Objectives:To determine the level of awareness of keratoconus (KC)among students at Taif University in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods:A cross-sectional study was done on 957 students from Taif university, KSAfrom March to August 2021. An online-based survey was done using a pr-designed questionnaire that included items on socio-demographic data, having KC, and awareness about KC. Results: 33.8% of students heard about KC, 12.7% heard about it from social media, and 29.5% reported that KC is a thin protruded cornea. Almost half 53.6% reported that KC might lead to myopia, 24.6% is related to allergy, 33.9% thought it is hereditary and the majority 49.2% did not know its treatment. The prevalence of poor, fair, and good knowledge regarding KC was 48.9%, 38.1%, and 13% respectively. Femalessignificantlyknewthe relationship between KC and myopia, allergy, and heredity, did not know KC treatment and had good knowledge aboutKCcompared to males. Non-medical students had a significanthigher percent of those who knew that KC is a thin protruded cornea but did not know KC treatment. Conclusion: This study revealed insufficient knowledge regarding KC among studied students. This is a need to increase awareness about KC through health awareness programs and community campaigns for better eye health.
Background: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate, especially in children less than three years of age. Delayed diagnosis is often due to the non-specific presentation of symptoms and the absence of a witness to the aspiration event. Aim: This study aimed to assess parental knowledge and practices toward aerodigestive paediatric foreign bodies ingestion or inhalation, in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among Saudi parents in western region, Saudi Arabia during the period between 1st To 20th August. A pre-structured validated self-administered questionnaire containing 11 questions of awareness and 4 questions of practices toward aerodigestive pediatric foreign bodies, was distributed online via various Social Media platforms. The questionnaire was initiated after literature review for similar articles and after experts’ consultation for validity and reliability. Results: A total of 611 child caregivers completed the study questionnaire. Exactly 508 (83.1%) respondents were children’s mothers and 103 (16.9%) were their fathers. Exactly 93.1% of the study parents heard of swallowing or inhaling foreign objectsand 77.3% reported that children aged 1-5 years are more likely to swallow or inhale foreign objects while 20.5% reported for children aged less than 1 year. About 69% of the parents buy children toys that contain small parts but to different degrees. As for protective actions, keeping small items out of children’s reach was reported by 95.4% of the parents. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study revealed that parental knowledge and practices toward FBA were on average (but not satisfactory) especially for the correct actions for swallowed objects and timely visits to ER even for asymptomatic ingested FB. On the other hand, safe practice, especially keeping small objects out of children’s reach, was high, but observing young aged children while playing was unsatisfactory. Key words: Children, foreign body aspiration, knowledge, parents, practices
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.