Parental Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Regarding Current and Future Newborn Bloodspot Screening: The First Report from Thailand
Issued Date
2023-06-01
Resource Type
eISSN
2409515X
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85163293586
Journal Title
International Journal of Neonatal Screening
Volume
9
Issue
2
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal of Neonatal Screening Vol.9 No.2 (2023)
Suggested Citation
Wilaiwongsathien K., Wattanasirichaigoon D., Rattanasiri S., Aonnuam C., Tangshewinsirikul C., Tim-Aroon T. Parental Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Regarding Current and Future Newborn Bloodspot Screening: The First Report from Thailand. International Journal of Neonatal Screening Vol.9 No.2 (2023). doi:10.3390/ijns9020025 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/87896
Title
Parental Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Regarding Current and Future Newborn Bloodspot Screening: The First Report from Thailand
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health service that is used to screen for treatable conditions in many countries, including Thailand. Several reports have revealed low levels of parental awareness and knowledge about NBS. Because of limited data on parental perspectives toward NBS in Asia and the differences in socio-cultural and economic contexts between Western and Asian countries, we conducted a study to explore parental perspectives on NBS in Thailand. A Thai questionnaire to assess awareness, knowledge, and attitudes regarding NBS was constructed. The final questionnaire was distributed to pregnant women, with or without their spouses, and to parents of children aged up to one year who visited the study sites in 2022. A total of 717 participants were enrolled. Up to 60% of parents were identified as having good awareness, which was significantly associated with gender, age, and occupation. Only 10% of parents were classified as having good knowledge relative to their education level and occupation. Providing appropriate NBS education should be initiated during antenatal care, focusing on both parents. This study noted a positive attitude toward expanded NBS for treatable inborn metabolic diseases, incurable disorders, and adult-onset diseases. However, modernized NBS should be holistically evaluated by multiple stakeholders in each country because of different socio-cultural and economic contexts.