Exploring attitudes towards endocrine diseases in Greece

Excerpt

Although patients with different types of endocrine diseases exist worldwide, and relevant knowledge is rapidly progressing through clinical and experimental medical research [1], still little is known about the knowledge and attitudes that the Greek public has on health problems related to the endocrine system. Thoughts and feelings have been extensively examined mainly for psychiatric diseases [2], but attitudes and possible misconceptions for other types of physical diseases are still not thoroughly examined. The level and extent of the general public’s understanding of endocrine diseases and their prevention is related to the public health as their prevalence increases worldwide [3]. A wider or narrower knowledge among the general population means less or more emphasis on early diagnosis and management programs, while schemes for the improvement of health from the healthcare system and relative allocation of resources is influenced. More specifically, knowledge of the public’s attitudes may have direct implications for clinical practice, as the ability to treat adults may depend, in part, on understanding attitudes toward endocrine diseases. Therefore, the main objective of this cross-sectional descriptive survey is to identify the public’s attitudes towards endocrine diseases. This can be achieved by assessing the knowledge and attitudes towards endocrine diseases in Greece both in healthy adults and a subgroup of patients already suffering from an endocrine disease. …