Abstract

Background: Spinal cord injury is damage that leads to permanent or temporary impairment of its functions. It is increasingly observed due to road traffic accidents (RTAs), especially in the Middle East. Our study aims to assess the public’s awareness and knowledge of the correct way to transport patients during RTA.
Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among the population in Taif, Saudi Arabia. It was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed from April to July 2023. The questionnaire includes questions about demographic data, awareness, and knowledge of the correct way to transport patients during RTA.
Results: The study included 366 participants; 62.84% of them were females, and 62.75% were aged 18 to 24 years. The participants in Taif City showed a high level of awareness and a moderate level of knowledge, with a mean ± SD of 5.90 ± 1.04 and 4.97 ± 1.49, respectively. There was a significant positive weak correlation (r = 0.34) between the awareness and knowledge scores (P < 0.001). Age was the only significant factor that impacted their awareness score (P = 0.04), whereas participants aged from 35 to 44 years had a higher significant awareness score than those aged from 25 to 34 years, with a mean ± SD of 6.26 ± 0.77 versus 5.63 ± 1.43.
Conclusion: The present study revealed high awareness and moderate knowledge of proper patient transport during RTA. The highest awareness was observed among those aged 35 to 44. The study suggested targeted educational programs to improve knowledge among the general population and healthcare professionals.

Key words: Spinal cord injury, road traffic accidents, awareness, knowledge, Taif