Objective: We aimed to assess the knowledge and perception of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and the awareness of various care options available for PD in our study population.

Background: The global burden of PD is increasing, establishing it as a leading neurological disorder of public health importance. PD continues to take a toll on sufferers’ quality of life, despite effective symptomatic treatment, contributing to morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis, improved access to care and timely initiation of intervention are therefore crucial but only possible if the general public is well knowledgeable about its manifestations.

Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in two contiguous local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos State, namely Mushin and Surulere. We randomly selected 250 adults from the said LGAs using a multi-staged sampling technique. Knowledge was assessed across eight domains namely ability to recognize PD as a disease entity, signs and symptoms, associated factors, treatment, appropriate care setting and response to suspected cases. We assessed perception using the Health Belief Model. Awareness of access to care was assessed by knowledge of the availability of PD treatment.

Results: The 250 participants were 54.4% females, with an average age of 47.6 ± 14.4 years. Good knowledge, perception, and awareness of access to PD treatment were observed in 56%, 51%, and 83% of participants, respectively. Age, level of education, and employment status respectively showed significant association with both knowledge (p = 0.01, 0.001, 0.009) and perception (p = 0.001, 0.03, 0.006). Level of education was also significantly associated with awareness of treatment access (p = 0.001).

Conclusion: Gaps in knowledge and perception revealed a need for targeted health education, particularly among younger adults. Effective strategies should employ context-appropriate educational materials and media to improve communication and retention.

References: 1. Walker R, Fothergill-Misbah N, Kariuki S, Ojo O, Cilia R, Dekker MCJ, Agabi O,
Akpalu A, Amod F, Breckons M, Cham M, Del Din S, Dotchin C, Guggsa S, Kwasa
J, Mushi D, Nwaokorie FO, Park T, Rochester L, Rogathi J, Sarfo FS, Shalash A,
Ternent L, Urasa S, Okubadejo N. Transforming Parkinson’s Care in Africa
(TraPCAf): protocol for a multimethodology National Institute for Health and Care
Research Global Health Research Group project. BMC Neurol. 2023 Oct
19;23(1):373. doi: 10.1186/s12883-023-03414-0.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/knowledge-perception-and-access-to-care-for-parkinsons-disease-in-two-selected-local-government-areas-in-lagos-state-southwestern-nigeria-2/