Acknowledging popular misconceptions about vitiligo in western Saudi Arabia

Background: Vitiligo is the most common depigmentary disorder of the skin and hair. Our aim is to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and misconceptions about vitiligo among adults attending shopping centres. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was implemented. It included a representative sample of adults in Jeddah and Makkah who presented in shopping centres every weekend during March, 2014. Results: The study included 423 subjects aged between 18 and 65 years with a mean of 29.9 ± 9.7 years. Females represent 70% of them. Only 6.9% of the participants heard well about vitiligo, with social media (32.2%) the most commonly reported source of information. Overall, vitiligo knowledge was sufficient in 41.8% of the participants. Females had a significantly higher knowledge score compared with males, and older subjects (31–50 and >50 years) had a higher knowledge score compared with younger subjects (18–30 years), which proved statistically significant. Attitudes towards vitiligo were positive in 57.4% of participants. Conclusion: Knowledge of vitiligo in adults is suboptimal, yet attitude towards the disease is generally acceptable. Educating the public about vitiligo could lead to increased self-confidence, better social integration, and psychological well-being for vitiligo patients.