Aims: This study aims to reveal misconceptions about keratoconus, to assess the level of knowledge among Saudi nationals and to compare the level of awareness of keratoconus between affected and unaffected individuals. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey on a study population that consisted of Saudi nationals over the age of 18 from November until December 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to assess the level of knowledge of keratoconus among the Saudi population. Results: Three hundred and ten responses were obtained, the age range of the participants was between 18 to 50 years oldof which 182 were females and 128 were males. Thirty percent of participants stated that they had acquired their knowledge of keratoconus from the internet, while 29% stated that they had no knowledge of keratoconus at all. The majority of the sample (38.4%) had a high level of knowledge about keratoconus, 31.3% had a moderate level of knowledge and 30.3% had a low level of knowledge. A significant correlation between the level of knowledge and the diagnosis of keratoconus was found, in which keratoconus patients had a higher level of knowledge (44.2%) (p value < .05). Moreover, males (60.1%) had a higher level of awareness compared to females (23.1%) (p value < .05). Age had no significant effect on the level of knowledge (p value > .05). Conclusion: The level of knowledge about keratoconus among the Saudi population in Riyadh is moderate to high. Keratoconus patients had a higher level of knowledge compared to unaffected participants. We recommend further assessment of the level of knowledge about keratoconus with a larger sample size in different provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a haemoglobinopathy that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Retinopathy is a complication of SCD, which varies from mild peripheral retinopathy to severe proliferative retinopathy that can cause loss of vision. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2020 to January 2021 aiming to determine the knowledge of retinopathy among patients with sickle cell disease using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Result: A total of 166 respondents completed the questionnaire. Females constituted the majority of participants (62.7%). The age group 31–40 years consitituted 28.3% and were associated with higher knowledge scores. The average knowledge score was also significantly higher in respondents from the Eastern region (B = 1.82, P < 0.05) compared to respondents from Riyadh. The main reason for not having an eye check was the perceived lack of importance of visits among 56.8%. Conclusion: Sickle cell disease patients are prone to complications such as retinopathy which can be detected by frequent follow-up. Almost half of the studied sample showed above average knowledge of retinopathies related to sickle cell disease.
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