Consciência e conhecimento sobre afasia pela população potiguar

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the awareness and knowledge of the population of Rio Grande do Norte (potiguares) regarding aphasia. Methods: Data collection was conducted in places with high foot traffic, such as supermarkets, gyms, and restaurants. Participants who agreed to take part signed the Informed Consent Form (ICF), and data were subsequently collected through the "Brazilian Population Knowledge on Aphasia Survey," which was administered via Google Forms. The data were analyzed quantitatively, with descriptive and inferential data obtained using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. A significance level of 5% was adopted in all statistical analyses. Results: This study collected responses from 380 potiguares aged between 18 and 75 years, with a mean age of 32.13 years (±13.1). There were 201 women (52.9%) and 179 men (47.1%) who participated. Regarding education, 35.3% (n=134) reported having incomplete higher education. Concerning awareness of aphasia, only 57 participants (15%) had heard of the condition. Participants who reported having heard of aphasia or dysphasia were questioned about the definition and possible causes. Regarding the definition, the most common associations were with communication problems (94.8%), speech problems (87.9%), and language use issues (70.7%). Regarding causes, participants mainly indicated a connection to brain damage (91.4%) and stroke (82.8%).Conclusion: Awareness of aphasia among the potiguar population is low. However, the interviewees who had heard of the topic mostly indicated having basic knowledge about it. This highlights the need to strengthen informational campaigns on aphasia to broaden the topic's reach to the entire population.