Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: An expanding problem with low levels of awareness in Hong Kong

Background and Aim: With the Westernization of the lifestyle and the rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus, non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging health problem in the Asia–Pacific region. The purpose of this study was to determine the awareness of NAFLD among the general population in Hong Kong. Methods: A random telephone survey was conducted from September 2007 to January 2008 using a structured multiple‐choice questionnaire. Subjects were Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above who spoke Cantonese. Results: In the first phase of the telephone survey, 521 subjects were interviewed and the results showed that as high as 83% of respondents had never come across the term ‘NAFLD’. Upon completion of the second phase telephone survey, a total of 508 respondents who had heard of NAFLD were successfully interviewed. Of the 508 respondents, nearly half of them (42%) expressed no idea about the prevalence of NAFLD in Hong Kong. About half of respondents (47%) knew nothing about the clinical presentation of NAFLD. The majority of them (78%) had a misconception that blood tests could provide a definite diagnosis of NAFLD. Smoking, hepatitis B carriage and a past history of hepatitis A infection were cited as risk factors of NAFLD by 52%, 57% and 42% of respondents, respectively. Of the 508 respondents who had heard of NAFLD, most of them perceived that their knowledge of NAFLD was either inadequate (46%) or highly inadequate (35%). Conclusion: This survey revealed an inadequate knowledge of NAFLD among the general population in Hong Kong.