Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

• Shirin Barzanjhe Atri ¹
• Hossein Abdollahi ²
• Mohammad Arshadi Bostanabad ³
• Mohammad AsghariJafarabadi ⁴

¹ Lecturer, Academic Member, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

² MSc Student of Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

³ Lecturer, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

⁴ Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Having an intellectually disabled child imposes  many physical, mental, and social problems on family and involves them in vulnerability. Carrying out appropriate interventions for improving the knowledge and creating favorable attitude can  greatly support these families and give them the better life quality. This  study has been carried out with the aim of determining the effect of group training on the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers of intellectually disabled children.Materials and methods: This study is a randomized controlled intervention study which was conducted in Narges rehabilitation center of Miyaneh in 2013. 64 caregivers with intellectually disabled children aged 6-18 years were  randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. 6 sessions of training classes  were  held  for intervention group, but  the control group didn`t receive any intervention. In both groups, at the beginning and end of the study, data were collected based on researcher-made questionnaires of the knowledge and attitude .Data were analyzed through SPSS21  and by using of paired t-test, independent t-test and chi-square.Findings: There was no significant statistical difference between the average of the caregiver`s knowledge, attitude and behavior in both groups , before intervention. The results showed that, 1.5 months after conducting the intervention , the increase in the rate of  caregiver`s knowledge and attitude in intervention group before intervention (8.542.80, 62.296.51) and after intervention(72.573.76, 14.501.86) was significant(p<0.05).Conclusion: Group training for the caregivers of intellectually disabled children leads to increase their knowledge and attitude. Taking into consideration the increase of  caregiver’s knowledge , perception and attitude, will help him/her in the care of specialized and efficient.Keywords: knowledge, attitude, intellectually disabled, caregiver