{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T12:45:12Z","timestamp":1782909912129,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782864000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Family medical history (FMH) is a practical and cost-effective tool for identifying individuals at increased risk of genetic and chronic diseases. However, its effective utilization depends on awareness, attitudes, and the translation of these factors into health-related practices and preventive behaviors, which may vary across populations.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To assess and compare FMH awareness, attitudes, health-related practices, and preventive behaviors among adults in Saudi Arabia and Syria.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured online questionnaire distributed via digital platforms. A total of 586 participants (Saudi Arabia: 307; Syria: 279) were included. Four domains were evaluated: awareness, attitudes, health-related practices, and preventive behaviors. Outcomes were classified as favorable using Bloom\u2019s cut-off (\u226560%). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Favorable levels were observed in 53.4% for awareness, 74.2% for attitudes, 48.5% for health-related practices, and 44.0% for preventive behaviors. Although a majority of participants demonstrated awareness of FMH and positive attitudes toward genetic screening, engagement in preventive actions was limited. Only 45.2% had undergone medical testing and 45.1% reported lifestyle modifications based on familial risk. A pronounced intention\u2013behavior gap was identified, with 74.2% expressing willingness to undergo screening but substantially fewer reporting actual engagement. Participants from Saudi Arabia exhibited significantly higher levels of preventive practices compared to those from Syria (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001). Multivariate analysis identified age, gender, education level, and country of residence as significant predictors of preventive behaviors.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Despite moderate awareness and favorable attitudes, engagement in preventive practices remains suboptimal, indicating a clear gap between intention and action. These findings highlight the need for context-specific, multi-level strategies that address both behavioral and structural barriers to improve the effective use of FMH in preventive healthcare.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1873367","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T11:55:00Z","timestamp":1782906900000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["From awareness to action: a comparative study of family medical history and preventive health behaviors in Saudi Arabia and Syria"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Bassel","family":"Tarakji","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University","place":["Alkharj, Saudi Arabia"]},{"name":"Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Aleppo","place":["Aleppo, Syria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adel M.","family":"Alqarni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University","place":["Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anas","family":"Alsalhani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dentistry, Vision Colleges","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]},{"name":"Department of Histology and Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hama","place":["Hama, Syria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Faisal Mehsen","family":"Alali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University","place":["Alkharj, Saudi 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S.","family":"Alhedyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University","place":["Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yousef","family":"Alkhaibari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial and Diagnostic Science, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University","place":["Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdullah","family":"Almansour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University","place":["Al Kharj, Saudi 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Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University","place":["Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mana","family":"Alqahtani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk","place":["Tabuk, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Feras","family":"Baba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Aleppo","place":["Aleppo, Syria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Azza","family":"Sioufi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aljazeera Hospital","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammad Zakaria","family":"Nassani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Restorative and Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of 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