Knowledge and awareness of ocular allergy among Jeddah population

Ocular allergy is one of the common conditions that affects patients from different age groups. Public awareness about the disease is crucial for reducing the incidence of ocular allergy.

The present study aims to evaluate the knowledge level of the general population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia toward ocular allergy.

This is a cross-sectional study that included the distribution of an online survey to the public living in Jeddah. The survey included questions to identify common demographics, knowledge, and awareness about ocular allergy signs and symptoms, prevention and treatment, and sources of information. Statistical analysis included descriptive and comparative analysis using Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA test. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis.

In total, 1207 responded to this survey and were included in the analysis. Among them, 71% were females, 36.8% were in the age group of 15-25 years, 74.9% had a bachelor's degree, 60.4% were non-medical specialists, 13.2% were from the faculty of medicine. More than half of the participants were aware that ocular allergy affects millions of people globally every year. It is one of the most common eye conditions, itching is the primary source of discomfort, 15%-20% of the world population have ocular allergy, the disease causes discomfort and pain within the eye caused by frequent rubbing of the eye, and that symptoms of ocular allergy include redness, itching, tearing, discharge, blurred vision, and photophobia. Further, 64.9% thought that avoiding the source of triggers can help prevent ocular allergy. Social media was the most common source of information among 19.3%. The average score was 15.6 ± 6.1 out of 27 points; 42.6% of the responders had fair knowledge (50%-75%) about ocular allergy. The age group of 15-25 years (P < 0.001), bachelor's degree holders (P = 0.013), and individuals with a medical background (P = 0.003) were associated with significantly higher mean scores. Males (P = 0.003), age group of 15-25 years (P = 0.024), individuals with a medical background (P < 0.001) had significantly good knowledge about ocular allergy.

The knowledge level of the general population about ocular allergy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is fair and requires improvement.