Knowledge And Awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Pediatricians: A Cross-Sectional Study from Turkey

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 363 - 371, 22.10.2025

Zeynep Vatansever Pınar , Elif Küçük , Mehmet Tolga Köle , Yasemin Akın

https://doi.org/10.53446/actamednicomedia.1753041

Abstract

Objective: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that requires early recognition and multidisciplinary management. Pediatricians play a key role in the early detection and referral of children with suspected ASD. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness levels of pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, and pediatric residents in Turkey regarding ASD, and to examine the influence of professional experience and educational background on these outcomes.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 125 physicians using the validated Turkish version of the Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) scale. Sociodemographic data, clinical experience, and educational exposure were recorded. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and logistic regression analyses were performed.
Results: The mean KCAHW score was 15.19 ± 2.15. No significant differences were observed based on gender, age, academic title, or years of experience (p>0.05). Higher scores were found among participants who had received ASD-related training during residency, were familiar with DSM-5 criteria, or had read ASD-related literature (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age and fewer years of experience were associated with a higher risk of lower knowledge scores (p<0.05).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that ASD knowledge among pediatricians in Türkiye is shaped predominantly by educational exposure and individual effort rather than seniority. Structured ASD-focused training modules should be incorporated into pediatric residency curricula and continuing medical education programs to strengthen early recognition and referral practices.

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder , KCAHW , Pediatricians , Knowledge

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital (Approval No: 010.99/51; Date: February 8, 2024). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Supporting Institution

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Çocuk Doktorlarının Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Konusundaki Bilgi ve Farkındalık Düzeyleri: Türkiye'den Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB), erken tanı ve çok disiplinli müdahale gerektiren nörogelişimsel bir bozukluktur. Çocuk doktorları, OSB’nin erken fark edilmesi ve yönlendirilmesinde kritik bir rol üstlenmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’de görev yapan pediatri uzmanları, yan dal uzmanları ve asistanlarının OSB’ye ilişkin bilgi ve farkındalık düzeylerinin belirlenmesi ve mesleki deneyim ile eğitim öyküsünün bu düzeyler üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır.
Yöntem: Kesitsel araştırma kapsamında, 125 katılımcıdan “Sağlık Çalışanlarının Çocukluk Çağı Otizmi Hakkında Bilgi Anketi (SÇ-OBA)” ile veri toplanmıştır. Katılımcıların sosyodemografik özellikleri, deneyimleri ve eğitim öyküleri de değerlendirilmiştir. Veriler tanımlayıcı istatistikler, grup karşılaştırmaları ve lojistik regresyon analizleriyle analiz edilmiştir.
Bulgular: Ortalama bilgi puanı 15,19 ± 2,15’tir. Cinsiyet, yaş, unvan ve deneyim süresi ile puanlar arasında anlamlı fark saptanmamıştır (p>0,05). Uzmanlık eğitimi sırasında OSB eğitimi almış, DSM-5 kriterlerini bilen ve literatür okuduğunu belirten katılımcılar daha yüksek puan almıştır (p<0,05). Daha genç yaş ve kısa mesleki deneyim, düşük bilgi düzeyi ile ilişkili bulunmuştur (p<0,05).
Sonuç: Çocuk doktorlarının OSB’ye ilişkin bilgi düzeyi, büyük ölçüde eğitim ve bireysel çabayla şekillenmektedir. Asistanlık eğitimi ve hizmet içi eğitimlerde OSB odaklı yapılandırılmış içeriklerin artırılması önerilmektedir.

Keywords

Otizm spektrum bozukluğu , SÇ-OBA , Çocuk doktorları , Bilgi düzeyi

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