Conjunctivitis in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia: A school and university level of knowledge experience

Background: Conjunctivitis is an epidemic disease with a self-limiting and short-lasting course with varieties of causes inflecting the prevalence and the way of spread. This study surveyed school and Umm Al-Qura University students in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A survey-based study was conducted between October 2021 and January 2022, including high school students in Makkah region and Umm Al-Qura University students of both genders. The study compared the awareness and knowledge of conjunctivitis and discussed the informational similarities and contradictions between the educational levels. Results: The participant's number in this study was 367. Students with less than 20 years old predominantly represented 60.8%, compared with 20 years old or more with 39.2%. The majority were female with 50.7%, and 49.3% for males. Most of them were Saudis 88.0%. The highest respondents were school students, while university students were the least with 41.4%. Most students were single. Moreover, the correlation between students' age and educational level' were significantly positive (p-values: 0.000, 0.000 respectively). Conclusion: Educational programs are vital to enhancing students' recognition to control conjunctivitis spreading among communities. The current finding shows a poor level of knowledge towards conjunctivitis basic knowledge. Consequently, we recommend further studies among universities and schools.