Abstract
Original Research Article
Full Article (FREE DOWNLOAD)
SMJS Volume 1 Issue 1, Page 69 – Page 79
AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER AMONG THE POPULATION OF HAIL, SAUDI ARABIA
Ahlam Jried Al-Bluwe , Reem Najran ALShammary, Reem Zaal Aldogeman, Halah Mohammad Alrasheedi, Almahaa Mukhlid Alshammari, Dr. Mona Madbouly Shahin, Dr. Fayez Saud Alreshidi
Background: The prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Saudi Arabian children aged 6–12 years is approximately 4–12%. The current study assessed beliefs and awareness regarding ADHD among Hail population.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hail region, via an online questionnaire for 422 participants aged 15 years or greater and residing in Hail.
Results: 94.1% had heard of ADHD, 5.9% had not. Of the former, 20.1% obtained their information from previous experience with a patient, 19.9% knew about the disorder through a medical website, 13.1% from books and journals, 37.0% through social media, and 9.9% did not mention the source. 54.3% believed ADHD to be a mixed disorder that has behavioral, neurological, and psychiatric aspects, while 26.8% believed it to be a behavioral disorder, 6.6% with neurological, 6.4% considered it a psychiatric disorder, and 5.9% of respondents didn't know. Regarding the cause, 11.4% believed it is genetic, 5.5% attributed the causes to nutritional habits, 5.6% attributed causes to food preservatives, 0.2 % believed it's caused by smoking, and 77.3% thought it's a multi-cause disorder.
Conclusion: This study reveals that the level of knowledge appears to be good among the population of Hail compared to the Madina region.
This page has been created by {Dalal Alruqayi, fifth year, faculty of medicine, Qassim university}
