Public knowledge of thalassemia in Greece and current concepts of the social status of the thalassemic patients.

Current concepts with regard to the social integration of the thalassemia patient worldwide require further evaluation. In this work we have investigated the concepts of the average citizen of continental Greece and Crete about the problem of thalassemia, his awareness of the basic characteristics of the disease and his attitudes towards some 'life-style' parameters of the thalassemic sufferer. We used the method of stratified random sampling and interviewed 3500 people aged 15-65 years. We carried out multivariate statistical analysis of responses to the items on thalassemia in relation to sex, age, educational level, place of residence and marital status. The results of this survey show that education was the factor with the greatest influence on the likelihood of being aware of thalassemia and of having accurate knowledge of the basic features of the disease. There was also a general effect of age with the highest awareness and the best knowledge being found in those aged 21-44 years, while place of residence was a significant factor for two items. The features known best were that thalassemia is non-infectious, that it calls for blood transfusion, and is inherited. Education had the strongest influence on the probability that a person holds the attitude that the sufferer from thalassemia can play a normal role in society as regards working and having a family, as well as generally living a normal life and, in the case of thalassemic children, playing and going to school. The attitude that thalassemics should work instead of receiving a state benefit depended on education, age and place of residence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)