Sheriff Blessed, Sakyi Kwame, Malm Esther K, Zabel Celeste, Owusu Prince G, Sowah Leonie-Akofio, Anum Adote
Center for Learning and Childhood Development, Accra, Ghana.
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Int J Dev Disabil. 2022 Jul 15;70(3):458-468. doi: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2097413. eCollection 2024.
Proper treatment of developmental disabilities requires health workers to have adequate knowledge of etiology and referral procedures. There is a dearth of research on knowledge of developmental disabilities among health workers in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to document knowledge about developmental disorders, causes, and referral procedures among health workers. Researchers used a successive free-listing method to interview 37 health workers. Developmental disabilities which present with physical symptoms were the most salient disorders identified among health workers, while learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder were largely overlooked. The most commonly listed developmental disabilities were cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder. Respondents had limited knowledge about the causes of and referral resources for developmental disabilities. Results show the need for continuing medical education, public awareness, and enhanced resources to support the identification and care of children with developmental disabilities in Ghana.
对发育障碍进行恰当治疗需要卫生工作者具备充足的病因学知识和转诊程序知识。加纳卫生工作者中关于发育障碍知识的研究匮乏。本研究的目的是记录卫生工作者对发育障碍、病因及转诊程序的了解情况。研究人员采用连续自由列举法对37名卫生工作者进行了访谈。出现身体症状的发育障碍是卫生工作者识别出的最突出的障碍，而学习障碍和注意力缺陷障碍在很大程度上被忽视了。最常被列举的发育障碍是脑瘫、唐氏综合征和自闭症谱系障碍。受访者对发育障碍的病因和转诊资源了解有限。结果表明，加纳需要持续医学教育、公众意识提升以及更多资源来支持发育障碍儿童的识别和护理。
