ABSTRACT

Background

Research investigating public awareness of aphasia internationally shows limited awareness and knowledge. This is concerning because the literature suggests that awareness of aphasia contributes to the health, community participation and psychosocial wellbeing of people with aphasia and their families. Increased awareness promotes inclusion and influences investment in research and resources. To date there is no previous data relating to public awareness and knowledge of aphasia in Ireland. This study reports on the public awareness and knowledge of aphasia in the West of Ireland.

Aim

To investigate the levels of public awareness and knowledge of aphasia in the West of Ireland.

Methods&Procedures

This quantitative study used a standardised survey questionnaire to collect data about aphasia awareness and knowledge via face-to-face interviews in urban and rural locations in the West of Ireland. Using convenience sampling, participants (N = 600) were recruited. Information related to participants’ (1) age, gender and occupation; (2) sources of aphasia awareness and (3) awareness of other neurogenic conditions was collected and statistically analysed.

Outcomes & Results

Findings indicate that 19.7% of participants had awareness of aphasia which is higher than many previous studies; however, only 5.5% had knowledge of aphasia which is lower than previous research in the field. Gender and occupation significantly influenced levels of awareness and knowledge. The majority of participants identified the media and work as the main sources of aphasia information. Aphasia awareness was significantly lower than awareness of other conditions including dyslexia, stuttering/stammering and stroke.

Conclusions

Public awareness and knowledge of aphasia in the West of Ireland are low. This limited public understanding of aphasia may influence the involvement of people with aphasia and their families in Irish communities and the accessibility of services. Further research to determine public awareness and knowledge of aphasia in Ireland is warranted. This information will contribute to the development of a targeted, national co-designed campaign to increase levels of public awareness and knowledge of aphasia in Ireland.

中文翻译：

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爱尔兰西部公众对失语症的认识和知识调查

摘要

背景

调查国际上公众对失语症的认识的研究表明意识和知识有限。这是令人担忧的，因为文献表明，对失语症的认识有助于失语症患者及其家人的健康、社区参与和社会心理健康。意识的提高促进了包容性并影响了对研究和资源的投资。迄今为止，没有关于爱尔兰公众对失语症的认识和了解的先前数据。本研究报告了爱尔兰西部对失语症的公众意识和知识。

目的

调查爱尔兰西部公众对失语症的认识和知识水平。

方法和程序

这项定量研究使用标准化调查问卷，通过在爱尔兰西部城市和农村地区的面对面访谈来收集有关失语症意识和知识的数据。使用便利抽样，招募了参与者（N = 600）。与参与者（1）年龄、性别和职业相关的信息；(2) 失语意识的来源和 (3) 其他神经源性疾病的意识被收集和统计分析。

结果和结果

结果表明，19.7% 的参与者对失语症的认识高于之前的许多研究；然而，只有 5.5% 的人对失语症的了解低于该领域以前的研究。性别和职业显着影响了意识和知识水平。大多数参与者认为媒体和工作是失语症信息的主要来源。失语症的意识显着低于其他疾病的意识，包括阅读障碍、口吃/结巴和中风。

结论

在爱尔兰西部，公众对失语症的认识和了解很低。公众对失语症的这种有限理解可能会影响失语症患者及其家人在爱尔兰社区的参与以及服务的可及性。需要进一步研究以确定爱尔兰公众对失语症的认识和了解。这些信息将有助于制定有针对性的、国家共同设计的运动，以提高爱尔兰公众对失语症的认识和知识水平。