Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, 7620 Almurtada street, Jeddah, 22252-3655, Saudi Arabia.
Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Womens Health. 2024 Sep 12;24(1):508. doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-03346-y.
There is a general assumption that Muslim women refuse Down syndrome screening, and therefore, many health practitioners do not offer it or briefly discuss it with their participants. This study aims to objectively assess women's awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward Down Syndrome screening (D.S.S) in a Muslim-majority population.
We conducted a cross-sectional study among attendees of antenatal clinics at a major university hospital in Saudi Arabia, aiming for a sample size of at least 385 Muslim women. A semi-structured questionnaire assessed awareness of different D.S.S. options and the source of that information (2 items), specific knowledge of D.S.S. (14 items), and attitudes (4 items). The knowledge and attitudes scores were calculated using a five-level agreement Likert-type scale.
Among 434 participants, with an even distribution among all age groups and a majority of a college degree holder or higher (71%), 178 (41.0%) reported awareness of D.S.S. Factors associated with increased awareness were maternal age above 40 or those under 30, nulliparity, and extended family history of fetal congenital anomalies (P-value = 0.03,0.015, and 0.017, respectively). Recognized tests were ultrasound measurement of nuchal translucency (71.9%) and first-trimester serum screening (58.4%). The sources of knowledge were obstetricians (53.9%), followed by family and friends (27.0%). The overall mean ± SD knowledge score was 53.9 ± 8.7 out of 70, and the mean attitude score was 17.4 ± 2.9 out of 20. Having 1 or 2 children is associated with a higher knowledge score, and most participants who reported awareness of D.S.S. (51.7%) had a favorable attitude toward screening.
Awareness of D.S.S. among Muslim women is associated with favorable attitudes towards testing, contradicting the general assumption and highlighting the need for systematic education to increase awareness and subsequent testing uptake.
人们普遍认为穆斯林女性拒绝唐氏综合征筛查，因此，许多医疗保健从业者不提供这种筛查，或者只是与参与者简要讨论一下。本研究旨在客观评估穆斯林占多数的人群中女性对唐氏综合征筛查（D.S.S）的认识、知识和态度。
我们在沙特阿拉伯一所主要大学医院的产前诊所参与者中进行了一项横断面研究，目标样本量至少为 385 名穆斯林女性。半结构化问卷评估了对不同 D.S.S. 选项的认识及其信息来源（2 项）、对 D.S.S. 的具体知识（14 项）和态度（4 项）。知识和态度得分采用五级同意李克特量表计算。
在 434 名参与者中，各年龄段的分布均匀，大多数参与者拥有大学学位或更高学历（71%），178 名（41.0%）报告了对 D.S.S. 的认识。增加认识的因素包括母亲年龄在 40 岁以上或 30 岁以下、初产妇和有胎儿先天性异常的大家庭病史（P 值分别为 0.03、0.015 和 0.017）。公认的检测方法是超声测量颈项透明层（71.9%）和孕早期血清筛查（58.4%）。知识来源是妇产科医生（53.9%），其次是家人和朋友（27.0%）。总体平均知识得分为 53.9±8.7 分（满分 70 分），平均态度得分为 17.4±2.9 分（满分 20 分）。有 1 或 2 个孩子与较高的知识得分相关，大多数报告意识到 D.S.S. 的参与者（51.7%）对筛查持赞成态度。
穆斯林女性对 D.S.S. 的认识与对检测的有利态度有关，这与普遍的假设相矛盾，突出了需要进行系统教育以提高认识，进而增加检测的采用率。
