ABSTRACT
Introduction Hypertension (HTN) is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors. It is associated with significant complications, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease. Awareness among hypertensive patients regarding their blood pressure (BP) is low in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of patients regarding their BP readings and to identify which aspects of HTN they needed to be informed about. Patients and methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among hypertensive patients attending outpatient clinics at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An electronic questionnaire was used by a trained physician to collect data from patients during telephone interviews. The information included socio-demographic data (i.e., age, gender, and education), family history, compliance with medications, and BP measurements. Patients were asked to answer questions to assess their awareness of their BP readings. Results Of the 475 hypertensive patients included in this study, 32.7% were aged between 56 and 65 years and 60.4% were female. The proportion of patients who had knowledge of their target BP (systolic: 120-129 mmHg; diastolic: 80-84 mmHg) was 74.4%. The significant independent predictors of increased knowledge about BP were a high level of education, regular measurement of BP, and having received education about a healthy lifestyle. The significant independent predictor of decreased knowledge about BP was having an acceptable or poor understanding of chronic BP. Conclusion Hypertensive patients visiting the outpatient clinic at King Fahad Hospital had a good understanding of their target BP readings. Educated patients who regularly measured their BP and who received education about a healthy lifestyle tended to exhibit a higher motivation to achieve their BP targets. More research is needed to gain more insights into the knowledge of hypertensive patients and into how they manage their BP to determine the factors that influence their knowledge.
ABSTRACT
Objectives Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disorder caused by group A streptococcal pharyngitis infections that can progress to rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Public awareness and knowledge of this condition are crucial for its prevention. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding these disorders to identify the factors influencing the level of knowledge and to determine how to increase awareness and knowledge of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Methods An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to 1211 participants throughout Saudi Arabia using an online platform. The questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, levels of awareness, knowledge of rheumatic fever along with rheumatic heart disease, and attitudes toward these diseases. Results A total of 1121 participants met the criteria for the study and completed the questionnaire (77.5% female vs. 22.5% male). The most common age group was 18 to 30 years old (30.5%). The lack of knowledge was most common among the younger age group (≤ 40 years) and males. Knowledge of rheumatic fever was assessed as poor, fair, and good among 80.2%, 16.2%, and 3.6% of participants, respectively. A good knowledge level was more common among the older age group (> 40 years) and those who had four to seven children. Poor, fair, and good attitude levels were expressed by 41.7%, 32.6%, and 25.8% of participants, respectively. Poor attitudes toward rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease were more common among those living in the Central region. Conclusion While the attitudes toward rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease seem adequate, significant deficiencies in the knowledge and awareness of these disorders were observed in the study population. Insufficient knowledge was primarily seen among young male participants.
