Knowledge, awareness, and attitudes toward umbilical cord blood biobanking

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) stem cells are a non-invasive, effective alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells for the treatment of a variety of diseases. AIM: The aim of the study was to research knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of the general public and health professionals regarding the UCB storage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with an online survey (n = 408) using the snowball method. RESULTS: A majority of respondents declared that they were not aware of UCB banking; however, people with an academic background in healthcare have a greater awareness of UCB banking. A subjective assessment found that their knowledge of UCB banking is better than that of non-professionals, however, they exhibited better knowledge and understanding of UCB use and banking in only a few aspects. People with an academic background in healthcare have a more polarized attitude toward cord blood banking and a higher percentage are unwilling to pay for UCB banking services. However, their preferences regarding public/private UCB banking do not differ significantly from those of non-professionals. CONCLUSION: Here, we show that there is not much difference between the laic and professional categories in terms of knowledge about the specific purpose and characteristics of UCB storage.