dawnmedDawnMed Journal of Medical ScienceISVolume 2, Issue 4MultidisciplinaryEnglish2026NNY20261018Otolaryngology (ENT)Knowledge and Awareness of Tonsillitis Among Undergraduate Medical Students at the University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional StudyEnglishY5966Rudaina HussainAlelyani¹*EnglishNLama AbdulazizAlshahrani¹EnglishYMohammed Ahmed A.Alshehri¹EnglishYLama Zafi A.Aldrehan¹EnglishYNaif Abdulaziz M.Alqarni¹EnglishYMohammedAlQarny²EnglishYSami Mohammed A.Alaklabi¹EnglishYMashael Sharaf S.Alshahrani¹EnglishYMohammed Thamer A.Alshahrani¹EnglishYSultan Dhafer A.Alshehri¹EnglishYZainab AliAlalqam¹EnglishYMohammed MushariAlsueri¹EnglishYBackground: Tonsillitis is common and often viral; group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes) is its principal bacterial cause and the main reason to prescribe antibiotics. Saudi data on medical students' knowledge of it are lacking. We assessed perceived and actual knowledge of tonsillitis among undergraduate medical students at the University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, and factors associated with awareness.Methods: In a cross-sectional online survey (March–April 2025) of 320 consenting medical students recruited by convenience sampling, an adapted, pilot-tested questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.832) covered sociodemographic data, eleven self-rated (perceived) and five multiple-choice (actual) knowledge items; a score of at least 9 of 16 defined awareness. Associations were examined with chi-square or Fisher's exact tests and binary logistic regression (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] with 95% confidence intervals [CI]).Results: In total, 204 students (63.8%) were classified as aware, and 93.1% agreed that the tonsils have a defensive immune role. Self-ratings exceeded test scores on three of four comparable topics: 61.9% said they knew the bacterial causes, but 45.0% identified S. pyogenes, and 62.5% said they knew the symptoms of streptococcal tonsillitis, but 43.4% recognized all of them. Only 46.9% agreed that tonsillitis is infectious. Awareness was associated with age (p = 0.004) and academic year (p = 0.041) but not significantly with gender (p = 0.057). After adjustment, age 24–28 years (aOR 4.84; 95% CI 1.54–15.26) and female gender (aOR 1.90; 95% CI 1.15–3.14) were independently associated with higher awareness and a monthly income of 5,000–10,000 Saudi riyals with lower awareness (aOR 0.36; 95% CI 0.14–0.94); academic year was not.Conclusion: Students' self-rated knowledge of tonsillitis exceeded their tested knowledge on three of four topics, most clearly for its bacterial cause and the symptoms of streptococcal tonsillitis. Teaching should target these gaps, and knowledge should be tested with objective questions.EnglishTonsillitis; Students, Medical; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Streptococcus pyogenes; Self-Assessment; Saudi Arabia.https://dawnmed.com.sa/abstract?id=41References1619Meegalla N, Downs BW. Anatomy, head and neck, palatine tonsil (faucial tonsils). In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Janand;ndash; [updated 2023 Jun 5; cited 2026 Sep 27]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538296/Brandtzaeg P. Immunology of tonsils and adenoids: everything the ENT surgeon needs to know. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2003;67 Suppl 1:S69-76. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2003.08.018Samara P, Athanasopoulos M, Athanasopoulos I. Unveiling the enigmatic adenoids and tonsils: exploring immunology, physiology, microbiome dynamics, and the transformative power of surgery. 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