Exploring the Relationship Between Sauna Habits and Knowledge of Cardiovascular Health Benefits of Sauna use among Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: Sauna use has numerous cardiovascular health benefits and has been shown to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigates the prevalence and determinants of sauna use in Saudi Arabia, focusing on public knowledge and attitudes toward its cardiovascular health benefits. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 576 adults using a structured questionnaire distributed via social media. The questionnaire assessed sauna habits and knowledge of cardiovascular benefits and identified key motivators and barriers to sauna use. Results: Our findings reveal that sauna usage is notably low, with (N = 428, 74.3%) of participants reporting they do not use saunas. Knowledge of the cardiovascular benefits is equally limited with most of the population having poor levels of awareness (N>318, >55%); particularly, only a small fraction of the population is aware of the reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality associated with regular sauna use (N = 43, 7.5%). Increased knowledge of the knowledge parameters was associated with increased sauna visitation frequencies (p