Knowledge and attitudes toward rare diseases in Lima, Peru: a cross-sectional study on public awareness of healthcare

Introduction: Rare diseases (RD) affect up to 8% of the global population; however, public awareness and understanding of RD remain limited. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes toward RD among residents of Lima, Peru. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 424 adult residents of Lima using a structured online questionnaire. Data included sociodemographic characteristics, familiarity with RD, health insurance status, and perspectives on public funding. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Differences in knowledge scores were assessed using Student’s t test and analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression identified factors associated with knowledge, and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated by knowledge level. Results: The mean RD knowledge score was 53.9 (SD = 14.45), and 85.4% of participants scored below 69, indicating limited knowledge. Despite this, more than 80% supported public funding and insurance coverage for RD. Lower knowledge scores were associated with specific occupations (β = −5.8; p < 0.001), older age (β = −0.21; p = 0.002), and unfavorable attitudes toward insurance coverage (β = −6.7; p = 0.043). Conclusions: Knowledge of RD was limited, but supportive attitudes toward funding highlight opportunities for advocacy and policy development. Limitations include non-probability sampling and possible item misinterpretation.