Knowledge of, Attitudes towards, and Practices of Intranasal Corticosteroids Usage among the Allergic Rhinitis Patients of Northern Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) are generally safe and effective treatments for allergic rhinitis (AR). The improper use of INCS may not alleviate AR symptoms, and it could lead to complications and an impaired quality of life. We evaluated the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practices of INCS usage and associated factors among AR patients using a pretested Arabic questionnaire. Of the 400 participating AR patients, 39.3%, 29.0%, and 36.5% had poor scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice, respectively. We found a significant association between knowledge and education (p< 0.001) and follow-up facilities (p = 0.036). The attitude category was significantly associated with age (p = 0.003), marital status (p = 0.004), and type of allergic patients (p< 0.001), and the practice category was significantly associated with education (p = 0.027), type of allergic patients (p = 0.008), and follow-up facilities (p = 0.030). Smoking status was significantly associated with all three categories. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between knowledge and practice scores (Spearman’s rho of 0.451, p< 0.001). We recommend improving AR patients’ knowledge of the proper practices of INCS through health education programs. Furthermore, we recommend an exploratory mixed-method survey on the INCS usage among AR patients that involves other provinces in the KSA.

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

“…Interestingly, the multinational study by Bhargave et al [ 11 ] revealed important discrepancies among countries regarding the KAP of patients and physicians toward AR. 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 ].…”

“…All other knowledge items had poor results, with the poorest being the possible side effects of the skin prick test, the efficacy of glucocorticoids, and the use of surgery to cure AR. Previous KAP studies on AR also reported a wide array of misconceptions about the management of AR [ 11 , 12 , 14 , 24 ]. The misconceptions mainly regarded the use of corticosteroids and smoking [ 12 ], the causative agents [ 14 ], AR manifestations [ 22 – 24 ], and risks of immunotherapy [ 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Previous KAP studies on AR also reported a wide array of misconceptions about the management of AR [ 11 , 12 , 14 , 24 ]. The misconceptions mainly regarded the use of corticosteroids and smoking [ 12 ], the causative agents [ 14 ], AR manifestations [ 22 – 24 ], and risks of immunotherapy [ 20 , 21 ]. Previous studies generally support the present one, with variable but generally low/moderate KAP [ 11 – 15 , 20 – 22 ].…”

“…Indeed, an international study showed wide variations among and within countries in perceptions of AR, with significant differences between physicians and patients [ 11 ]. 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 ].…”

Caregivers Knowledge of Allergic Rhinitis and Its Home Remedies among Preschool Children

“…NS= Not statistically significance * Statistically significant at P -value ≤ .05 ** Statistically significant at P -value ≤ .01. Table (6) shows a relation between the total score of practice toward home remedies for allergic rhinitis of the studied sample and their socio-demographic characteristics; statistically, significant differences were found in the study sample type of feeding for children less than 2 years, where the p-values were (0.007).…”