Assessment of Saudi Public Knowledge, Attitude and Awareness Towards Oral Benefits of Probiotics: A Cross-Sectional Study
Asma’a A Faden1
, Al-Fulwah Mofarreh Alotaibi2, Hourya Sanat Alnofaie2, Nohair Nasser Alsuhaibani2and Sara Nasser Al-Dosary21Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh 11344, Saudi Arabia.
2Dental Interns, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh 11344, Saudi Arabia.
Corresponding Author E-mail: fadena@gmail.com
Abstract: Little is known about probiotic consumption or beliefs, in spite of its enhanced availability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of Saudi publics towards the oral benefits of probiotics. The web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 600 Saudi individuals through a questionnaire which was randomly distributed through online social media. Each of them was asked to complete a questionnaire including socio-demographic data and took a probiotic knowledge test. Probiotic knowledge was significantly linked with marital status, gender and those who are working in the health field, Majority of them were females (87.1%) being more knowledgeable than males (79.9%). The highest percentages of participants who heard about beneficial bacteria were those who are in the age group 36-45 years old at 87.3%, highly educated at 87.5%, postgraduates at 89.2%, married at 88.9%, and those who are working in the health field at 94.4%. Although beneficial, lack of sufficient knowledge concerning probiotics restricted its usage among few respondents. There is a need for further education and promotion of the general public in regards to the definition, oral benefits, sources and usage of probiotics.
Keywords: Awareness; Knowledge and Attitude; Oral Benefits; Probiotics Back to TOC