ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS LEVEL OF CONGENITAL UMBILICAL HERNIA AMONG GENERAL POPULATION IN SAUDI ARABIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Umbilical hernias are commonly encountered during infant checkups and result from the incomplete closure of the umbilical ring. Usually, umbilical hernia do not exhibit any symptoms. The prevalence of umbilical hernias is higher among African and African-descent populations. Mostly, umbilical hernias resolve spontaneously as the umbilical ring closes within the first few years of life and the treatment is generally conservative, but repair may be necessary in certain cases in older children. Objective : We aimed to determine the level of knowledge and awareness of congenital umbilical hernia among Saudi population. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted on a simple random sample from different regions in Saudi Arabia. The data was collected via validated self-administered online questionnaire, after valid consent. Data analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS. Results: the total sample size was 680 participants with 121 were health care providers and 599 were non-health care providers. Males were 195 and females were 485. As regard knowledge and awareness score of congenital umbilical hernia, (2.8%) exhibited a high level of knowledge and awareness, (10.4%) demonstrated a moderate level, and a significant majority of (86.8%) displayed a low level of knowledge and awareness. As regard sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge level, there was a statistically signification relation to age (p value=0.016) and to being a healthcare provider (p value=0.0001). However, there was a statistically insignificant relation to gender, residency, region of residence, nationality, marital status, occupation, education level, household income and number of children. Conclusion: In conclusion, we found a low level of knowledge among general population in Saudi Arabia with about 87% displayed a low level of knowledge and awareness about congenital umbilical hernia which underscores the need for targeted educational campaigns and interventions to improve awareness levels and knowledge.