Supplementary Material for: A Regional Survey of Awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease among the Saudi Population

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common worldwide, including the gulf region. Early diagnosis of IBD can improve patients' outcomes. However, early diagnosis is dependent on patients' awareness of the disease to seek medical advice. This study aims to survey the awareness of IBD in the the general population of the western region of Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A questionnaire about Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC) was distributed to the general public. A score of 1 was given for the right response and 0 for an incorrect response giving a maximum of 3 and a miminum of 0 for the three questions in the questionnaire.
Results: 1304 participants responded. 29% had not heard or read about CD, while 19% had not heard or read about UC. The mean awareness level score was 1.72±1.19. Females showed a significantly higher score compared to males (p < 0.001). Age group 31 to 40 had the highest score (p =0.002). Moreover, responders, who had a Ph.D., showed significantly higher scores than other educational degrees (p <0.001). Responders who dealt with CD or UC patients, showed significantly higher scores than their peers (p < 0.001) for both.
Conclusion: The general population in Saudi Arabia has an unacceptable level of awareness of IBD. Females, young adults (age group 31-40 years), educated individuals (with a PhD) and those who had dealt with IBD patients previously had better awareness compared to the rest of the population. National acts are essential to improve public awareness towards the disease.