Abstract
Background: Background: Previous Saudi studies have revealed poor public awareness about keratoconus (KC) and eye rubbing as the most common associated factor among KC patients.
Objectives: to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of keratoconus and its relation to eye rubbing in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 504 of the Saudi population. A pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect data about personal characteristics, knowledge about KC, practice of eye rubbing and the cause and history of atopic or eye diseases.
Results: 48.8% of the participants had heard about KC. The commonest source of information was reading and lectures, 21.4% reported correctly that KC is thinning of cornea and 32.9% and 50.4% reported correctly that KC is related to allergy and myopia respectively. Only 4.8% think that there was no treatment for KC, 75.8% were rubbing their eyes and for 40.9% the cause of rubbing was itching. Only 9.3% had a family history of KC and the levels of poor, fair and good knowledge about KC were 63.3%, 31.9% and 4.8% respectively. Participants who had previous knowledge about KC from their friends and relative, those who had KC, those from the northern region and those who had previously heard about Kc had a significant higher percentage of good knowledge.
Conclusion: The deficient awareness about KC revealed in this study calls for health education programs to raise the public awareness about this eye disorder.