Cureus. 2026 Jun 6;18(6):e110373. doi: 10.7759/cureus.110373. eCollection 2026 Jun.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Breath-holding spells (BHS) are benign, self-limiting episodes in children that often cause parental anxiety. Adult awareness is crucial to mitigate undue panic and prevent inappropriate medical interventions, yet public understanding of BHS is limited, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
AIM: To evaluate and quantify the levels of knowledge, awareness, and attitudes toward BHS among adults in Riyadh, and to identify specific socio-demographic factors significantly associated with good knowledge scores using a structured cross-sectional design.
METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 444 Saudi adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an expert-reviewed, pilot-tested online questionnaire. Knowledge scores were calculated based on correct responses (≥60%=good knowledge). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 28 (Released 2021; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), and associations were tested using the chi-square test.
RESULTS: Most participants were female (n=367, 82.7%) and married (n=287, 64.6%), with a bachelor’s degree (n=258, 58.1%). Only 44.4% (n=197) had heard of BHS, and 24.3% (n=108) demonstrated good knowledge. The main sources of information perceived as helpful were the internet (n=207, 46.6%), family/friends (n=195, 43.9%), and healthcare providers (n=192, 43.2%), although only 9.5% (n=42) had actually received direct BHS information from a provider previously. Younger adults (18-25 years) and single participants had significantly higher knowledge (p<0.05), while gender, education, income, and parental status showed no significant association. Most participants reported high anxiety regarding episodes (n=339, 76.4%) and indicated they would seek medical advice for recurrent spells (n=278, 62.6%) regardless of knowledge level.
CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge and awareness of BHS in Riyadh are suboptimal despite high concern and willingness to seek care. Age and marital status were the only significant predictors of knowledge. These findings highlight the need for primary care-based education to improve public understanding of BHS, reduce anxiety, and minimize unnecessary healthcare utilization.
PMID:42416931 | PMC:PMC13337343 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.110373
