A Questionnaire Survey on Parent's Awareness Regarding Childhood Neurodevelopmental Disorder

Abstract

Background: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are growing worldwide in both developed and developing countries. Parents are primary caregivers to recognize the signs and symptoms of children's behavior or mental-illness. This study is to obtain basic knowledge and awareness about NDDs in children in Nepali community. People in Nepali community have various religions and outdated belief. This study analyzes misconceptions and factors that influence the knowledge regarding NDDs among general populations, which can help to build early recognition and give support towards families with children diagnosed as mental and psychiatric disorders. Methods: This is a descriptive study conducted among parents of children visited in outpatients department in Nirmala Devi hospital. This survey is based on questionnaire interview with parents regarding socio-demographic information and their knowledge and opinion about NDDs. A total of 500 parents were recruited. Data were collected in excel sheet and analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: Among our study population, 54.4% were female and 45.4% of them were from age 30 to 39 years. The majority of participants (57.8%) live in village, 75.6% were Hinduism and 52.2% were formal educational status. In general, the participants' knowledge and opinions regarding NDDs were poor. When asked about autism symptoms, 65.4% of the female respondents were more positive than the male counterparts. When comparison of religion and mental illness are related to God, all religions of respondents were positive. Residency from both city and village agreed that fear of using drugs for treatment of psychiatric disorder resulted from negative media coverage. Highly educated respondents were more likely to consider psychiatric illness as treatable where as formal educated respondent take it the other way. Conclusion: Public knowledge and awareness regarding NDDs need to improve. Formal educated participants should be the target for mental health education and several misconceptions. Anti-stigma and mental health knowledge programmed should be increased in public and community to improve the quality of life.

Mothers’ Knowledge of Childhood Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Indian Perspective

“… 11 12 Every parents should know about CNDDs at the most early to prevent disability in their children and evidence-based researches recommended to educate the parents about NDD. 13 Hence, in this study, we tried to identify the knowledge and awareness about NDD among mothers who are having children younger than 5 years. Based on the results, we could identify that study subjects are not known that the “CNDD is a disorder of brain development,” most of the time which will occur in childhood period, it may affect a child’s “muscular region,” “cognition,” and child’s “physical/facial” appearance.…”

“…Even they do not know that the “NDDs” may result from “social deprivation,” “genetic disorder,” “immune dysfunction,” “childhood infectious diseases,” “inadequate/abnormal nutrition,” “trauma,” and “metabolic disorder.” Similar findings were reported by other researchers in different studies. 5 8 13 Based on the study subjects’ knowledge score, we understood that mothers of children younger than 5 years are having lesser knowledge toward CNDD. While we did item analysis we found, most of the study subjects had given wrong answers about CNDD, it shows that they are having inadequate knowledge in this arena.…”