Knowledge levels of health workers in Al-Diwanyah city in Iraq on autism spectrum disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by a variety of limited, repetitive and inflexible behaviors as well as chronic deficits in mutual social contact and the ability to initiate and maintain social contact. Early diagnosis is important in the treatment of autism, and healthcare professionals are in a critical position at this point. This study was conducted as a descriptive study to evaluate the knowledge level of healthcare professionals about autism in the city of Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq. The research sample consisted of 447 healthcare professionals working in teaching hospitals in Al-Diwaniyah and selected by stratified sampling. Data collection continued between 11.09.2022 and 12.12.2022. 61.3% of the participants are women, 54.1% are married and 50,6% have children. In terms of years of experience, it was seen that 59.3% of the health workers had 1-5 years of experience, 88.1% came from urban areas and 35.3% were nurses. It has been determined that 92.6% of the healthcare professionals do not have a child with autism, 88.1% have information about autism spectrum disorder, and 52.8% obtain information from the internet regarding the source of information. In the analysis, it was concluded that health workers have moderate knowledge about autism. In this direction, it is recommended to provide autism education programs to health professionals and to improve their knowledge levels.