Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding chronic atrophic gastritis in gastroenterology outpatient patients.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of gastroenterology patients regarding chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2023 and January 2024 in Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, in Chongqing, China. It included patients visiting gastroenterology outpatient clinics. Their demographic characteristics and KAP scores were assessed using self-administered questionnaires.

RESULTS

A total of 615 valid cases were enrolled. Among them, 328 (53.33%) were female. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 10.72 ± 5.69 (possible range: 0-18), 44.91 ± 7.97 (possible range: 0-60), and 21.25 ± 5.11 (possible range: 0-36), respectively. Path analysis revealed that knowledge directly affected attitude (β = 0.628, P < 0.001) and attitude directly affected practice (β = 0.138, P < 0.001); however, the direct effect of knowledge on practice was not significant (β = -0.003, P = 0.947). Therefore, knowledge had an indirect effect on practice through attitude.

CONCLUSION

Gastroenterology outpatients in this study exhibited inadequate knowledge, moderate attitudes, and inactive practices regarding CAG. Enhancing patient education and awareness programs, particularly targeting those with lower education levels and non-medical occupations, could improve knowledge and foster more proactive attitudes and practices towards managing CAG within gastroenterology settings.