Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the opinions of parents diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and parents with children diagnosed with MS regarding genetic testing. A total of 326 parents residing in 52 separate provinces of Türkiye participated in the study. A questionnaire form, prepared by the researchers, was employed as the data collection instrument. The results showed that parental opinions about genetic testing differed according to age group, gender, education level, income level, and whether having MS made it difficult to be a parent ( p < 0.05). The subsequent analyses revealed that fathers and participants with lower levels of education and income and participants over 51 years of age were concerned about the security and confidentiality of genetic testing and that genetic testing could lead to family conflict, while mothers and parents with higher levels of education agreed that genetic testing was important for family planning. The findings of the study may help to provide a practical basis for both health policy and medical practice and to determine the prominent psychosocial aspects in developing societies with similar dynamics as the Turkish society, while providing genetic counseling and guidance to families with MS.
Koç et al. (Fri,) studied this question.