Chilean Health Professionals’ Attitudes Towards Deafness: A Cross-Sectional Study

Campos, Valeria; Cartes-Velásquez, Ricardo; Luengo, Luis

doi:10.1590/pboci.2020.087

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Pesqui. Bras. Odontopediatria Clín. Integr. 20 • 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/pboci.2020.087 copy

Chilean Health Professionals’ Attitudes Towards Deafness: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Objective:

To assess the attitudes of health professionals towards Deafness and its association with sociodemographic and Deaf contact experience.

Material and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was carried out in Concepcion, Chile. The sample size was estimated in 171 health professionals. The following variables were considered: sociodemographics, Deaf contact experience, and attitudes to deafness scale (ADS scale). To evaluate the association between the variables, t-test and Spearman correlation test were used (p<0.05).

Results:

People who had taken a LSCh course had significant more positive attitudes towards item 1 “Deaf people should learn to lipread”, with a 2 points difference and in persons who do not know a Deaf person, with 1-point difference. Also, persons who have received some kind of formation in Deafness have a better attitude in item 3 “I would like to have more Deaf friends” with 1-point difference. An inverse correlation was observed within age (rho = -0.237; p=0.0014), years of academic service (rho = -0.323; p<0.0001) or PHC service (rho = -0.1085; p=0,364).

Conclusion:

The attitude of health professionals towards Deafness was neutral. This attitude is not modulated by sex, type of profession, type of relationship with Deaf people, type of training in hearing disability, Chilean Sign Language Courses or degree of frequency of healthcare delivery to Deaf patients. However, it is modulated by age and years of service.

Keywords:
Hearing Disorders; Deafness; Attitude of Health Personnel; Professional-Patient Relations

Dimensions	Item Scale
D1 - Oralism	Deaf couples should receive genetic counselling to avoid having deaf children.
	Deaf children should learn to speak to communicate with hearing parents.
	Deaf people should learn speech rather than sign language.
	Deaf people should learn to lip read.
D2 - Awkward Interaction	Having a deaf colleague would cause problems in the workplace.
	Having a deaf friend would be difficult.
D3 - Social Acceptance	I would like to have more Deaf friends.
	I would like to have more deaf colleagues.
	I would like to see more deaf people at the clubs/societies I attend.
D4 - Vision of Disability	Deaf people are handicapped.
	Deaf people are physiologically impaired.

Variables	N	%
Do you know someone with hearing impairment?
No	69	37.9
Acquaintance	69	37.9
Distant relative	12	6.6
Friend	5	2.7
Close relative	38	20.9
Do you have training on Deafness?
No	159	87.4
Course	21	11.5
Diploma	2	1.1
Specialty	1	0.5
Master	0	0.0
PhD	0	0.0
Have you taken a Sign Language course?
No	164	90.1
One	16	8.8
More than one	2	1.1
Have you delivered healthcare to Deaf patients?
Never	32	17.6
Once	81	44.5
Occasionally	55	30.2
Regularly	14	7.7

Item Scale	Mean	SD
1. Deaf people should learn to lipread	2.59	1.51
2. I would like to have more Deaf colleagues	2.94	1.54
3. I would like to have more Deaf friends	3.44	1.49
4. Deaf children should learn to speak to communicate with hearing parents	3.57	1.98
5. Deaf people are handicapped	3.88	1.89
6. I would like to see more Deaf people at the clubs/societies I attend	4.15	1.59
7. Deaf couples should receive genetic counselling to avoid having deaf children	4.16	1.93
8. Having a Deaf friend would be difficult	4.30	1.52
9. Deaf people are physiologically impaired	4.51	1.64
10. Deaf people should learn speech rather than sign language	4.58	1.60
11. Having a deaf colleague would cause problems in the workplace	4.94	1.44
Global Mean	3.92	0.82

Variables	N	Mean	SD
Sex
Female	136	3.9	0.8
Male	46	3.8	0.8
Profession
Dentist	64	4.0	0.8
Nurse	19	4.1	0.7
Speech Therapist	1	4.9	0.0
Kinesiologist	6	3.6	0.5
Mid-wife	11	3.9	1.1
Physician	17	3.9	0.6
Nutritionist	7	3.9	1.0
Psychologist	6	4.7	0.5
Chemical-pharmaceutical	2	2.8	0.6
Nurse Technician	48	3.7	0.8
Do you know someone with hearing impairment?
No	69	4.0	0.7
Yes	113	3.8	0.8
Do you have training on Deafness?
No	159	3.9	0.8
Yes	23	4.1	0.7
Have you taken a Sign Language course?
No	164	3.9	0.8
Yes	18	4.1	0.7
Have you delivered healthcare to Deaf patients?
No	32	3.9	0.8
Yes	150	3.9	0.8

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[1] Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: Valeria Campos, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Av. Alemania #1090, Temuco, Chile. Phone: +56 412204195. E-mail: valeriacamposcannobbio@gmail.com.