Awareness of the Importance of Zinc and the Effects of Its Deficiency Among the General Population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In recent decades, zinc deficiencies have emerged as a significant concern in the global health field. Zinc is important for the optimal functionality of all the body systems. Its supplementation has gained considerable traction as an essential focus, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aimed to assess the level of awareness and knowledge regarding zinc's importance, sources, and the causes and effects of zinc deficiency. Our cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, through a self-administered questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the Fakeeh College Scientific Research Review Committee (Jeddah, SAU). The scoring system gives the participant 1 point for each correct answer and 0 points for every wrong answer, with the overall score being out of 20. Several demographic factors, including nationality, age, gender, healthcare status, place of residency, and marital status, were investigated among 384 participants. Upon analysis, the average overall knowledge score was estimated to be 15.67 out of 20. Significant differences were found in the knowledge scores between different genders and educational levels. It was thus concluded that these knowledge gaps need to be addressed by developing different targeted health campaign strategies and interventions to increase awareness in the population.