Abstract

Background: Rhinosinusitis is commonly known as irritation of lining membranes. This study aimed to assess the level of general public awareness toward rhinosinusitis, in Saudi Arabia, and to explore the relationship between the level of awareness and different sociodemographic factors.
Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 450 adult male and female participants were randomly enrolled from five different regions of Saudi Arabia in 2020. A pre-tested questionnaire was used in data collection.
Results: The general public in Saudi Arabia had sufficient awareness toward rhinosinusitis. The majority of the participants had good awareness of specific parameters in the questionnaire. The exception was in the area of differentiation between acute and chronic rhinosinusitis, the number of human nasal sinuses, and causes of rhinosinusitis. No significant difference was observed between educational level and level of awareness (p = 0.143). On the contrary, there was a significant difference between gender, age, nationality, residency, and marital status with the level of awareness. A good level of awareness was found to be associated with female gender, 45 years of age or older, non-Saudi, and widowed and participants who resided in the central and eastern region.
Conclusion: The level of awareness toward rhinosinusitis was found satisfactory among general population in Saudi Arabia.

Key words: Rhinosinusitis, irritation of lining membranes, Saudi Arabia