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. 2024 Nov;13(11):4971-4978.
doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_633_24. Epub 2024 Nov 18.

Knowledge and awareness of ocular allergy among undergraduate students at a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Khalid Bin Abdulrahman  1 , Abdullah Fahad Abutheeb  2 , Abdullah Zaki Al-Fahd  2 , Majed Khalid Bahmid  2 , Nasser Rashed Al-Tayar  2 , Omar Ahmed Almukhalafi  2
Affiliations

Knowledge and awareness of ocular allergy among undergraduate students at a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Khalid Bin Abdulrahman et al. J Family Med Prim Care. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Ocular allergy (OA) is one of the most common disorders worldwide, affecting millions of individuals of all ages. Public education about the disease is critical for lowering the prevalence of OAs. The present study aims to evaluate the knowledge and awareness level of OA among undergraduate students at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a self-administered online questionnaire. A total of six multiple choice questions were used to assess awareness of OA with a maximum possible score of 6. In addition, nine checkboxes and multiple-choice questions were used to evaluate knowledge of ocular allergy with a maximum possible score of 21.

Results: The study included 591 participants. The average awareness score was 3.1 ± 1.47 points. The average knowledge score was 9.41 ± 4.04 points. The average knowledge and awareness score was lower in males than in females. A higher age (>27 years) was associated with better knowledge of OA (B = 3.62, P = 0.008). The Internet was the most common source of information mentioned by the respondents (26.3%).

Conclusion: Our study showed that Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University undergraduate students had moderate knowledge and awareness of OA. Thus, additional effort is required to enhance the knowledge and awareness of OA.

Keywords: Awareness of ocular allergies; Saudi Arabia; common eye diseases; ocular allergy; university students.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Major/college of the included respondents
Figure 2
Figure 2
Source of information regarding OA
Figure 3
Figure 3
Awareness regarding different aspects of OA
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Figure 4
Knowledge regarding symptoms of OA
Figure 5
Figure 5
Knowledge regarding forms of OA
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Figure 6
Medications used for the management of OA
Figure 7
Figure 7
Factors associated with awareness regarding OA using linear regression
Figure 8
Figure 8
Factors associated with knowledge regarding OA using linear regression
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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