Abstract
Purpose: National surveys in Korea have spotlighted suboptimal levels of awareness among the public towards liver-related health and diseases, leading to progressive reform of national policies and education efforts. This study aimed to assess the status of the Korean public’s knowledge towards liver-related diseases. Materials and Methods: A self-reported, cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire study was conducted between February– March 2020 among 1000 Korean adults. Questionnaire items assessed the knowledge, awareness, and behaviors towards liver-re-lated health and diseases. Results: About half (50.9%–52.1%) knew untreated/chronic viral hepatitis could lead to liver failure and/or cancer. Misconcep-tions pertaining to viral hepatitis transmission risks exist with only 26.3% knowing viral hepatitis B cannot be transmitted by din-ing with an infected individual. About one-fifth (22.2%) were aware of an available cure for viral hepatitis C. Less than half were aware of the risk factors associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), despite 72.4% and 49.5% having heard of fatty liver disease and NASH, respectively. More than one-third were unlikely to seek medical consultation even if exposed to viral hepatitis risk factors or upon diagnosis with a liver condition. Reasons for this low urgency included costs-related concerns, perceptions of being healthy, and the viewpoint that the condition is not life-threatening. Conclusion: The public’s knowledge towards liver-related diseases in Korea was found to be lacking, which could account for a lower sense of urgency towards screening and treatment. More efforts are needed to address misperceptions and dispel stigma in an effort to encourage pro-health seeking behaviors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1088-1098 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Yonsei medical journal |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 Dec |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors acknowledge the support from Kantar Profiles
Funding Information:
This study was funded by Gilead Sciences. Kantar Health received funding from Gilead Sciences for the conduct of the study and development of the manuscript. The authors received non-financial support from the Chronic Infectious Disease Cohort Study (Korea HBV Cohort Study) from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019ER510202).
Funding Information:
This study was funded by Gilead Sciences. Kantar Health received funding from Gilead Sciences for the conduct of the study and development of the manuscript. The authors received non-financial support from the Chronic Infectious Disease Cohort Study (Korea HBV Cohort Study) from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019ER510202). The authors acknowledge the valuable support from Dr. Vince Grillo of Kantar Health in overseeing the development of the project. The authors thank Dr. Amanda Woo of Kantar Health for providing medical writing and editorial support. The authors acknowledge the support from Kantar Profiles Network and its partners–LifePoints (United Kingdom); Dalia Research GmbH (Germany); dataSpring, and GMO Research and Rakuten Insight Global, Inc (Japan) in the recruitment of respondents in the study.
Publisher Copyright:
© Yonsei University College of Medicine 2022.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine(all)
