Young Syrian adults' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes to premarital testing.
BACKGROUND
The issue of premarital testing is a controversial and complex issue. Syria is an Islamic country that is moving towards modernization that involves changes in social structures and urbanization of attitudes, beliefs, views and values.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to identify young Syrian adults' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes about premarital testing.


METHODS
Descriptive, cross-sectional design was utilized. The study was conducted at a mid-sized university in Syria. A stratified simple random sampling was used to recruit the university students in the last 2 years of their graduation. A total of 942 students participated in the study using a questionnaire developed to measure the participants' knowledge, attitudes and perception of premarital testing.


RESULTS
Although university students had a considerable knowledge of premarital testing, they had a limited knowledge about certain aspects. Moreover, although they had some positive attitudes, they still had negative attitudes and perceptions towards other aspects of premarital testing.


CONCLUSIONS
The study results could assist in the development of health education programmes in Syria and other Arab countries to increase their awareness and influence their attitudes towards premarital testing. The study limitation was that the sample was chosen from one part of Syria.
Gharaibeh
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Chairperson of Maternal-Child Health and Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. hudag@just.ed.jo
Mater
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D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003241:Consanguinity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology; D009341:Negativism; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011291:Premarital Examinations / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013593:Syria; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult