First-trimester Down syndrome screening: pregnant women's knowledge.
OBJECTIVE
The primary aim of this study was to assess pregnant women's knowledge of first-trimester combined Down syndrome screening in a setting of required informed consent. As the secondary aim, we wanted to identify relevant differences in knowledge level among subgroups of pregnant women, including those informed in different ways about prenatal examinations.


METHODS
Data stem from a population-based cross-sectional questionnaire study including 15 multiple-choice questions assessing knowledge of different aspects of screening. Included were 6427 first-trimester pregnant women from three Danish obstetric departments offering prenatal screening free of charge. Both participants and non-participants in the screening program were included. The results are based on 4095 responders (64%). Differences between subgroups were examined using chi-squared tests and logistic regression analysis. Estimates are stated with 95% CI.


RESULTS
The majority of the participants (87.6 (86.6-88.6)% to 92.6 (91.7-93.3)%) correctly identified the test concept and the main condition being screened for. Fewer participants (16.4 (15.3-17.6)% to 43.3 (41.8-44.8)%) correctly recognized test accuracy and the potential risk of adverse findings other than Down syndrome. Knowledge level was positively associated with length of education (adjusted ORs 1.0 (0.8-1.4) to 3.9 (2.4-6.4)) and participation in the screening program (adjusted OR 0.9 (0.6-1.3) to 5.9 (3.9-8.8)). Participation in an individual information session was weakly associated with more knowledge.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of the pregnant women correctly identified the test concept and the main condition being screened for. The pregnant women were found less knowledgeable on test accuracy and drawbacks.
Dahl
K
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. kd@soci.au.dk
Hvidman
L
L
Jørgensen
F S
FS
Henriques
C
C
Olesen
F
F
Kjaergaard
H
H
Kesmodel
U S
US
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D048208:Nuchal Translucency Measurement; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult