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Published on: February 9, 2024
Awareness of Thyroid Disorders in Jordan: A National Cross-Sectional Study
Anas H A Abu-Humaidan1, Zain Albdour2, Karam Albdour2
1Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine The University of Jordan Amman Jordan.
Background And Aims:
Thyroid disorders, despite their prevalence and possible significant complications, remain considerably underdiagnosed. Thus, awareness of thyroid disorders symptoms and risk factors is needed. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding thyroid disorders in Jordan.
Methodology:
A cross-sectional study was conducted to quantitatively assess the KAP of individuals aged 18 and older in Jordan regarding risk factors, symptoms, and treatments of thyroid disorders. A self-administered electronic questionnaire was developed, validated, and distributed to participants through social media and personal interviews from March to May 2023. The questionnaire was scored to highlight knowledge gaps and analyze demographic factors associated with better KAP scores.
Results:
A total of 579 participants completed the survey, with a mean age of 41.4 years, and 62.9% women. The mean knowledge score was 7.2 out of 14.0, indicating moderate awareness. Specific gaps in knowledge relevant to women's health were recognized, where a minority recognized symptoms such as menstrual abnormalities (38.2%), and risk factors such as pregnancy (19.3%). Additionally, a minority believed that thyroid medications should not be stopped during pregnancy (31.8%). Better knowledge correlated with perceiving thyroid disorders as preventable. Poor knowledge was associated with perceiving thyroid disorders as rare and safe. Factors predicting higher knowledge included being female, pursuing medical studies, and having a prior thyroid disorder diagnosis. Most participants preferred visiting an endocrinologist (75.6%) over primary care (19.3%) for thyroid-related symptoms.
Discussion:
This study recommends targeted public health campaigns to enhance awareness of thyroid disorders among women and expectant mothers, and to strengthen the role of primary care centers in disseminating information crucial for creating an informed and proactive population regarding thyroid health.
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