Knowledge, attitude and practice about allergic rhinitis in a rural population, Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONAllergic rhinitis is hypersensitivity of the nasal mucosa to allergens. It can be associated with hypersensitivity of the lower airways, atopic dermatitis and allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic rhinitis is becoming more common but still an underreported and under treated condition. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is increasing with time. The worldwide prevalence of allergic rhinitis is about 10-30% in adults.1 Allergic rhinitis is a global health problem affecting social life, sleep, school and work with a significant economic impact. 2 The increase in allergic tendency is more probably because of decrease in rate of infections in childhood. 3The best treatment for allergic rhinitis is to find out the allergen and avoid it. Most of the time it is very difficult to identify the allergen. There exists a wide gap between knowledge, actual practice and the recommended practice leading to poor quality of life. Allergic rhinitis related knowledge includes understanding the cause, treatment options and prevention. A good attitude is reflected in a positive relationship with the doctor. 4 A good practice includes timely and appropriate management. 5Understanding the knowledge, attitude and practices of patients with allergic rhinitis will help us in treating the patients in a better way, thereby improving their quality of life.This study is aimed at identifying the knowledge, attitude and practice of the patient about allergic rhinitis and how knowledge and attitude reflects on their practices. METHODS Study place: Shri Sathya Sai Medical College andResearch Institute, Ammapettai, Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. ABSTRACTBackground: Allergic rhinitis presents a global health problem. The lack of awareness about allergic rhinitis leads to poor adherence to management protocol. Methods: Our cross sectional study in 100 patients with allergic rhinitis was aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude and practice about the disease. This was done using a questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was made in the three domains and expressed in percentage. Results: The knowledge about the cause and the treatment options was low. Most of the patients were worried about the long term side effects and dependence of the drugs used for treatment of allergic rhinitis. Most patients ignore the symptoms and do not seek medical advice. Conclusions: Improving the patient's knowledge and attitude through health education can improve practices among allergic rhinitis patients.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards allergic rhinitis in patients with allergic rhinitis: a cross-sectional study

“…The KAP of patients with AR in Saudi Arabia was reported to be low [ 12 , 14 ]. Similar results were reported in India [ 13 ] and four Southeast Asian nations [ 15 ]. Thai patients have poor knowledge of the risks of immunotherapy for AR [ 20 ], and similar results were observed in German athletes with AR [ 21 ].…”

“…A study in Saudi Arabia showed poor KAP of patients with AR toward intranasal corticosteroids [ 12 ]. Similar results were observed in rural India [ 13 ] and Southeast Asian nations [ 15 ]. The KAP of Chinese patients with AR on AR is poorly known.…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Allergic Rhinitis Among the Population in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Contrary to the previous studies, most of the individuals in the present study had adequate knowledge of AR [5,16]. In this perspective, comparison between different studies is impractical because of the various instruments used to assess knowledge.…”

How Is Your Cleaning Behavior? House Dust Mites and Its Relationship to Allergic Rhinitis

“…Pengetahuan, sikap dan praktik yang membentuk perilaku kesehatan berperan penting dalam menentukan risiko terjadinya rhinitis alergi. Penelitian di Arab Saudi dan India menunjukkan bahwa pengetahuan yang kurang terkait dengan rhinitis alergi mengakibatkan sikap dan praktik yang buruk terhadap rinitis alergi (Alreshidi et al, 2017;Rajasekaran & Ghosh, 2018). Penelitian Purba et al (2013) menunjukkan bahwa perilaku terhadap TDR mempengaruhi kepadatan pop-ulasi TDR dan Wang et al (2014) di Wuhan juga melaporkan tingginya alergen TDR di dalam rumah berhubungan dengan beratnya gejala rhinitis alergi.…”