Background: Hypothyroid disorder is a major public health problem. There is a high rate of thyroid disorders within the Saudi population. This study aimed to describe and evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of adult Saudi patients regarding hypothyroidism.
Methodology: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted over 2 months (September-October 2018) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Adult Saudi patients with hypothyroidism, aged 18 years or more, living in Makkah, were invited to participate in this study. Data were entered, coded, and processed using Microsoft Excel and the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 23).
Results: The present study included 177 participants; most of the patients had low levels of knowledge (69.5%), some of them were quite concerned (51.6%), and 74.0% of the participants practiced a moderate level of a safety measure. The low level of knowledge was more significant in males (p = 0.032). In addition, the age was a significant factor, particularly the age group older than 45 associated with the low level of knowledge (p = 0.009), the extreme level of concern (p = 0.044), and a moderate level of practice (p ≤ 0.013).
Conclusions: Most of the Saudi patients with hypothyroidism had low levels of knowledge regarding their condition and were quite concerned and practiced a moderate level of a safety measure. The low level of knowledge was more significant in males. Furthermore, health education efforts should be directed toward improving Saudi general populations' knowledge, attitude, and practice about the hypothyroid disorder.
Key words: Knowledge, attitude, practice, hypothyroidism, Makkah
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