SURVEY OF PUBLIC AWARENESS IN SAUDI ARABIA ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN BLOOD TYPE AND RISK FOR ACQUIRING CERTAIN DISEASES

Abstract

Some blood types have been reported to be associated with certain diseases but public awareness of these associations in Saudi Arabia is unclear.  In this study we aimed to assess awareness of the association between blood types and certain diseases among adults in Saudi Arabia in order to inform efforts to improve this awareness.  Study subjects were recruited from the general population of Saudi Arabia using a convenience sampling method via an online questionnaire distributed through social media platforms.  Inclusion criteria for study subjects were being aged ≥18 years, living in Saudi Arabia and completing a study questionnaire.  Exclusion criteria for study subjects were not meeting inclusion criteria and incompletely filling out the questionnaire.  The questionnaire was reviewed by experts and pilot-tested to ensure clarity and validity.  The minimum number of study subjects determined to be needed for the study was 440 subjects.  Each subject was asked to complete a questionnaire asking about demographic characteristics, current health status, beliefs about the relationship between blood type and certain diseases, awareness of these associations and whether they could name the associated diseases.  We evaluated potential associations between gender, age, marital status, family history of chronic disease and subject awareness about these associations using the chi-square test.  A knowledge score was given based on answers to the questions on the questionnaire, giving 1 point for each correct answer with a potential score of 0-7 points.  Knowledge scores were categorized as poor (0-2 points), average (3-4 points) or good (≥5 points).  1,191 subjects were included in the study, 871 (73.1%) females.  495 subjects (41.6%) believed there could be an association between blood type and certain diseases; 332 subjects (27.9%) were aware of such associations.  The mean (±standard deviation) knowledge score among study subjects regarding the association was 1.94 (±1.55) points; 765 subjects (64.2%) had a poor knowledge level, 337 (28.3%) had an average knowledge level and 89 (7.5%) had a good knowledge level.  When subjects were asked to indicate which specific diseases were associated with blood type (multiple selections allowed), 410 (34.4%) mentioned stroke, 322 (27.0%) mentioned diabetes mellitus type 2, 273 (22.9%) mentioned hyperlipidemia and 238 (20.0%) mentioned hypertension.  Awareness was significantly higher (p-value = 0.001) among females (n = 387, 44.4%) than males (n = 108, 33.8%).  There were significant differences in subject awareness by blood type.  The greatest (p-value = 0.01) awareness among subjects about the association between blood type and certain diseases was among subjects aged 18-24 years (n = 296, 45.1%) followed by those aged 25-50 years (n = 182, 37.7%) and those aged >50 years (n = 17, 32.7%) (p-value = 0.01).  Significantly more (p-value = 0.02) single subjects (n = 348, 44.0%) were aware of the association between blood type and certain disease than married subjects (n = 147, 36.8%).  Significantly more (p-value <0.001) subjects with a family history of chronic disease (n = 318, 45.8%) had awareness of the association between blood type and certain diseases than subjects without a family history of chronic disease (n = 177, 35.6%).  180 subjects (15.1%) stated they had adopted a preventive lifestyle based on their blood type in order to reduce their risk for developing the disease associated with their blood type.  In summary, the proportion of subjects who were aware of the associations between blood type and certain diseases was low and few reported making lifestyle changes based on such associations.  We conclude, given the modest strength of most associations and the absence of evidence for blood type-based preventive interventions, the public health relevance of these findings is unclear but there is a need to educate the study population regarding the association between blood type and certain disease.  Further studies are needed to determine if adopting a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk for developing these blood type disease associations and whether knowledge of these associations will result in a change in preventive lifestyle activities.