ArticleJournal of family medicine and primary care2026
Awareness, knowledge, attitude, and behaviors related to topical corticosteroid use among population in Hail, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.
Article in Journal of family medicine and primary care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Corticosteroids are widely used for inflammatory conditions, yet misuse and limited public awareness can cause preventable harm. In Hail, Saudi Arabia, community knowledge appears limited, warranting targeted assessment. Objective: To assess knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and use patterns of topical corticosteroids (TCSs) among adults in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey (October 2024-March 2025) among adults aged ≥18 years. Of 535 respondents, 419 (78.0%) reported prior TCS use and were included in behavioral analyses, while 116 (21.0%) were non-users. Descriptive statistics summarized patterns, and bivariate analyses examined associations between awareness and behaviors. Results: Prescription use was more common than self-medication (58.9% vs 41.1%), and most users applied corticosteroids once daily (60.6%). Mometasone was the most frequently reported agent (33.9%), although 36.8% could not name the product; acne, melasma, and tinea were common indications. Awareness was moderate: 62.8% recognized potency categories, and 55.4% were aware of adverse effects. Overall, 45.0% reported ≥1 adverse effect, most often mood changes, pruritus, increased thirst/urination, or skin thinning. Most had discontinued at least once (79.5%); tapering was more frequent than abrupt cessation (58.9% vs 41.1%), and relapse occurred in 23.7%, often within a week. Awareness aligned with safer practice: aware users were more likely to have a prescription (65.0% vs 48.7%) and to recognize adverse effects (73.8% vs 24.4%); prescribed users also tapered more often than they stopped abruptly (67.6% vs 43.9%). Conclusion: TCS use is prevalent in Hail and is accompanied by self-medication and important knowledge deficits. Strengthening pharmacist counseling, improving labeling, regulating access to higher-potency agents, and implementing community education initiatives may enhance safety and reduce avoidable adverse outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.