knowledge and attitudes of Saudi and Egyptian professionals and non-professionals toward vitiligo patients

Abstract

Introduction: Vitiligo is a protracted skin disorder in which areas of skin lose their color. Numerous research has revealed that psychosocial therapies can lessen the effect of social stigma on the degree of vitiligo impairment. Objective: This study examines how an educational intervention affects the knowledge and attitudes of Egyptian and Saudi professionals and non-professionals toward patients with vitiligo. Materials and Methods: A quantitative, comparative quasi-experimental study was conducted with 357 participants at the College of Nursing-Jeddah (CON-J), Saudi Arabia, and the Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University, Egypt. To complete the study, three valid and reliable tools were utilized: demographic and personal characteristics, the IOF Scale, and knowledge and attitudes. Results: A high percentage of Egyptians (81.4%) and Saudis (81.1%) had a higher education level, and nearly two-thirds (66.5%) were single. The total sample (n = 375) spanned the ages of 20 to 50 years. Most (94.6%) Saudis live in cities, 82.2% are health professionals, and nearly two-thirds (69.7%) are middle-class. After the intervention, there was a high level of knowledge difference between Egyptian and Saudi participants (professional and non-professional) at (p = 0.021); (p = .001), respectively.