ABSTRACT

Cerebral palsy is a leading cause of physical impairment worldwide. Community support and acceptance influence the opportunities people with cerebral palsy have to participate in all areas of life, but very little is known about the general community’s understanding of cerebral palsy. This study investigated knowledge and perceptions of cerebral palsy in the Australian community. A sample of 1,217 adults responded to an open-ended question: ‘What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about cerebral palsy?’ Almost half of the sample indicated some awareness that cerebral palsy is a physical disability involving difficulties with muscle control, movement and coordination; however, 20% of the participants had no knowledge or stated incorrect facts. Wheelchairs were the first thing that came to mind for 10% of the sample. Few participants mentioned common comorbidities such as cognitive or communication difficulties. A substantial minority of responses (8%) were characterised by stigma or insensitivity. Although many people in the general community appear to have accurate knowledge about cerebral palsy, misperceptions and stereotypes are likely to impact on quality of life and personal well-being for individuals with cerebral palsy and their families.

摘要

脑瘫是全世界身体损伤的主要原因。社区的支持和接受会影响脑瘫患者参与生活各个领域的机会，但人们对一般社区对脑瘫的理解知之甚少。本研究调查了澳大利亚社区对脑瘫的知识和看法。一个由 1,217 名成年人组成的样本回答了一个开放式问题：“当您想到脑瘫时，首先想到的是什么？” 将近一半的样本表示有些人意识到脑瘫是一种身体残疾，涉及肌肉控制、运动和协调困难；然而，有 20% 的参与者不知道或陈述了不正确的事实。轮椅是 10% 的样本首先想到的。很少有参与者提到常见的合并症，例如认知或沟通困难。相当少数的回应 (8%) 的特征是耻辱或不敏感。尽管普通社区中的许多人似乎对脑瘫有准确的认识，但误解和刻板印象可能会影响脑瘫患者及其家人的生活质量和个人幸福感。