Thyroid Cancer Knowledge and Awareness Among Women in Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 4; p. e37739
• Main Authors: Alibrahim, Ibrahim S, Alnafei, Khalid H, Atwah, Raghad H, Altwyjri, Ola A, Bassas, Rayyan B, Alqurashi, Rofal O, Alsairafi, Rani A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 17-04-2023; Cureus
• Subjects: Data collection; Divorce; Education; Endocrinology/Diabetes/Metabolism; General Surgery; Knowledge; Preventive Medicine; Questionnaires; Secondary schools; Sociodemographics; Thyroid cancer; Saudi Arabia; thyroid disease; thyroid cancer; public knowledge; female; attitude
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.37739
• EISSN: 2168-8184

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most prevalent endocrine cancer, and it has shown a rapid rise in incidence across the globe in recent decades. This study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge about TC among women in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between 28 December 2022 and 20 January 2023 among women in the Makkah Region via a self-administrated online questionnaire using Google Forms. Our inclusion criteria were women aged 18 years and older from the Makkah Region, and we excluded healthcare professionals and women who declined to participate in the study. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS program.
The sample included 1219 participants. The majority (64%, n = 784) were 18 to 35. Of the participants, 362 (29.7%) had poor knowledge of TC, and only 94 (7.7%) possessed good knowledge. Forty-four percent of the participants (n = 541) believed that TC was incurable, and 86% (n = 1050) did not watch or participate in TC campaigns. Age, marital status, and family members or friends working in the medical field all significantly impacted the participants' knowledge scores.
According to our study, women in the Makkah Region in Saudi Arabia do not fully comprehend the risk factors and symptoms of TC or the diagnostic methods and treatment for it. The results emphasize the value of health campaigns focused on women-in public places and on social media platforms to increase awareness of TC.