Ali Hassanpour Dehkordi, Saeed Heydarnejad.
Enhancement of parents’ awareness about ß-thalassemia major disorder through two educational programs.
Pak J Med Sci Jan ;24(2):283-6.

Objective: ß-thalassemia is one of the most common hereditary diseases in Iran. While many national thalassemia preventive programs have been conducted in Iran, little thought was given to the educational effects of parents of children with thalassemia. This study aimed to investigate how education of parents by means of lecture and/or booklet may lead to reduction of the ß-thalssemia major disorder. Methodology: Using three groups of parents (n = 30 each; two cases and one control group) of children with thalassemia and two educational methods (booklet and lecture) the effect of education on parents’ awareness about the disorder was assessed. Results: The results show that the educational programs have significant positive effect on increase in knowledge of parents about the disease. No significant differences were found between the three groups tested in terms of the mean age, gender, level of education, job, number of affected children, and age of the child. However young parents were better educated as regards knowledge about ß-thalassaemia disorders. Conclusion: Efficient educational programs initiated for the parents can help reduce ß-thalassemia major disorder.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com