Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41270123›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Education as a predictor of liver testing behaviour: Insights from a large-scale MASLD awareness survey in India.

Kanica Kaushal, Manoj Kumar Sharma, Priyanka Aggarwal, Smriti Singh, Sumridhi Gautam, Anamika Tomar, Guresh Kumar, Siddhesh Mhatre

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kanica KaushalDepartment of Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9076-8280
Manoj Kumar SharmaDepartment of Hepatology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Priyanka AggarwalDepartment of Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0489-6713
Smriti SinghDepartment of Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Sumridhi GautamDepartment of Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Anamika TomarDepartment of Community Medicine, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Guresh KumarConsultant Statistics, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Siddhesh MhatreDepartment of Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7281-0500

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing public health concern, yet awareness remains low. This study aimed to assess MASLD awareness and identify predictors of liver testing behavior in Jaipur, India.

methodsA cross-sectional survey of 2,102 adults was conducted from October 2023 to March 2024. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing liver health knowledge, awareness, and testing history. Logistic regression analyzed predictors of liver testing.

resultsOnly 5.9% of participants had heard of fatty liver disease, with 94.0% completely unaware. Knowledge of liver functions was extremely low, with only 14.9% recognizing food digestion as a liver function. The liver testing rate was 1.8% overall. Education emerged as the strongest predictor of testing behavior, with graduates and above 8.35 times more likely to be tested than non-graduates (OR=8.35, 95% CI: 3.80-18.37, p < 0.001). Participants with higher liver function knowledge had dramatically higher testing rates of 12.9% versus 1.2% for those with low knowledge (OR=9.35, 95% CI: 4.2-20.8, p < 0.001). Employment status also significantly predicted testing (OR=5.42, 95% CI: 2.8-10.5, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: This study reveals a catastrophic knowledge deficit regarding MASLD, with 94% of participants completely unaware of the condition. The strong association between education, knowledge, and testing behavior highlights a critical knowledge-to-action pathway. The extremely low overall testing rate (1.8%) indicates massive underutilization of liver health screening, particularly among unemployed and less educated individuals. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive public health education on liver health, especially given India's rising MASLD prevalence and young demographic profile. Targeted interventions to improve awareness and facilitate testing access among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are essential to address this public health crisis.

Indexed as

Fatty LiverHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeAdultCross-Sectional StudiesEducational StatusFemaleHumansIndiaLiverLiver Function TestsMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41270123
PMCPMC12637942

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.