Objective:
This paper aimed to investigate the level of awareness of Medication-overuse headache (MOH) among the Saudi population and to assess their willingness to reduce their consumption of pain relievers or to seek medical advice after being educated about MOH.
Methods:
This observational cross-sectional study was carried out between December 2022 and May 2023 on the residents of Eastern Province City, encompassing both Saudi nationals and non-Saudi residents. A self-administered online survey was used to collect the data.
Results:
A total of 499 participants completed the study questionnaire, with 212 of them (42.5%) having healthcare training. The level of MOH awareness among the Eastern Province population was dramatically low (23.8%). Surprisingly, a similar level of awareness was reported among healthcare-educated participants (25%). Following education on the risk of chronic headaches due to frequent use of analgesics, most of the current study population were willing to change their analgesic use behavior.
Conclusion:
The study findings highlighted the need for public education, in addition to the necessity of giving this issue more attention in medical education.
Key words: Assessment, knowledge, awareness, medication-overuse headache, Saudi Arabia.
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