Community Awareness and Knowledge About Precocious Puberty in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background Puberty is the process of physical maturation where an adolescent reaches sexual maturity and becomes capable of reproduction. On average, puberty typically begins between 8 and 13 years old in females and 9 and 14 years oldin males. The traditional definition of precocious puberty is the development of secondary sexual characteristics before eight years of age in girls and nine years in boys. In this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of Riyadh residents in Saudi Arabia about precocious puberty and its complications. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the awareness and knowledge among Riyadh residents about precocious puberty and its complications; 426 participants were included in this study. Participants completed a pretested self-administered questionnaire that included sociodemographic data, knowledge about precocious puberty definition, risk factors, complications, and treatment. Results This study enrolled 426 participants. Overall, 10.1% were correct about the precocious puberty age for girls, and 8.5% knew about the precocious puberty age for boys. The overall mean knowledge score among the study sample was 5.56 (SD = 2.79), with poor knowledge being prominent and constituting 68.8%, while fair and good knowledge were 30% and 1.2%, respectively. Working in a non-medical field was the sole independent significant predictor of incorrect answers of knowledge about precocious puberty. Conclusions Awareness strategies are needed to increase awareness among the community to encourage prevention and treatment for precocious puberty as the awareness and knowledge of Riyadh residents in Saudi Arabia about precocious puberty and its complications are low.