Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian Countries

The widespread use of corticosteroids, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has emphasized their therapeutic benefits while also raising public concerns regarding their safety and side effects. This study aims to assess the public’s knowledge, perceptions, experiences, and corticophobia relate...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Muna Barakat PhD, Shaymaa B. Abdulrazzaq MSc, Lujain F. Alzaghari MSc, Diana Ramatillah PhD, Raihan Fadhil Muhammad BSc, Mohamed Hassan Elnaem PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-04-01
Series:Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251333968
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850173628682862592
author Muna Barakat PhD
Shaymaa B. Abdulrazzaq MSc
Lujain F. Alzaghari MSc
Diana Ramatillah PhD
Raihan Fadhil Muhammad BSc
Mohamed Hassan Elnaem PhD
author_facet Muna Barakat PhD
Shaymaa B. Abdulrazzaq MSc
Lujain F. Alzaghari MSc
Diana Ramatillah PhD
Raihan Fadhil Muhammad BSc
Mohamed Hassan Elnaem PhD
author_sort Muna Barakat PhD
collection DOAJ
description The widespread use of corticosteroids, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has emphasized their therapeutic benefits while also raising public concerns regarding their safety and side effects. This study aims to assess the public’s knowledge, perceptions, experiences, and corticophobia related to corticosteroid use in Indonesia and Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-validated online questionnaire distributed to the general public. Descriptive statistics, knowledge and corticophobia score computations, and linear regression analysis were performed to analyze the data. A total of 553 participants were included in the study, with a majority being female (n = 403, 72.9%) and a median age of 22 ± 5 years. The results revealed inadequate knowledge among participants, with a median score of 7 (interquartile range [IQR] ± 4) out of 14. The corticophobia score was moderate, with a median of 3 (IQR ± 1.8) out of 5. Age demonstrated a significant positive association with knowledge (β = .141, P  = .022). Additionally, individuals from the health sector exhibited significantly higher knowledge and lower corticophobia compared to those from non-health sectors (β = −.427, P  < .001). This study identified significant knowledge gaps and moderate levels of corticophobia regarding corticosteroid use in Malaysia and Indonesia. These findings underscore the need for enhanced public education and targeted healthcare interventions to address misconceptions and improve awareness of corticosteroids.
format Article
id doaj-art-0f2475dcdc774475bc53318c9bc641c8
institution OA Journals
issn 0046-9580
1945-7243
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
spelling doaj-art-0f2475dcdc774475bc53318c9bc641c82025-08-20T02:19:48ZengSAGE PublishingInquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing0046-95801945-72432025-04-016210.1177/00469580251333968Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian CountriesMuna Barakat PhD0Shaymaa B. Abdulrazzaq MSc1Lujain F. Alzaghari MSc2Diana Ramatillah PhD3Raihan Fadhil Muhammad BSc4Mohamed Hassan Elnaem PhD5Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, JordanChemistry Division, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, JordanFaculty of Pharmacy, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945, Jakarta, IndonesiaFaculty of Pharmacy, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945, Jakarta, IndonesiaSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UKThe widespread use of corticosteroids, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has emphasized their therapeutic benefits while also raising public concerns regarding their safety and side effects. This study aims to assess the public’s knowledge, perceptions, experiences, and corticophobia related to corticosteroid use in Indonesia and Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-validated online questionnaire distributed to the general public. Descriptive statistics, knowledge and corticophobia score computations, and linear regression analysis were performed to analyze the data. A total of 553 participants were included in the study, with a majority being female (n = 403, 72.9%) and a median age of 22 ± 5 years. The results revealed inadequate knowledge among participants, with a median score of 7 (interquartile range [IQR] ± 4) out of 14. The corticophobia score was moderate, with a median of 3 (IQR ± 1.8) out of 5. Age demonstrated a significant positive association with knowledge (β = .141, P  = .022). Additionally, individuals from the health sector exhibited significantly higher knowledge and lower corticophobia compared to those from non-health sectors (β = −.427, P  < .001). This study identified significant knowledge gaps and moderate levels of corticophobia regarding corticosteroid use in Malaysia and Indonesia. These findings underscore the need for enhanced public education and targeted healthcare interventions to address misconceptions and improve awareness of corticosteroids.https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251333968
spellingShingle Muna Barakat PhD
Shaymaa B. Abdulrazzaq MSc
Lujain F. Alzaghari MSc
Diana Ramatillah PhD
Raihan Fadhil Muhammad BSc
Mohamed Hassan Elnaem PhD
Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian Countries
Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
title Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian Countries
title_full Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian Countries
title_fullStr Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian Countries
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian Countries
title_short Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience, and Phobia Toward Corticosteroids Among the General Public in Two Southeast Asian Countries
title_sort assessment of knowledge perception experience and phobia toward corticosteroids among the general public in two southeast asian countries
url https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251333968
work_keys_str_mv AT munabarakatphd assessmentofknowledgeperceptionexperienceandphobiatowardcorticosteroidsamongthegeneralpublicintwosoutheastasiancountries
AT shaymaababdulrazzaqmsc assessmentofknowledgeperceptionexperienceandphobiatowardcorticosteroidsamongthegeneralpublicintwosoutheastasiancountries
AT lujainfalzagharimsc assessmentofknowledgeperceptionexperienceandphobiatowardcorticosteroidsamongthegeneralpublicintwosoutheastasiancountries
AT dianaramatillahphd assessmentofknowledgeperceptionexperienceandphobiatowardcorticosteroidsamongthegeneralpublicintwosoutheastasiancountries
AT raihanfadhilmuhammadbsc assessmentofknowledgeperceptionexperienceandphobiatowardcorticosteroidsamongthegeneralpublicintwosoutheastasiancountries
AT mohamedhassanelnaemphd assessmentofknowledgeperceptionexperienceandphobiatowardcorticosteroidsamongthegeneralpublicintwosoutheastasiancountries