Evaluation of general public awareness, knowledge and attitude about common rheumatic diseases in Egypt: a multicenter study

Abstract Background Rheumatic diseases are the diseases of the connective tissue and medical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, with pain and/or stiffness as main manifestations, and which may or may not be accompanied by other organ system involvement. Public and patient’s awareness is needed as the number of patients of various forms of arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases is constantly on rise. Objective The aim of our multicenter study is to evaluate awareness, knowledge, and attitude of general populations regarding common rheumatic diseases in Egypt. Subjects and methods This was a multicenter study included 3000 subjects from 4 Egyptian governorates (750 subjects from each): Lower Egypt: Dakahlia and Damietta and Upper Egypt: Sohag and Qena. Entire cases completed the Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitude of Egyptian people towards four of the common rheumatic diseases (Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Crystal-induced arthritis, and Osteoarthritis): AKARSCO questionnaire that included basic information, general knowledge, and attitude about rheumatic diseases. Results The knowledge and awareness of rheumatic diseases are significantly higher among females. Regarding education level, there is a steady increase in the awareness with the rise of education level, with a highly significant correlation. Non-working and married participants had significantly higher knowledge compared to working and non-married ones. The attitude towards rheumatic diseases is significantly satisfactory among females. Regarding education level, there is a steady increase in the attitude with the rise of education level, with a highly significant correlation. Non-working and married participants had significant satisfactory attitude compared to working and non-married ones. The main sources of information about rheumatic diseases are media and Internet. Conclusion The overall awareness, knowledge, and attitude of population towards rheumatic diseases are limited in Egypt. The participants’ total score regarding the general knowledge level of rheumatic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, gout, and osteoarthritis is bad. The participants’ overall level regarding the attitude towards rheumatic diseases is unsatisfactory. The level of knowledge and attitude is affected by many factors like sex, work, education, residence, marital status, and family history of rheumatic diseases. The main sources of information about rheumatic diseases are media and Internet.