Teachers' Knowledge and Attitude toward Anaphylaxis in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Anaphylaxis is a frequent life-threatening allergic reaction. Many allergic responses affect school-aged children. Teachers' understanding and attitudes toward these reactions and how to control them are crucial for early intervention. The aim of this study is to assess primary and intermediate school teachers' knowledge and attitude toward anaphylaxis in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at different primary and intermediate schools in Al-Ahsa, Eastern region, Saudi Arabia, during January 2023 to July 2023. Self-administrated questionnaire was distributed via administrations of the schools which aimed to assess teachers' knowledge and attitude toward anaphylaxis.

Results: Out of the 650 participants, 327 (50.3%) were male, and 323 (49.7%) were female with a mean age of 45.3 ± 13.9 years old. Nearly half of the teachers witnessed an anaphylaxis case. In terms of the first administered drug in case of anaphylaxis, minority of the participants, 161 (24.8%), were familiar that epinephrine is the first line of treatment. The overall knowledge of teachers was poor. There was a significant relationship between the level of awareness and who encountered an anaphylaxis case.

Conclusions: In this study, teachers' general knowledge and attitude concerning anaphylactic responses were relatively inadequate, despite teachers' high attitudes toward learning about management of such circumstances. In this context, teachers require additional training in the handling of allergic reactions. Teachers who are unfamiliar with allergic reactions would benefit from educational seminars on allergy management.