Abstract

Background: Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects physical and mental development. It is the most prevalent chromosomal disorder. The worldwide incidence of this syndrome is 1 in every 1,000 births and increases exponentially with the maternal age. This study aims to assess the awareness level toward Down syndrome among females attending primary healthcare centers.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 402 females in primary healthcare centers. Data were collected by using a cluster sampling method and self-administrated pre-tested questionnaire from 2018 to 2019.
Results: Among the total of 402 females who answered the questionnaires, 61.4% of females found that the awareness of Down syndrome was moderate. However, about the third (38.1%) of the females had low awareness. Whilst, only 0.5% of them had high awareness score about Down syndrome. Among the participants, 20% had attended college, 5% with a postgraduate degree, 70% completed high school and 5% had primary school education.
Conclusion: This study indicated that awareness of Down syndrome among females was moderate. Furthermore, there is a significant association between education and awareness, and there is no significant association between age and awareness.

Key words: Down syndrome, awareness, Saudi Arabia