title: Swedish University Students' Opinion Regarding Information About Soft Markers.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of Swedish university students about information regarding soft markers, when observed at second trimester ultrasound screening. A cross-sectional survey, where 85 Swedish university students completed a study specific questionnaire containing eleven hypothetical scenarios, involving various parameters (disease/syndromes/malformations with different characteristics), and location of the markers. Almost all participants indicated that they would wish to be informed, prior to the ultrasound examination, about the assessment and significance of soft markers. However, the number of respondents who requested information about a potential actual finding was considerably less. Several participants wanted to be informed about detected markers associated to serious conditions but not when the marker indicated an increased risk for a treatable disease. Also, the specific location of the marker was of importance to the participants. The majority of respondents wished to be informed about the soft markers if they were observed in the heart or the brain of the foetus, compared to if they were located in the intestine or the skeleton. The students' opinion, in this study, implicate the importance of pre-examination information to enable expectant parents to make informed choice regarding the second trimester ultrasound screening as well as on reciving information of actual findings.
authors.affiliation: Sweden Department of Public Health and Caring Science, Uppsala University, Box 564, 751 22, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Afsaneh Hayat
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Roshanai
authors.affiliation: Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.affiliation: Sweden Department of Public Health and Caring Science, Uppsala University, Box 564, 751 22, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Global Public Health and Primary care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordin
authors.affiliation: Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden. charlotta.ingvoldstad@pubcare.uu.se.|Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden. charlotta.ingvoldstad@pubcare.uu.se.
authors.forename: Charlotta
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0754-5065
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ingvoldstad
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014495:Universities
keywords: Information request; Informed decision; Presumptive parents’; Second trimester; Soft markers; Ultrasound examination; University students