title: Level of health awareness of Saudi patients on renal replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess health awareness in patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional survey using a 22-item questionnaire in 143 randomly selected adult RRT patients [40 on hemodialysis (HD), 61 on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and 42 with renal transplant (TX)]. The study was carried out at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh in April 2006. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate patients' knowledge in 5 areas: 1. causes of renal failure, 2. biology of the kidneys, 3. symptoms of kidney disease, 4. therapeutic options available, 5. national kidney patients support facilities. The association between the level of awareness (the percentage of correct answers) to different demographic factors was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three fifths of the patients had less than secondary education. The average mark for correct responses of all patients was 45.9% with a highest (58%) for the category on biology of the kidney and lowest (36.8%) for national kidney patients support facilities. The PD group had the highest score (54.4%) followed by HD (44.3%) and finally TX (35.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of our patients; health awareness is lower than satisfactory. Level of education seems to be a contributory factor.
authors: Division of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, King Fahd Hospital, King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Fayez F
authors: FF
authors: Hejaili
authors: Hani
authors: H
authors: Tamim
authors: Ghormullah A
authors: GA
authors: Ghamdi
authors: Ahmed I
authors: AI
authors: Flaiw
authors: Abdulaziz A
authors: AA
authors: Al-Juhani
authors: Saadi M
authors: SM
authors: Taher
authors: Abdulgader M
authors: AM
authors: Jumani
authors: Mohamed B
authors: MB
authors: Ghalib
authors: Abdulmalik M
authors: AM
authors: Katheri
authors: Amal S
authors: AS
authors: Al-Shami
authors: Abdulla A
authors: AA
authors: Al-Khader
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires