Parents' Knowledge and Perception Toward Short Stature in Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 12; p. e51163
• Main Authors: Alhumaidi, Kadi A, Alotaibi, Eman A, Almansour, Salman, Alharbi, Aeshah, Alharbi, Norah H, AlJameli, Shahad M, Aljateli, Ghadah A, Alobaid, Njood M, Almasoud, Reema A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 27-12-2023
• Subjects: Children & youth; Disease; Endocrinology; Families & family life; Growth hormones; Knowledge; Malnutrition; Parents & parenting; Pediatrics; Puberty; Sociodemographics; Variables; Saudi Arabia; saudi arabia; parents' knowledge; short stature; family medcine; pediatric endocrine
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51163

Introduction Short stature is a common reason for referral to pediatric endocrinologists. A Saudi study highlights significant short stature prevalence, with parents exhibiting varied knowledge levels. Common normal variants of short stature are familial short stature, constitutional, and idiopathic short stature. Pathologic causes of short stature include growth hormone deficiency, genetic disorders, and chronic diseases. Parents' knowledge plays an important role in the diagnosis and early intervention of this condition. Insufficient studies prompt the authors to conduct a novel survey assessing Saudi parents' knowledge and perceptions of short stature, filling a research gap. Methodology This is a cross-sectional study conducted among Saudi Parents in five different regions of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among parents via an online survey. The questionnaire includes sociodemographic characteristics and questions to assess the knowledge and perception regarding short stature. Non-probability sampling targets parents living in Saudi Arabia. Data is analyzed by SPSS version 29 (IBM Inc., Armonk, New York). Results Our study on Saudi parents' knowledge of short stature reveals diverse awareness levels. While genetic causes are widely recognized in (71.6%; N=245) of parents (N=352), awareness drops for factors like low birth weight (23.9%; N=82) total of (N=352). Parents show uncertainty in recognizing short stature (51.4%; N=352) and varied beliefs on growth cessation. A majority (65.6%; N=231) of parents (N=352) prefer early intervention, with 41.5% (N=146) of parents (N=352) recognizing growth hormone therapy. Sociodemographic factors influence knowledge scores, with higher scores in males (21.03) and Central region residents (22.03; p<0.001). Notably, 83.4% (N=248) of parents (N=352) acknowledge psychological complications.  Conclusion Our study highlights varied awareness among parents regarding short stature, emphasizing genetic causes but demonstrating gaps in recognizing certain factors. Sociodemographic factors significantly influence knowledge scores. Psychological complications are widely acknowledged.