DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_455_25 ISSN: 2249-4863

Knowledge, attitude, and determinants of multiple sclerosis among the population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Fathi M. El-Gamal, Abdulrahim Abdulqader, Alaa Bajaber, Sara Jafar, Zainab Alkaf
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BSTRACT

Background:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a long-lasting demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. It can have a significant impact on affected individuals, their families, and society.

Objectives:

To assess knowledge, attitude, and determinants of multiple sclerosis among the population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Methodology:

This is a cross-sectional study where information was collected on 459 subjects using a validated questionnaire on knowledge about MS. SPSS was used to analyze the data, and different tests of significance were employed to study the significance of the relation between the variables. Logistic regression provided the odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and P value, and principal component factor analysis grouped the variables in separate factors according to the loading of the variables on the factors (weight = 5 or more). The level of significance was 0.05.

Results:

Among the studied 459 subjects, self-report having doctor-diagnosed MS was provided by 2.4% of the studied subjects. Ex-smoking (OR: 22.1; 95% CI: 1.659, 295.3), hypertension (OR: 12.5; 95% CI: 1.95, 80.5), and family history of MS (OR: 22.3; 95% CI: 4.3, 117.1) were significantly associated with having MS ( P < 0.05). The majority of the questions on knowledge toward MS were significantly loaded on the same factor. The knowledge of the population about MS was very low, where the majority of the correct responses of the subjects for questions on the knowledge about MS ranged from 5% to 62% (76% of the answers were below 50% of the correct answers). Age and gender of the population were irrelevant to knowledge and attitude toward MS (the loadings on factor 1 and 2 were less than 0.2).

Conclusion:

The occurrence of MS is about 2.4%; however, the knowledge of the population about MS is poor; it is important for health care personnel to implement health education programs on MS to increase the knowledge of the population about the course, symptoms, risk factors, and management and reveal its association with the lifelong impact on the health of affected subjects.

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