Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards dysphagia and its care among patients and caregivers: a multicentre cross-sectional study in Beijing and Shandong Province.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding dysphagia and its care among patients with dysphagia and their caregivers.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

This multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted between May and September 2024. It was led by the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and involved multiple institutions, including nursing communities, nursing homes and community hospitals, located in both Beijing and Shandong Province.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with clinically diagnosed dysphagia and their caregivers recruited from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, nursing communities, nursing homes and community hospitals.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were collected through a self-designed questionnaire encompassing sociodemographic characteristics and three dimensions of KAP. The primary outcome was the KAP scores. Secondary outcomes included the interaction between the three KAP dimensions.

RESULTS

A total of 416 participants were included in the final analysis, of whom 317 (76.2%) were female. The mean scores for KAP were 12.02±8.12 (possible range: 0-24), 31.38±4.77 (possible range: 8-40) and 29.29±9.03 (possible range: 8-40), respectively. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationships between knowledge and attitudes (r=0.416, p=0.002), knowledge and practices (r=0.412, p<0.001), and attitudes and practices (r=0.499, p<0.001). The structural equation modelling showed that knowledge directly influenced attitudes (β=0.483, p<0.001) and practices (β=0.276, p<0.001). Attitudes also had a direct impact on practices (β=0.310, p<0.001), while knowledge indirectly affected practices through attitudes (β=0.150, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with dysphagia and their caregivers demonstrated inadequate knowledge but generally positive attitudes and proactive practices towards dysphagia and its care. Adequate knowledge might be correlated with better attitudes and practices.