General practitioners' knowledge and practices related to alopecia areata in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background and objectives The importance of alopecia areata (AA) originated from the social acceptance of its psychological and emotional consequences. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and practices of general practitioners regarding the disease in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, to obtain baseline data to aid in quality improvement of the available health services. Subjects and methods The study included 142 general practitioners working in primary healthcare centers in the Qassim region. Knowledge on causes, risk factors, and treatment practices was obtained using a self-administrated structured questionnaire. Results The mean (±SD) age of participants was 42.9±7.8 years. More than 35.0% of them had work experience of less than 10 years. Nineteen percent of the participants had low knowledge score, with significant difference in sex and years of work experience. Approximately 45.8% of surveyed doctors reported AA to be an autoimmune disease, 68.3% incorrectly responded that AA is more common in male patients, 64.1% recognized that family history is important, 26.1% blamed personal hygiene, and 16.2% thought that AA is a communicable disease. With regard to management, 45.7% of participants prescribed local steroids for treatment; however, 25.3% prescribed only multivitamins. Conclusion and recommendations That general practitioners in the Qassim region have satisfactory knowledge of AA, and most of them engage in fair treatment practices. However, there are still some gaps in different aspects that warrant continuous educational programs to improve their quality and performance. © 2012 Egyptian Public Health Association.