Dyslipidemia in Lebanese children and adolescents: parents’ knowledge and practices
摘要
Pediatric dyslipidemia is a common metabolic disorder worldwide, especially in Lebanon, and is an early risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Parents play a crucial role in prevention, screening, and management, but their knowledge and practices remain poorly studied.
MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted between March and November 2025 among parents of school-aged children from eight schools in Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon. An electronic questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data and to assess parents’ knowledge (using a composite score) and practices regarding dyslipidemia. Factors associated with knowledge levels and their relationship with parental practices were also examined.
ResultsA total of 946 parents were included (861 women and 85 men) with a mean age of 43.9 ± 6.2 years, 94.1% had a university education, and 11.6% were healthcare professionals. Among them, 42.4% had heard of pediatric dyslipidemia, mainly through the media (25.2%) and healthcare professionals (24.4%). The mean knowledge score was 14.1 ± 4.4 out of 23. Blood test-based lipid screening for dyslipidemia in children had been performed by only 6.7% of parents. The independent determinants of a higher knowledge score were female gender, university education, healthcare professional status, and having heard of pediatric dyslipidemia (p < 0.001, p = 0.007, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). In addition, higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with favorable preventive practices, including implementation of healthy eating habits (p = 0.02) and lipid screening in children (p < 0.001).
ConclusionParents demonstrated moderate knowledge levels. The association between knowledge level and the adoption of favorable preventive measures suggests that educational campaigns targeting parents and health care professionals could play a role in promoting healthier practices.