Assessment of Awareness and Knowledge of Proton Pump Inhibitors Among the General Population in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: This descriptive observational cross-sectional study aimed to assess the general population's awareness, attitudes, and behaviours towards proton pump inhibitor (PPI) usage, as well as their knowledge about associated side effects, in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.Methods: An autonomous online survey was conducted from June 15, 2023, to September 1, 2023, using social media. The survey targeted adult residents of Qassim and collected a total of 1090 respondents. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and probit regression using R version 4.3.1 (RStudio, Boston, MA). A significance level of p<0.05 was utilized to interpret the results.Results: A total of 1050 samples, limited to residents of Qassim, were analyzed. Significant associations were observed between awareness of PPIs and factors such as side effects (