Abstract

Background: Lumbar puncture (LP) is one of the invasive procedures performed to obtain information about cerebrospinal fluid. This study assesses knowledge and attitudes toward LP among Medina adults, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults, 18 years of age in Medina, Saudi Arabia. An online survey using a self-administrated questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitude questions was conducted after randomly distribution among the study subjects during January 2020 to August 2020. The questionnaire was pretested and validated (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.701).
Result: A total of 512 participants were included in this study: 51.3% of the participants were between 18 and 25 years of age; 85.5% were female, and 68.6% had a bachelor’s degree. Most participants (65.6%), regardless of age, educational level, and income level, showed poor knowledge of LP procedures. Among the participants, 29.7% had a poor attitude toward lumbar protective procedures, 69.7% had a good attitude, and only 0.6% had an excellent attitude. A significant positive correlation between knowledge and attitude toward lumbar procedures was found (r = 0.186, p < 0.001). Respondents who received their information from a health care worker had the highest level of knowledge (p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between attitude and age; younger participants had a better attitude than older age groups (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: There was inadequate knowledge about LP procedures among the population of Medina, which affected the attitude toward LP procedures. The local health authorities need to implement awareness programs to enhance public knowledge and attitude toward LP procedures.

Key words: Attitude, knowledge, lumbar puncture, Medina, Saudi Arabia