Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Towards the Utilization Of Healthcare Services for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A cross-sectional descriptive study in Vietnam

Abstract

Objective:  This study aimed to describe knowledge, attitude, practice, and some impact factors regarding the utilization of healthcare services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among parents in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2024.

Methods:  The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 191 parents of children with ASD who were using care services at five healthcare facilities in Hanoi from October 2023 to March 2024.

Results: Only 23.6% of parents had good knowledge, while up to 67.2% had moderate knowledge regarding ASD. The prevalence of parents with positive attitudes towards childcare services was 84.7%, and only 2.3% had a negative attitude. Special education services and inclusive education support were the most frequently used, with over 70% of parents using them regularly. Parents of first-born children and those whose children were diagnosed immediately after abnormalities were detected had higher knowledge and attitude scores (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Most parents had moderate knowledge about ASD but the majority had a positive attitude with respect for childcare services. First-born children and those who were diagnosed immediately after the detection of abnormalities were associated with higher knowledge and attitudes among parents.