Knowledge and Perceptions of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis Among the Adult Population: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Background: The current annual incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is 3– 4 cases per one million population. CVT manifests itself with varying degrees of clinical presentation that may cause vital or morbid consequences if not treated and managed promptly. Studies have suggested varied levels of CVT public awareness.
Aim: To assess the level of knowledge and public perception of CVT across the different socio-economic strata of the Saudi Adult population.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a mixed-method approach (an electronic questionnaire and phone interviews) for collecting the data. A validated questionnaire was distributed to consenting study participants and filled out to the best of their ability. The study setting was a nationwide survey conducted in Saudi Arabia and involved a representative portion of the study population.
Results: A total of 1912 participants were included in this study. Overall, the majority of study participants (67.2%) had a low knowledge level of CVT on assessment, and only 2.6% had a high knowledge level of CVT. Younger age, female gender, working adults, higher education level, marital status, Saudi nationals, and place of residency were significantly associated with knowledge of CTV (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: This study indicates a lower index of knowledge of CVT which offers an opportunity for much improvement in public perception and awareness of CVT in the study population. Our results can be utilized to target the demographics with the lowest knowledge via the most popular ways to gain information.