A Regional Survey of Awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease among the Saudi Population

Abstract

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common among different age groups worldwide, Including the gulf region. It is categorized into Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis. Early diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease can improve patients' outcomes and reduce the incidence of complications. However, early diagnosis is highly dependent on patients' awareness of the disease to seek medical advice. This study aims to survey the awareness IBD in the general population of the western region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A self-administered structured questionnaire was translated into Arabic and distributed to the general public above 16 years old. The questionnaire included questions about Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis and their treatment, in addition to the respondents' demographic data. Results: 1304 participants responded to this survey. 29% had not heard or read about Crohn's disease, while 19% of the responders had not heard or read about Ulcerative colitis. The mean awareness level score was 1.72±1.19, with a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 3. Females showed a significantly higher average score compared to males (p-value < 0.001). Also, the age group between 31 to 40 had the highest average score (p value=0.002). Moreover, responders, who had a Ph.D., showed significantly higher mean scores than the other educational degrees (p value<0.001). Responders who dealt with Crohn's disease patient or ulcerative colitis patients, showed significantly higher scores than their peers, with p values < 0.001 for bothConclusion: The general population in Saudi Arabia has an unacceptable level of awareness of inflammatory bowel disease. Males, young adults, highly educated individuals who dealt with patients previously had better awareness compared to the rest of the population. National acts are essential to improve public awareness towards the disease.