Perception of the general population towards migraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background Migraine is a chronic episodic neurological disorder characterized by a myriad of neurological symptoms including multi-phase attacks of headache, photophobia, phonophobia, and dizziness. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies conducted about the public perception and attitudes towards migraine in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to determine the public perception and attitudes towards migraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was conducted during the period between September 2019 and January 2020 in various public places including malls in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study utilized a 40-item self-administered survey questionnaire divided into two sections: demographic data of the participants and perception of participants towards migraine, which consisted of three parts—knowledge towards migraine, attitudes towards migraine, and the expected behavior of migraine patients. Results The total number of participants was 385. Three hundred and thirty-nine of the participants (88.1%) heard about migraine before. Relatives and friends are the main source of information for 213 participants (55.3%). In gender predominance, 137 (35.6%) believed that migraine affects both genders equally. Complications of migraine headache are not known for 240 participants (62.3%). The existence of medications or methods for treating migraine is not known for 195 (50.6%). The quality of life for patients with migraine is negatively affected according to 275 (70.9%). One hundred sixty-six participants (43.1%) believe that depression and anxiety are more common in migraineurs. Two hundred forty-four (63.4%) considered migraine to cause a huge psychological and social impact. Two hundred fifteen (55.8%) do not have the knowledge to deal with migraineurs. Conclusion The present study demonstrated a lack of knowledge in certain aspects of migraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This study will serve as a basis for developing a health educational program aiming to increase public awareness about migraine. It will also improve the understanding of society regarding migraine, which will subsequently improve the way they interact with migraineurs and understand their difficulties. In addition, finding a trusted source for information about different kinds of medical conditions including migraine is crucial in educating the community and providing them with the most recent and correct information.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards Migraine Among the General Population in the Kingdom of Bahrain

“…Furthermore, 83.1% identified unilateral headache as a main symptom of migraine, and the majority of participants knew about migraine treatment. In Saudi Arabia [ 9 ], 87.3% of their respondents correlate unilateral headaches with migraine, while half of them consider migraine to equally affect both men and women. Additionally, around 51.2% do not know about migraine treatment.…”

Unmet Needs of Patients Living with Migraine in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries

“…They can be seen more quickly in private clinics and hospitals. However, as a result of the self-referral system used in most private hospitals, patients decide which specialty they need to visit and, presumably because of poor awareness of migraine features [ 22 ], many patients access other specialties (including ear nose and throat, ophthalmology, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, physiotherapy, and alternative medicine) before finally seeing a neurologist or headache specialist.…”

Understanding migraine in Saudi society: An assessment of public knowledge and attitudes: A cross-sectional study

“…A migraine is a chronic neurological disorder that affects millions around the world every day and it is experienced by many individuals at some point in their lives [1][2][3][4]. In 2020, migraines were the second leading cause of disability globally [2], and it is the third most prevalent condition among individuals [3].…”

“…Adequate knowledge and awareness about the disease are crucial for further control of the severity of the disease [33][34][35][36][37]. There are few studies assessing the general public's knowledge and perception of migraines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) [1,36]. However, most previous studies have revealed a poor level of knowledge and awareness of migraine in Saudi Arabia [1,36,38] and other countries [39].…”

“…There are few studies assessing the general public’s knowledge and perception of migraines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) [ 1 , 36 ]. However, most previous studies have revealed a poor level of knowledge and awareness of migraine in Saudi Arabia [ 1 , 36 , 38 ] and other countries [ 39 ]. This study aims to evaluate the awareness and perceptions of migraine symptoms among the general population in Saudi Arabia.…”