Perception of the population of Panama city about down’s syndrome

Abstract

Down syndrome is a chromosomopathy that manifests itself because of a numerical abnormality in the chromosomes (pair 21), creating a condition in individuals that prevents them from developing normally in such a way that it is considered a disability. In Panama there are Policies and Laws that promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities, including people with this condition. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the perception of the inhabitants of Panama City about Down syndrome, using a survey that was distributed digitally using the snowball technique. The sample consisted of 617 people and was divided by sex and age group. The results showed that there is a high degree of ignorance about the social inclusion of people with this syndrome, although they also indicate that there is a high level of openness for the development of plans for the social inclusion of people with Down syndrome, both in the educational sector and the labor sector, mainly in the younger age groups. In conclusion, there is a great lack of knowledge about this condition, so more research of this type must be carried out, which can feed the information related to the social aspects of the inclusion of people with disabilities, so that from the scientific information generated by These studies can establish dissemination and awareness plans in favor of a true social inclusion of people with disabilities, emphasizing people with Down syndrome.