Assessing Public Awareness and Understanding of Dysphagia: A Representative Survey of US Adults.
Sonja M Molfenter, R Brynn Jones-Rastelli, Arie Barfield and 6 others
PMID 40146338WHAT IT FOUND
Only 24.5% said they knew what dysphagia was.
When asked what it affects, 45% correctly chose swallowing, and 4% correctly identified all three health impacts.
Key findings
01Only 24.5% of respondents said they knew what dysphagia was, compared with 98.5% for insomnia and 87.4% for vertigo.
0245% of respondents correctly identified dysphagia as primarily affecting swallowing.
034% of respondents correctly identified all three health impacts associated with dysphagia.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The participants were recruited from an online panel that pays people to complete surveys, so the sample may not represent all US adults. The sample was predominantly white and non-Hispanic at slightly higher proportions than the US census, and fewer respondents were in the oldest age groups. The survey relied on self-report and could not confirm that respondents did not look up answers. The prevalence comparison used hospital encounter records coded with ICD-10, so it may miss people who have dysphagia but do not seek formal care. The study describes what adults reported knowing; it does not show that education or awareness campaigns change care.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that dysphagia is rare or that public education will improve care. The survey measured what adults reported knowing, used an online panel with selection bias, and did not test any education programme or patient outcome.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →