Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Public Perceptions And Attitudes Toward Thalassaemia: Influencing Factors In A Multi-Racial Population, Maryanne Jin Ai Tan Maryanne

Mary Anne Tan Jin Ai

Thalassaemia is a common public health problem in Malaysia and about 4.5 to 6% of the Malays and Chinese are carriers of this genetic disorder. The major forms of thalassaemia result in death in utero of affected foetuses (α-thalassaemia) or life-long blood transfusions for survival in β-thalassaemia. This study, the first nationwide population based survey of thalassaemia in Malaysia, aimed to determine differences in public awareness, perceptions and attitudes toward thalassaemia in the multi-racial population in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional computer-assisted telephone interview survey of a representative sample of multi-racial Malaysians aged 18 years and above was conducted between July …