Evaluation of the Lebanese Adults' Knowledge Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder

The daily functioning and overall well-being of people with ASD depends largely on understanding how the wider public views ASD. Indeed, an increased level of ASD knowledge in the general population may result in earlier diagnosis, earlier intervention, and better overall outcomes. The present study...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2023-03, Vol.20 (5), p.4622
Main Authors: Rouphael, Melissa, Gerges, Perla, Andres, Christian, Sacre, Yonna, Bitar, Tania, Hleihel, Walid
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adults
Analysis
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder - epidemiology
Autistic Disorder
Behavior
Cross-Sectional Studies
Data collection
Development and progression
Diagnosis
Educational Personnel
Ethics
Etiology
Humans
Information sources
Knowledge
Population
Prevalence
Questionnaires
Signs and symptoms
Social networks
Sociodemographics
Statistical analysis
Variables
Well being
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Summary:The daily functioning and overall well-being of people with ASD depends largely on understanding how the wider public views ASD. Indeed, an increased level of ASD knowledge in the general population may result in earlier diagnosis, earlier intervention, and better overall outcomes. The present study aimed to examine the current state of ASD knowledge, beliefs, and sources of information in a Lebanese general population sample, to identify the factors that could influence this knowledge. A total of 500 participants were involved in this cross-sectional study, which was conducted in Lebanon between May 2022 and August 2022 using the Autism Spectrum Knowledge scale, General Population version (ASKSG). Overall, the participants' understanding of autism spectrum disorder was low, with a mean score of 13.8 (6.69) out of 32, or 43.1%. The highest knowledge score was found for items related to knowledge of the symptoms and associated behaviors (52%). However, the level of knowledge regarding the etiology and prevalence, assessment and diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and prognosis of the disease was low (29%, 39.2%, 46%, and 43.4%, respectively). Moreover, age, gender, place of residence, sources of information, and ASD case were all statistically significant predictors of ASD knowledge ( < 0.001, < 0.001, and = 0.012, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively). The general public in Lebanon perceive a lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge regarding ASD. This results in delayed identification and intervention, leading to unsatisfactory outcomes in patients. Raising awareness about autism among parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals should be a top priority.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph20054622