ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
Rheumatoid arthritis in the public eye: a study on awareness and knowledge levels in the United Arab Emirates.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with significant morbidity, disability, and reduced quality of life. Despite its clinical importance, public awareness and understanding of RA remain variable across populations. This study aimed to assess the level of awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and information-seeking behavior regarding RA among the general population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults residing in the UAE. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, awareness, knowledge of symptoms, risk factors, treatment, and attitudes toward RA which was administered in English only. A total of 739 participants were included in the final analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, and results were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results: Among the participants, 65.4% reported awareness of RA. Knowledge levels were moderate, with 65.2% demonstrating adequate knowledge. A majority correctly identified RA as an autoimmune disease (56%) and recognized its joint involvement (61.4%). However, gaps were observed in symptom recognition, particularly for systemic features such as fever (38.8%) and fatigue (49.7%). Regarding treatment, 64% knew that RA is not completely curable, while knowledge of specific management options varied. In terms of attitudes, 68.2% considered RA a serious condition, and 77.7% would seek medical care for persistent joint symptoms. Most participants (76.7%) preferred obtaining information from the internet, although 20.8% showed reluctance to seek further information. Conclusion: Although general awareness of RA in the UAE is moderate, significant gaps persist in detailed knowledge, particularly regarding disease mechanisms, systemic involvement, and treatment options. There is a need for targeted educational interventions to improve comprehensive understanding, promote early diagnosis, and enhance disease outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.