{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T23:14:44Z","timestamp":1783725284173,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Georg Thieme Verlag KG","issue":"02","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780444800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":63,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Avicenna J Med"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis, or strep throat, can lead to rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) if left untreated. While these conditions are a public health concern, limited evidence exists on public awareness in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes toward strep throat and RF among UAE residents.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between September and November 2024 among adults aged \u2265 18 years. A 28-item questionnaire was distributed via social media platforms. Data were processed using SPSS, with bivariate and multivariate analyses applied to identify factors associated with knowledge levels.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Among the 462 respondents, 64.9% were female, and over half held a bachelor's degree or higher. Misconceptions were common: 47.4% believed cold water causes sore throat, and 53.7% reported using antibiotics for symptom relief, often without physician advice. Note that 60.6% had never heard of strep throat, and only 39.0% recognized its association with RF. While most participants identified joint pain as a symptom of RF, fewer recognized heart complications as a major consequence. The median knowledge score was \u20131 (interquartile range\u2009=\u20095), and none answered all questions correctly. Females, health care workers, and participants with comorbidities demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores (p\u2009=\u20090.005, p\u2009&lt;\u20090.001, and p\u2009=\u20090.049, respectively).<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>The study revealed limited public knowledge of strep throat and RF in the UAE, alongside inappropriate antibiotic use. Targeted awareness campaigns are urgently needed to address misconceptions, encourage appropriate health care-seeking behavior, and reduce the burden of RF and RHD.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0046-1822816","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T22:56:41Z","timestamp":1780527401000},"page":"070-076","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Strep Throat and Rheumatic Fever: A Cross-Sectional Study Among the United Arab Emirates Population"],"prefix":"10.1055","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Ahmad Hisham","family":"Al-Anoud","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mawiah","family":"Zhour Adi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bayan","family":"Bozalasal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3124-7984","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Saryia","family":"Adra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Harlem Hospital Center, Columbia University, New York, United States"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kifaya","family":"Tamimi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laila Nour Aldeen","family":"Ismail","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8754-9172","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hiba Jawdat","family":"Barqawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab 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Fakieha","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"issue":"04","key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.55133\/eji.310412","article-title":"Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease among parents in Al-Baha Region, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study","volume":"31","author":"K AA Mohammed","year":"2024","journal-title":"Egypt J Immunol"},{"issue":"09","key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0203864","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0203864","article-title":"Rheumatic heart disease awareness in the South West region of Cameroon: a hospital based survey in a Sub-Saharan African setting","volume":"13","author":"C Nkoke","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref10","first-page":"1980","article-title":"Parents knowledge and attitudes toward rheumatic heart disease in Saudi Arabia","author":"M Tellawy","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Med Dev 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