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.