Public awareness of and attitudes toward cerebral palsy in a nation-wide adult population.
Of 1,200 people randomly sampled from the total Finnish population, cerebral palsy was known to 95.4% and its meaning to 60.7%. Nine of ten (88.4%) would let their children play with a child suffering from cerebral palsy. A total of 48% stated that they would, other circumstances being equal, hire persons with cerebral palsy. Half (47.5%) of the subjects regarded it as possible and a further 28.0% as fully possible for individuals with cerebral palsy to make and maintain a family of their own. A good knowledge of cerebral palsy was independently related to a good basic education, age of more than 24 years, female sex and Finnish as native language. A positive attitude toward people with cerebral palsy was independently related to Finnish as native language and a good basic education. A good knowledge of cerebral palsy fostered a positive attitude toward people with this disease.
Sillanpää
M L
ML
Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002547:Cerebral Palsy; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors