Understanding, Awareness and Associated Factors of Rare Disease among Nursing Undergraduates-Insights from a Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background and Aim: Less common illnesses that are linked to shorter life expectancies are known as rare
diseases (RDs). As a result, the purpose of this study was to analyze nursing undergraduates’ knowledge and
attitudes toward RDs and factors associated with the knowledge of RD. Methods: A cross-sectional paper-based
study was undertaken among nursing undergraduates at King Saud University from October to December 2023.
The self-administered questionnaire comprising 24 questions divided into three sections was used to complete the
study aims. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used
to analyze the data. Results: Most students (n = 270, 81.6%) were between 18 and 22, while only 61 (18.4%) were
23 and 25 years old. Almost half of them (n = 170, 51.4%) had heard about RD, and more than a third (n = 118;
35.6%) had encountered someone with RD. According to findings, the most prevalent problems that people with
RD have are difficulties in obtaining an appropriate diagnosis (22.1%) and difficulty in finding physicians or
treatment centers with experience in an RD (6.6%). Although 27.2% (n = 90) of the students reported good levels
of knowledge, while 72.8% (n = 241) reported poor knowledge of RD. Furthermore, Knowledge was significantly
associated with age (P = 0.049), level of study (P = 0.001), and previous education about RD (P = 0.001). The
results of multiple linear regression revealed that education level (B = −0.142; standard error [SE] = −0.208;
t = −3.941; P < 0.001; confidence interval [CI] = −0.213–−0.071), awareness of the disease (B = 0.252; SE =
0.153; t = 2.275; P = 0.024; CI = 0.034–0.470), and RD’s education status (B = −0.421; SE = −0.245; t = −3.670;
P = 0.001; CI = −0.646–−0.195) were predictors of the knowledge. Conclusion: According to the current findings,
more than half of nursing undergraduates have insufficient knowledge regarding RD. There is an urgent need to
promote knowledge about RD among students, since they are future professionals, and teach them about such
disorders