1月21日至2月5日进行了一项横断面研究，涉及901名18岁及以上的参与者。通过在线分发一份经过验证的结构化问卷，以评估人口统计学特征和对CAD风险因素的知识。使用RStudio（奥地利维也纳的R统计计算基金会）进行数据分析，采用卡方检验来检查人口统计学因素与CAD知识之间的关联。
参与者中，59.3%（n = 534）为女性，50.4%（n = 454）年龄在18至29岁之间。总体而言，根据评分系统，88.1%（n = 794）的参与者对CAD风险因素表现出良好的认识，平均分为0.881，标准差为0.32，其中吸烟（n = 697，77.4%）、缺乏身体活动（n = 779，86.5%）和肥胖（n = 855，94.9%）是最被认可的因素。较高的认识水平与女性性别和研究生教育显著相关（p < 0.05）。然而，在糖尿病和家族史方面仍存在知识差距。
尽管对CAD风险因素的认识总体较高，但仍需要有针对性的教育举措来解决误解，特别是关于不可改变的风险因素。加强公众教育努力有助于进一步降低沙特阿拉伯的CAD患病率。
