Knowledge and attitudes of the people about children with Down syndrome

Down sindrom je genetski poremećaj uslijed kojeg dolazi do nastanka jednog kromosoma viška tijekom stanične diobe. Djeca s Down sindromom imaju specifične fizičke karakteristike, različita kognitivna oštećenja, kao i brojne zdravstvene poteškoće. Neke od fizičkih karakteristika su malena usta i nos s neproporcionalno velikim jezikom, okruglo lice, hipotonija, kratke šake, široki vrat, abnormalan oblik uški i mnoge druge. Tijekom izrade rada provedeno je istraživanje s ciljem utvrđivanja znanja opće populacije o glavnim karakteristikama Down sindroma te stavova i percepcije o djeci koja imaju ovaj poremećaj. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo ukupno 256 osoba, od kojih je 197 (77%) bilo ženskog spola, a 59 (23%) muškog spola. Najveći broj sudionika bio je dobi 21-30 godina, odnosno njih 154 (60,2%). Većina sudionika ima završenu srednju stručnu spremu, odnosno njih 138 (53,9%). Rezultati su pokazali su da većina sudionika zna da je Down sindrom genetski poremećaj, odnosno njih 243 (94,9%), a da se ne može izliječiti izjasnilo se njih 248 (96,9%). 223 sudionika (87,1%) među ponuđenim odgovorima odabralo je točne karakteristike djece s Down sindromom. Oko polovice sudionika izjasnilo se da u svojoj okolini nema djece s Down sindromom, a vezano uz osobni stav, najviše sudionika, njih 175 (68,4%) odabralo je ponuđeni odgovor da djeca s Down sindromom zrače ljubavlju. Na temelju dobivenih rezultata može se zaključiti kako je javnost dobro educirana o ovom poremećaju, većina sudionika je točno odgovorila na ponuđena pitanja o karakteristikama Down sindroma. Do izražaja je došla povezanost između češćih susreta s djecom koja imaju Down sindrom s percepcijom osobnog stava o takvoj djeci. Skrb djeteta s Down sindromom usmjerena je na poboljšanje kvalitete života kao i podizanje javne svijesti o ovom poremećaju.Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which an extra chromosome occurs during cell division. Children with Down syndrome have specific physical characteristics, various cognitive impairments, as well as numerous health problems. Some of the physical characteristics are a small mouth and nose with a disproportionately large tongue, a round face, hypotonia, short hands, a wide neck, abnormally shaped ears, and many others. During the preparation of the paper, research was conducted with the aim of determining the knowledge of the general population about the main characteristics of Down syndrome tests and the perception of children who have this disorder. A total of 256 people participated in the research, of which 197 (77%) were female, and 59 (23%) were male. The largest number of participants were aged 21-30, i.e. 154 of them (60.2%). Most of the participants have completed secondary education, that is 138 of them (53.9%). The results showed that most of the participants knew that Down syndrome is a genetic disorder, i.e. 243 of them (94.9%), while 248 of them (96.9%) said that it cannot be cured. 223 participants (87.1%) chose the correct characteristics of children with Down syndrome among the answers offered. About half of the participants declared that there are no children with Down syndrome in their environment, and regarding personal attitudes, most participants, 175 of them (68.4%) chose the offered answer that children with Down syndrome radiate love. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the public is well educated about this disorder, and most of the participants correctly answered the questions about the characteristics of Down syndrome. The connection between more frequent meetings with children who have Down syndrome and the perception of personal attitude towards such children came to the fore. The care of a child with Down syndrome is aimed at improving the quality of life as well as raising public awareness of this disorder