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Knowledge,
Attitudes, and Practices of Self-ear
cleaning among the General Population
in KSA
Ali Maeed
Alshehri 1, Marwah Saad Al Jallal
2, Naif Khalid M Mahzara 3,
Ghadah Qasem A Alruwaili 4, Sara
Ali Ahmed Asiri 5, Meshari Ghazai
Alharbi 6, Ali Moteb S Alzahrani
7, Lama Abdulelah AlSenani 8, Abdullah
Ahmad Alkurdi 9, Abdullah Awon A.
Alsalooli 10
[1] Associate Professor of Otolaryngology,
King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.
[2] Medical intern, College of Medicine,
King Khalid university, Abha, Saudi
Arabia.
[3] College of Medicine, Jazan university,
Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
[4] College of Medicine, Jouf, Jouf
University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia.
[5] College of Medicine, King Khalid
university, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
[6] Medical intern, College of Medicine,
Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi
Arabia.
[7] Medical intern, College of Medicine,
Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi
Arabia.
[8] Medical Intern. College of Medicine,
Alfaisal university, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia.
[9] Medical Intern, College of medicine,
Al-Rayan Medical Colleges, Madina,
Saudi Arabia.
[10] General practitioner, King
Abdullah hospital, Bisha, Saudi
Arabia.
Correspondence:
Shehata Farag
Email: shehatafarag@yahoo.com
Received: December 2023. Accepted:
December 2023; Published: January
1, 2024.Citation: Ali Maeed Alshehri
et al. Knowledge, Attitudes, and
Practices of Self-ear Cleaning among
the General Population in KSA. World
Family Medicine. December 2024;
22(1): 44-53. DOI: 10.5742/MEWFM.2024.95257006
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Abstract
Introduction:
Cerumen or ear wax is a normal
secretion from sebaceous and
ceruminous glands found in
the external auditory canal
with an antimicrobial effect.
Self-ear cleaning practice
is reported among different
populations with different
tools that may be harmful
to the ear.
Aim:
The current study aimed
to assess knowledge, attitudes,
and practices of self-ear
cleaning among the general
population in KSA.
Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional
survey based on an online
structured questionnaire distributed
over Saudi Arabia’s different
regions was conducted during
the period from…….
to … . The final questionnaire
was uploaded online using
social media platforms till
no more responses were added.
The first section concerns
demographic characteristics
such as gender, age, education,
and income. The second section
is continuing questions about
self-ear cleaning and awareness.
The third covered data about
self-ear cleaning practices
and complications.
Results:
A total of 503 eligible
participants completed the
study questionnaire, 210 (41.7%)
from the western region, 147
(29.2%) from the central region,
78 (15.5%) from the southern
region, and others from other
regions. Participants’
ages ranged from 18 to about
60 years with a mean age of
27.5 ± 12.9 years old.
A total of 304 (60.4%) participants
were females. A total of 324
(64.4%) of the participants
had an overall good knowledge
and perception of self-ear
cleaning. Exactly 420 (83.5%)
practice self-ear cleaning,
and most of them (95.5%) do
it for both ears; ear sticks
were the most commonly used
tools (61.9%) followed by
tissues (28.8%).
Conclusion:
The study has shown that
the public is highly aware
of the risks, methods, and
tools used in self-ear cleaning.
More than three-quarters of
people surveyed reported using
ear sticks to clean their
ears, and the majority of
them experienced no negative
symptoms or complications
after cleaning.
Keywords
Self-ear cleaning, practice,
knowledge, awareness, prevalence,
attitude, complications, Saudi
Arabia.
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