Institute of Nursing and Health Research, Ulster University, Jordanstown, Northern Irsland, UK.
Institute of Nursing and Health Research, Ulster University, Jordanstown, Northern Irsland, UK.
Public Health. 2021 Feb;191:78-84. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.11.023. Epub 2021 Feb 2.
A public health approach to palliative care that reorientates care towards the public is advocated in global policy. The public are drivers in identifying care priorities and partners in finding solutions to care issues; however, a necessary prerequisite is that the public knows what palliative care is and what it can achieve. The aim of this study was to investigate what young adults, an important cohort of the public, know about palliative care and identify key predictors of knowledge.
This is a cross-sectional online survey.
A cross-sectional online survey measured knowledge of palliative care using the Palliative Care Knowledge Scale (PaCKS), with young adults (aged 18-29 years) recruited from a university in the UK. Data relating to demographic characteristics and familiarity and experience of palliative care were collected, with descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses undertaken to determine respondents' knowledge levels and key predictors.
In total, 83% (n = 710) of respondents (n = 859) had heard of the term palliative care. The mean score on the PaCKS was 8.87 (standard deviation = 3.4, range = 0-13); men had lower levels of knowledge (P = 0.016). Most respondents were aware that palliative care is not specifically for those with cancer or exclusively for older populations. They were unsure of timing and other key aspects reporting significant levels of 'I don't 'know' responses. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that familiarity and experience of palliative care moderated demographic influences (age, gender, education level) on knowledge (β = 0.45, P < 0.001).
The findings suggest that despite high levels of awareness and familiarity with the term, significant numbers of respondents indicated a lack of knowledge of palliative care rather than inaccurate knowledge. This suggests the need for public health organisations to partner with palliative care sectors to develop and disseminate clear unequivocal messaging relating to the breadth of palliative care that both informs and engages young adults.
全球政策倡导采用公共卫生方法为姑息治疗重新定位，使公众成为确定护理重点的驱动力，也是寻找护理问题解决方案的合作伙伴；但是，必要的前提是公众了解姑息治疗是什么以及它能实现什么。本研究旨在调查重要公众群体之一的年轻人对姑息治疗的了解程度，并确定知识的关键预测因素。
这是一项横断面在线调查。
横断面在线调查使用姑息治疗知识量表（PaCKS）测量姑息治疗知识，从英国一所大学招募 18-29 岁的年轻人。收集与人口统计学特征以及对姑息治疗的熟悉程度和经验相关的数据，采用描述性、双变量和多变量分析来确定受访者的知识水平和关键预测因素。
共有 83%（n=710）的受访者（n=859）听说过姑息治疗一词。PaCKS 的平均得分为 8.87（标准差=3.4，范围 0-13）；男性的知识水平较低（P=0.016）。大多数受访者意识到姑息治疗不仅针对癌症患者，也不仅针对老年人群。他们不确定姑息治疗的时间和其他关键方面，报告了大量的“我不知道”的回答。线性回归分析表明，对姑息治疗的熟悉程度和经验调节了人口统计学因素（年龄、性别、教育水平）对知识的影响（β=0.45，P<0.001）。
尽管人们对姑息治疗这个术语的知晓率和熟悉程度较高，但仍有相当数量的受访者表示对姑息治疗缺乏了解，而不是不准确的知识。这表明公共卫生组织需要与姑息治疗部门合作，制定并传播与姑息治疗的广泛范围相关的清晰、明确的信息，以告知和吸引年轻人。
