Public awareness and stigma of autism spectrum disorder in Iran; An online survey

There is no systematic examination of the Iranian general population’s knowledge of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this study, we aimed to assess stigma and knowledge about ASD among Iranian people and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with them. This study was conducted as a cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in developmental disabilities 2023-03, Vol.134, p.104441-104441, Article 104441
Main Authors: Rafiei, Mona, Nakhostin-Ansari, Amin, Meshkat, Shakila, Khosravi, Afifeh, Memari, Amir Hossein
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Attitude
Autism Spectrum Disorder - diagnosis
Autism Spectrum Disorder - epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Disability
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Iran - epidemiology
Male
Neurodevelopmental disorder
Neurodiversity
Social Stigma
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:There is no systematic examination of the Iranian general population’s knowledge of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this study, we aimed to assess stigma and knowledge about ASD among Iranian people and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with them. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional online survey from April to May 2020, using a convenience sampling method. We designed an online questionnaire using Google forms. We sent a message explaining the study goals and the link to the online questionnaire to groups on popular social platforms in Iran. We used Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire (ASK-Q) to assess ASD knowledge and stigma. In total, 600 individuals participated in the study, of whom 301 (50.2 %) were women and 299 (49.8 %) were men. Out of 600 participants, 216 (36 %) had adequate knowledge of the diagnosis/symptoms subscale, 206 (34.3 %) for the etiology subscale, 200 (33.3 %) for the treatment subscale, and 260 (43.4 %) had no stigma toward ASD. The level of knowledge about ASD is insufficient among Iranian people of this study. People with lower knowledge of ASD, including older adults and individuals with lower educational levels, may benefit the most from ASD awareness interventions. •The level of knowledge about ASD is insufficient among Iranian people.•More than half of our sample had a stigma toward ASD.•Knowledge of People with lower educational levels and older adults about ASD was less than others.
ISSN:0891-4222
1873-3379
DOI:10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104441