Awareness of autoimmune diseases among general population in Mansoura University Hospital

Objective: to assess the knowledge of autoimmune diseases among the general population Background: The prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing worldwide, and Egypt is no exception. Knowledge of these diseases is correlated with better prognoses for patients. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study targeted the general population. The questionnaire included personal history, detailed autoimmune diseases history, including epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment plans, and its course during pregnancy and labour. The questionnaire was asked in a systematic way. All data underwent statistical analysis. Result: About 651 (64.4%) of participants accepted that autoimmune diseases do not affect joints only, while 44.5% of participants approved that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) does not affect females. Most participants (60.9%) agreed that SLE affects all organs, and 13.7% supposed that joints are most affected. Most participants (83.8%) agreed to tell their partners about their disease, but less than half of them (39.9%) were unaware of the safety of pregnancy and treatment during this period. Most participants agreed that exacerbation of autoimmune diseases is common during labour and the postpartum period (46.1%), and that they are more susceptible to abortion (43.5%).Conclusion: there is still a gap in the knowledge about autoimmune diseases among general population, also false beliefs about nature and prognosis of these diseases, shedding light about these diseases may help in early diagnosis, management and improvement of the prognosis.