Background: Essential tremor (ET) is considered as one of the most common movement disorders and a frequent reason for a neurological consultation. The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding ET among the population in different regions of Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 1,471 Saudi participants. An online, valid questionnaire covering sociodemographic data and tremor-related questions was used. The data were entered into Microsoft Office excel and exported to STATA version 16. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were used.
Results: The mean age and standard deviation was 32 (± 11) with 59% of the participants less than 33 years. Moreover, 52% were males, 73% have a bachelors degree, 42% were from the central region, 10% were health practitioners, and 1% had an ET. Only 4% of participants had a good level of knowledge concerning tremors, whereas 96% had a poor level of knowledge. Health practitioners [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33-4.97], and those who have bachelor degrees or above (AOR 2.59, 95% CI: 1.09-6.10) were associated with a good level of knowledge.
Conclusions: The knowledge about ET within the Saudi Arabias population is poor. Planning health educational programs in collaboration with policy makers and other stakeholders for public is essential.
Key words: Knowledge, tremor, essential tremor, Saudi Arabia
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