Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) has been a significant cause of mortality in Saudi Arabia in recent years. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the influence of gender and economic status on Saudi awareness of CAD risk factors and their positive modifications.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted distributing an online digital questionnaire at Imam Mohamed- Ibn-Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sample size was estimated to assume that 50% is the expected prevalence, 95% confidence level, and 5% margin of error resulting in 384 individuals.
Results: The study included 406 participants, 274 (67.5%) were males, and 132 (32.5%) were females aged 17-35 years with a mean age of 21 years. Around 83.3% (84% males and 82% females) believed that tobacco smoking was a risk for CAD. About 90.4% (60.6% males and 91.7% females) believed that physical inactivity was a risk for CAD. About 87% (89% males and 83% females) believed that regular fast-food intake was a risk for CAD. About 67% (69% males and 63% females) believed that regular soft drink intake was a risk for CAD.
Conclusion: The awareness levels toward CAD modifiable risk factors were relatively low among people in Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. Gender difference had an insignificant role in the level of awareness. There were somewhat higher CAD modifiable risk factors rates among the studied population, increasing with a decrease in monthly income. The population had a strong welling to modify their risk status.
Key words: Heart disease, coronary artery disease, heart attack, obesity, hypertension, diabetes
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