The assessing medical professionals’ knowledge of autism spectrum disorders

Aliya Nurmukhanbetova, Eleonora Nurbaulina, Sandugash Kurmanalina, Ж.С. САБЫРДИЛДА, Balnur Iskakova, Nazgul Akhtayeva, Lyazzat Kosherbayeva, Laura Kozhageldiyeva

Journal of Public Health Research, 2026

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.1177/22799036261450250
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to rise, underscoring the importance of assessing physicians' preparedness to recognize ASD symptoms promptly and provide appropriate care and support to affected children and their families. Objective: The aim was to assess the level of knowledge among medical professionals described above and involved in the care of children with ASD. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire in Kazakh and Russian. A total of 638 Almaty medical professionals participated: 312 general practitioners (GP), 194 pediatricians, 88 neurologists, and 44 psychiatrists. Analyses were performed in Stata 15.1, with GP and pediatrician data examined as primary healthcare (PHC) groups, and neurologists and psychiatrists analyzed as specialists from both PHC and inpatient settings. The questionnaire showed good internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson Formula 20: 0.842 for neurologists/psychiatrists; 0.854 for pediatricians/GPs). Tetrachoric correlations were used for factor extraction. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and principal factor analysis assessed relationships between professional characteristics and ASD knowledge. Results: Psychiatrists demonstrated a greater recognition of certain ASD signs and a stronger need for further education than neurologists, with key areas centered on social, behavioral, and sensory symptoms. Pediatricians with more experience than GPs, demonstrated a higher awareness of ASD symptoms and diagnosis, with social impairment and diagnostic knowledge being the main factors shaping understanding in both groups. Conclusion: The low awareness of physicians in providing care to children with ASD revealed the need to develop strategies to improve their knowledge, in particular among GPs.