Knowledge of Thyroid Disease Manifestations and Risk Factors Among Residents of the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Thyroid disorders are worldwide common endocrine disorders. These disorders are frequently under-diagnosed. In general, lack of knowledge and understanding of thyroid disorder effects can lead patients to go undiagnosed. This study aims to figure out the level of the general knowledge about thyroid disease manifestations, risk factors, and preventive behaviors among the general population.  Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 882 participants in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia from July 2020 to October 2020, and were selected randomly. The representative sample included Saudi and non-Saudi males and females of different age groups (18-60 years). RESULT: The overall mean knowledge score was 8.67 (SD 3.69) with 44.7%, 41.2%, and 14.2% were classified into low, average, and high knowledge, respectively. In the comparison of mean knowledge score among the socio-demographic profiles and previous history of thyroid disease, the current study shows that being a female, living in Al Ahsa, being a student, those with a previous history of thyroid disease, family history of the disease, and those who underwent thyroid gland examination were significantly more associated with having better knowledge toward thyroid diseases. CONCLUSION: Nearly, half of the studied sample has low awareness scores regarding thyroid disease manifestations and its risk factors. The health authorities should hold more successful health education methods to improve the public and their caregivers' awareness of the various aspects of thyroid disorders and the value of their early detection and adequate control.