Abstract
Background: Corticosteroid therapy has been associated with detrimental consequences such as cardiovascular problems and immunosuppression.
Aims & objectives: This study aimed to assess the public knowledge, attitudes, and practice surrounding the use of corticosteroids in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among the general population of the UAE from March to July 2022. A self-administered online survey was used, which included questions about participants’ socio-demographics, health status, and knowledge regarding corticosteroids. Eligibility criteria included participants aged>18 years or older and could read and respond to the questionnaire.
Results: The study involved 583 participants, where the majority were mostly males living in urban areas. Nearly half had a bachelor’s degree, and 36.9% worked in the health sector. Around 55.0% of the participants had a high level of knowledge about corticosteroids, while more than half had a negative attitude towards them. The most frequently reported reason for using corticosteroids was dermatological diseases. Males with lower education levels, and who had not been infected with COVID-19 had lower odds of having a high level of knowledge about corticosteroids. Furthermore, older participants and those with a lower education level had a more negative attitude towards corticosteroids.
Conclusions: This study showed gaps in knowledge and unfavorable attitude toward use of corticosteroids. Age, gender, working field, education level, residential area, having a chronic disease, being infected with COVID-19, and knowledge level were significantly associated with knowledge, attitude, and/or practice of corticosteroid use.
License
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Type: Original Article
ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 21, Issue 1, February 2024, Article No: em559
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/14019
Publication date: 01 Jan 2024
Online publication date: 14 Dec 2023
Article Views: 1224
Article Downloads: 870
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