Background: Gallstones disease (GSD) is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. It has a wide range of causes, presentations, complications, and risk factors. The risk factors range from unmodifiable (e.g., age, sex) to modifiable (e.g., physical inactivity) risk factors including complications such as cholecystitis and choledocholithiasis. Such a list of precipitating factors, multiple presentations, and complications requires knowledge to prevent, detect, and treat. This study was conducted to assess the awareness level of GSD among females in Medina and to explore the relationship between awareness level and different socio-demographic factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 388 females in Medina. A questionnaire was used as a tool to calculate the “awareness score”; a score of >70% considered the participant as “aware.”
Results: Among 388 females, 212 (54.6%) participants were aware of GSD risks and complications. The participants’ mean score was 7.5 ± 2.6, with >7 as a “passing score.” In regard to socio-demographic factors, age had a significate relation (p = 0.021). Furthermore, significant associations were observed in past medical (p = 018) and family history (p = 0.038), in addition to attending a GSD course (p = 0.000).
Conclusion: The study shows that among the studied subjects, half of the participants were aware of GSD risks, presentations, and complications. Thus, more education programs are needed to reduce the disease’s burden.
Key words: Awareness, gallbladder stones, risk factors, complication, Medina females.
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