The level of knowledge about rheumatic diseases in Saudi Arabia: A community-based survey

Introduction: Joint inflammation, which causes pain and swelling, is common in rheumatic diseases. In Saudi Arabia, large multicenter studies on the prevalence of rheumatic diseases and the common beliefs about these diseases are lacking. Our study aimed to investigate the false beliefs about rheumatic diseases in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2019 to January 2020, to assess the understanding and misconceptions of rheumatic disorders in the study population. The statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher's exact test and the Chi-squared test, and binary logistic regression was employed for dichotomous variables. Results: Five hundred and eleven respondents were recruited in the study, with a mean age of 26.9 years; 76.9% of respondents were female. 89.4% of the respondents were Saudi nationals; 75.2%, 20.3%, and 4.5% of respondents had bachelor's, prebachelor's, and master's degrees, respectively. The most frequently reported rheumatic disease was rheumatoid arthritis (66%), followed by myositis (13.3%). Most of the respondents (77%) in this study were aware of rheumatic diseases. Conclusion: Most of the respondents were aware of rheumatic diseases. However, a more exhaustive multicentric survey with a wider population-based survey is needed to provide substantial data and help rheumatologists overcome patients' misconceptions and improve outcomes.