Knowledge and Attitude of Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease Among the Makkah City Population, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BackgroundRheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a prominent sequela of rheumatic fever (RF) and the most common cause of acquired valvular disease worldwide. Patients develop RHD as a result of autoimmune reactions caused by an untreated group A Streptococcus (GAS) throat infection, resulting in significant valvular destruction. ObjectivesThe current study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of RF and RHD among the Makkah city population in Saudi Arabia. MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 1364 adult participants from Makkah city in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through an online survey that was disseminated on different electronic platforms. Then, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 (IBM Corp.,