Abstract

Objective: To assess the knowledge of the Saudi population on peptic ulcer diseases (PUD) and their risk factors. To evaluate their awareness and practices of the preventive methods used in daily practic-es.
Methods: This was an online cross-sectional survey that included residents of all five regions of Saudi Arabia regardless of nationality. The survey was distributed in both the Arabic and English languages to approach more individuals from different backgrounds.
Results: There were 784 participants, of which 6.1% non-Saudis and 93.9% were Saudis. 63.5 % of participants selected “H. Pylori” as a risk factor that may lead to PUD. Among other risk factors, 39.2% selected smoking and 37.5% selected NSAIDs. There was a statistically significant correlation (p=0.03) between a question about knowing what H. pylori are and the respondents' level of education, with 77.3% of respondents with a high school diploma answering "No" and 63% of respondents with a postgraduate degree answering "Yes". Only 32.8% of the participants knew about H. Pylori, when hands are not washed after using the restroom or before eating or preparing food, pylori can spread. 56% of respondents were unaware that NSAIDs should be taken with or after a meal. In addition, on-ly 50% of smokers were aware that smoking contributed to the pathogenesis of PUD.
Conclusion: This research revealed that very little is known about H. Pylori and how it spreads, as well as the adverse effects of NSAIDs and the precautions that must be taken to avoid them. This demon-strates the need for public education about these risk factors and the diseases they may cause, as well as the significance of physician-patient discussions to ensure patients have the necessary knowledge prior to starting NSAID therapy.

Key words: Peptic ulcer disease; Helicobacter pylori; risk factors; knowledge; practices; Saudi Arabia.