Prevalence and knowledge about inflammatory bowel diseases in Saudi Society

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are autoimmune illnesses that include Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The study's goal is to investigate the prevalence and awareness of both forms of IBD in the Saudi adult population. In July 2017, a cross-sectional research of 2,984 Saudis over the age of 18 was conducted. A self-administered questionnaire was used to examine the prevalence and knowledge of respondents. A scale of eight questions was utilised to measure general knowledge about IBD, with three separate categories: low, moderate, and high. There were 2,140 females (71.7 percent) and 844 men among the 2,984 Saudi participants. Participants with Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) made up (1.9%) and (8.3%) of this group, respectively. The survey included all five areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: eastern (32.5 %), western (21.6 %), central (18.3 percent), northern (17.6 %), and southern (10.1 percent ). The survey's findings established the prevalence of IBD as well as the degree of understanding about it. The use of social media was critical in increasing public awareness about IBD. These statistics could aid in better understanding the burden of IBD in Saudi Arabia, as well as in identifying the problem and its treatment.