Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and influencing factors associated with chronic rhinosinusitis among healthcare trainees and professionals in Hail, Saudi Arabia: a principal component analysis.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) imposes substantial clinical and economic burdens worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, prevalence estimates exceed 20% among adults, yet limited data are available regarding awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (A-KAP) related to CRS among current and future healthcare providers. This study evaluated A-KAP regarding CRS among healthcare trainees and a smaller subgroup of healthcare professionals in the Hail region of Saudi Arabia and identified sociodemographic factors associated with CRS knowledge.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey (Google Forms) was conducted among 363 participants using a structured questionnaire comprising 59 A-KAP items. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were used to identify sociodemographic factors associated with CRS knowledge. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to explore latent knowledge domains (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

Overall, 73.0% of participants heard of CRS. Nasal congestion (90.9%) and nasal discharge (68.6%) were the most recognized symptoms, whereas orbital abscess (12.9%) and genetic predisposition (0.3%) were the least recognized. Arabic speakers demonstrated greater CRS awareness than English speakers (AOR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.06-0.69), and participants with monthly incomes of 5,000-15,000 SAR were more likely to demonstrate good CRS knowledge than higher-income participants (AOR = 2.88, 95% CI: 1.21-6.86). PCA identified distinct symptoms, risk factors, and complication knowledge domains. Participants generally demonstrated positive attitudes toward healthcare-seeking behavior, specialist follow-up, and public awareness; however, uncertainty regarding treatment effectiveness (45.5%) and openness toward alternative or herbal therapies (28.4%) persisted.

CONCLUSION

Although participants demonstrated moderate awareness and generally positive attitudes toward CRS, important knowledge gaps remained, particularly regarding complications and genetic risk factors. Several sociodemographic factors were associated with CRS knowledge, highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions to strengthen CRS-related knowledge among healthcare trainees and professionals.