Awareness and Knowledge of the Public in Abha City about Vitamin B12 Deficiency
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- Category: Vol. 85, June 2017
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Awareness and Knowledge of the Public in Abha City about Vitamin B12 Deficiency, AHMED AWWADH, RANA S. AL-TURKI, AHMAD A. ALSHBRIQE, REEM S. ALAMRI, MAHA M. ALQAHTANY, MOHAMMED S. ALAHMARI, FARIS A. NASSER, OSSAMA A. MOSTAFA and ABDULAZIZ S. ALSHAHRANI
Abstract
Objective: To assess public’s knowledge about the impor-tance of vitamin B12 in Abha City, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out during January 2017. A total of 1088 adult Saudi participants (727 males and 361 females) were interviewed by the researchers at the main malls in Abha City, Saudi Arabia, using a study questionnaire. Based on participants’ scores assigned for corrected answers, the overall knowledge was graded.
Results: About half of participants (599, 55.5%) heard about vitamin B12. Less than half of participants (46.3%) identified the importance of vitamin B12 intake to the body, 30.2% knew symptoms and signs of vitamin B 12 deficiency, 28% knew food sources for vitamin B12, while 27.5% knew complications of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Knowledge of more than two thirds of participants (67%) was poor, while that of 22% of participants was intermediate and 11% of participants had good knowledge. Participants’ knowledge grades differed significantly according to their age groups, their educational status and their occupation (p<0.001 for all).
Conclusions: Knowledge of the general public in Abha City about vitamin B12 deficiency is insufficient. Increasing public’s awareness and knowledge about vitamin B12 through health education campaigns is a pressing need.