Background: Low back pain due to disc herniation is a common symptom, where most of the people seek medical help. A herniated disc is defined as an organ or tissue protrusion through an abnormal opening. This study was aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of disc herniation among the Saudi population.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, on adults aged 15 years or above. A total of 1,105 interviews were conducted with 1,087 positive interviews, to receive a total response rate of 98%. The data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2016 (Microsoft Company, Seattle, WA) and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 (Chicago, IL).
Results: Among the total participants studied, slipped disk herniation was heard by 93% of respondents, whereas only 7% reported "never heard of it. The level of disc herniation awareness was found high among participants aged 15-30 years with 57% of respondents having the right level of knowledge about disc herniation. Furthermore, the level of knowledge among 31-45 years and 60 years or above was not satisfactory.
Conclusion: The study revealed a lack of public awareness about disc herniation predisposing factors among Saudi young women and men, irrespective of the age and range of their body mass index.
Key words: Disc herniation, awareness, Saudi Arabia, cross-sectional study, neurosurgery
|
