Dyslipidemia in Lebanese children and adolescents: parents’ knowledge and practices

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: A 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. RESULTS: A 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). CONCLUSION: Parents 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.