Abstract

Background: Bone density disorders are a common group of disorders among the Saudi population and are widely misunderstood. Therefore, there is an increasing demand to raise awareness towards bone health and the importance of screening. Hence, the purpose of the study is to analyze the general population’s comprehension regarding bone health and bone density screening via Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan.
Methods: The study design that was utilized in this study was cross-sectional using an electronic questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge and awareness among the Saudi residents regarding DEXA scan and osteoporosis.
Results: The median knowledge score was 8 out of 20 regarding the previous knowledge in connection to DEXA scan, resulting in only 39.7% out of the 491 participants previously knowing about the imaging modality. In regard to the effect of the socio-demographic status on the knowledge of DEXA scan. Age, income, education level and occupation were greatly associated with the knowledge of DEXA scan.
Conclusion: The study focuses on the increasing requirement to enhance the general population’s knowledge and awareness of the importance of screening for osteoporosis via DEXA scan through education and research regarding the topic. Higher utilization of DEXA scans can be a result of having previous knowledge about osteoporosis and the complications behind it, which may eventually result in the earlier detection of the disease leading to fewer complications and lowering healthcare disbursements.

Key words: Awareness, DEXA scan, Osteoporosis, Public health.