Awareness of Varicose Veins Among Adult Females in the UAE: A Cross- Sectional Study
Rehab Mohd Jamali, Mohammad Talal Allababidi, Abdel Rahman Alaadeen AbuAladas, Maitha Humaid Ibrahim, Shams Moatasem Alkubaisy, Maryam Alyas Ali, Amal Hussein, Abubakr H. MossaBackground:
Varicose veins (VV), characterized by swollen veins that disrupt blood flow, pose health and aesthetic concerns. The estimated regional prevalence is 45.6% in women. However, there is a lack of national references about the VV awareness levels among adult women in the UAE.
Materials and Methods:
This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 472 females aged between 18 and 50 years to assess awareness about the risk factors, complications, prevention, and treatment of VV in the UAE. The total awareness level was evaluated on a 31-point scale and was classified as high (>70%), intermediate (40-70%), and limited awareness (<40%).
Results:
The participants included students (38.8%), housewives (27.3%), employed (24.8%), and unemployed (9.1%). About 50% of women reported standing daily for more than 4 hours, while 33.7% reported no physical activity. The overall knowledge was intermediate in 74.2% of the participants. The results suggest significant knowledge gaps, with 56.7% having intermediate knowledge of “risk factors”, 47.6% demonstrating poor awareness of “complications”, and 57.7% achieving high knowledge of “prevention and treatment”. Medical/Health study fields, Sedentary lifestyle, previous diagnosis of VVs, and awareness of VVs are independent predictive factors associated with increased total knowledge about VVs. Age, education, field of occupation, or working hours were not associated with knowledge disparities. Although most participants demonstrated moderate awareness, considerable gaps still exist, particularly regarding the complications of VV.
Discussion:
We identified a moderate-to-poor level of awareness, which aligns with regional and international levels among women. Uniquely, our cohort showed higher awareness among women reporting low physical activity. Such a finding may be alarming, as these women might give less attention to VV.
Conclusion:
Our findings emphasize the unique context of VV awareness among women in the UAE. This calls for targeted public health campaigns to promote preventive strategies and improve overall regional health outcomes.