Pregnant Women’s Attitude Towards Carrier Testing forragile X Syndrome: An Application of Health Belief Model
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Sun, Wei-Ya
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited mental retardation disorder. The patient''s mother is always the carrier of this disease. Through prenatal diagnosis on carrier woman, this disease is preventable. Based on health belief model, the purpose of this study was to (1) document the acceptance of fragile X carrier screening among pregnant women, (2) explore the factors that influence pregnant women’s attitude for carrier screening. he study setting was in the obstetric OPD of a regional general hospital at Taipei County. 205 participants with gestational age less than 14 weeks filled out a self-administered questionnaire. The instrument included demographic data, personality traits, the knowledge on FXS, perceived susceptibility and severity, perceived benefits and barriers of taking action, cues in action and the acceptance of carrier screening. These data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistic.rom inferential statistics, we found that 1. Compared with senior high school education, participants with tertiary education had higher perceived susceptibility. Participants with higher education, higher family income, married and atheists had higher perceived severity. Women who had experience of pregnancy loss had higher perceived benefits. Participants with higher family income had lower perceived barriers. Women with advanced maternal age (≥34 years of age) or multipara had more cues in action than age less than 34 years or primigravidae. 2. The knowledge of FXS were positively correlated with perceived susceptibility, severity and benefits and negatively correlated with perceived barriers. 3. Logistic regression analysis revealed that perceived barriers and susceptibility were the two major predictors for acceptance of fragile X carrier screening.rom study results, we also discovered that the lack of knowledge on FXS was the most obstacle to the acceptance of fragile X carrier screening. Hospital needs to provide the FXS handout to these pregnant women to facilitate their decision on fragile X carrier screening. Moreover, the genetic counseling should be carried out by certified genetic counselor or clinical geneticist before and after the carrier screening.
Subjects
health belief model
fragile X carrier screening
genetic counseling
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