Knowledge and Awareness of Exacerbated Asthma and its Associated Risk Factors among the Population in the Northern Border Region, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: Asthma is a serious illness that affects people of all ages worldwide. With the right diagnosis, treatment and medication, asthma symptoms can be managed. To lessen the burden of asthma, it is imperative for the population in Northern Border region, Saudi Arabia to be aware of aggravated asthma and its risk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed in this study, involving 462 participants selected through convenience to recruit the respondents. The questionnaire was validated before distribution to ensure reliability. SPSS version 27 was used to analyze the gathered data and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine the results. Results: The prevalence of asthma was 7.4%, with 50% of respondents living with asthma for less than five years and 35.3% for more than ten years. A familial history of asthma was reported by 21% of participants and 15.6% had chronic conditions such as high blood pressure (26.4%) and diabetes (23.6%). While 79.0% recognized asthma as a chronic disease, gaps in awareness were observed, including the impact of frequent antibiotic use (52.2%) and recognizing severe symptoms in children (57.8%). The primary source of information was the internet (51.7%), with limited reliance on healthcare professionals (9.7%). Significant associations were found between knowledge levels and age, gender, marital status and employment, with younger participants (18-25 years), females and government employees demonstrating higher awareness (p<0.05). Conclusion: Overall, awareness of asthma and its risk factors was high, however, gaps remain in recognizing severe symptoms in children and the impact of antibiotic use. Chronic conditions and familial asthma history complicate management and reliance on the internet highlights the need for better healthcare provider engagement. Sociodemographic factors, including age, gender and employment, significantly influenced knowledge levels. Targeted training and health education are essential to reduce triggers and improve awareness.