Awareness and Knowledge of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Among Office Employees in Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing in China; however, awareness and knowledge of NAFLD is lacking among the Chinese public.

AIMS: We investigated knowledge about NAFLD and the impact of a brief educational seminar among office employees in Beijing.

METHODS: Educational seminar on knowledge about NAFLD and recommendations on diet and physical activity and a pre- and a post-survey in 8 offices in Beijing.

RESULTS: A total of 420 participants (24.7% with a diagnosis of NAFLD) completed both the pre- and post-surveys. Median age was 42, 39.1% were men, 93.9% participants had some college education, 50.5% were overweight/obese, and 74.9% were inactive/minimally active. Only 31.2% had awareness of NAFLD. Median baseline knowledge score (of a total of 25) was 17 in participants with and 16 in those without a diagnosis of NAFLD. After the seminar, 30.9% of participants with and 50.8% without a diagnosis of NAFLD increased their knowledge score by ≥ 3 points, and 92.9% indicated they will improve their diet and physical activity. Multivariate logistic regression analyses found baseline knowledge score was associated with personal diagnosis of NAFLD and family history of dyslipidemia while improvement in knowledge was associated with lower baseline knowledge score and absence of a personal diagnosis of NAFLD.

CONCLUSION: We found a high prevalence but a low awareness of NAFLD among office employees in Beijing. A brief educational seminar improved knowledge about NAFLD and motivated lifestyle changes. More educational efforts are needed to decrease the burden of NAFLD in China.