OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitude of husbands toward the thalassemic carrier screening test and to explore the causes of non-participation of having a blood test. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: During 2007-2008, 100 husbands of pregnant women with screening-positive test for thalassemia who refused to have blood test were enrolled by voluntariness. They would fill out a structured questionnaire designed for the present study which was divided into 3 parts; (1) participant's personal characteristics (2) their attitudes toward thalassemic carrier screening test with the score ranging from 1-5, and (3) reasons for their refusal of having a blood test. RESULTS: The husbands had a favorable attitude toward testing for thalassemia, with overall mean score and standard deviation of 3.57 and 0.38. Commonly expressed reasons against testing were the self-belief of having a non-affected child and the inconvenience of coming to the hospital. CONCLUSION: Husbands had a favorable attitude toward test for thalassemia.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitude of husbands toward the thalassemic carrier screening test and to explore the causes of non-participation of having a blood test. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: During 2007-2008, 100 husbands of pregnant women with screening-positive test for thalassemia who refused to have blood test were enrolled by voluntariness. They would fill out a structured questionnaire designed for the present study which was divided into 3 parts; (1) participant's personal characteristics (2) their attitudes toward thalassemic carrier screening test with the score ranging from 1-5, and (3) reasons for their refusal of having a blood test. RESULTS: The husbands had a favorable attitude toward testing for thalassemia, with overall mean score and standard deviation of 3.57 and 0.38. Commonly expressed reasons against testing were the self-belief of having a non-affected child and the inconvenience of coming to the hospital. CONCLUSION: Husbands had a favorable attitude toward test for thalassemia.