Knowledge and Awareness Assessment Regarding Silicosis among Saudi Population

Silicosis is a disease that results from Inhaling crystalline silica dust, it is one of the oldest occupational illnesses. The most common complications of silicosis are fibrosis and lung cancer. which is caused by the exposure time of silica dust in the workplace and job demands continued exposure to crystalline silica dust was the leading cause of morbidity and possibly death in workers worldwide. The aim of this study is the assessment of Knowledge and attitudes inhalation of dust that contains free crystalline silica among Saudi populations. This study was conducted in Saudi Arabia as a descriptive cross-sectional with a minimum sample size of 384. The data was collected employing a questionnaire translated into simple Arabic language. The data are going to be analyzed by using a statistical package for social since (IBM, SPSS version 25). The study included 389 participants, 64.8% of them were females and 35.2% were males. 58.6% were 20- 30 years old. 19% of participants have heard of silicosis before. 2.1% of participants have or know someone who has silicosis. 26.2% know what silica dust is. 73.3% know that work or training in a dusty environment may expose risks of respiratory diseases. 39.8% of participants have enough knowledge scores of silicosis, 20.6% have moderate knowledge, 19.5% have weak knowledge, and 20.1% have very low knowledge. Our study shows that the Saudi population has moderate knowledge and awareness of silicosis. Awareness was significantly associated with older age and Saudi nationality.