Knowledge and attitudes toward learning disabilities among medical and nursing students in Vietnam: findings from a national cross-sectional survey

Learning disabilities (LD) is under-researched in medical and nursing education worldwide, especially regarding students’ perceptions of their peers with LD—an area particularly overlooked in low- and middle-income countries like Vietnam. As future healthcare professionals, whether Vietnamese medical and nursing students are aware of or accurately understand LD, and whether their perceptions may pose barriers to creating a more inclusive educational environment for peers with LD, remained unanswered. Our study investigated the knowledge and attitudes towards LD among 845 undergraduate medical and nursing students from 14 universities across Vietnam. A quantitative, cross-sectional, online questionnaire was conducted from November 2023 to February 2024, as part of a larger mixed-method exploratory study. Questions about knowledge and attitude toward LD were scored using a 4-point Likert scale. The survey results showed average knowledge and attitudes scores of 16.09/27 and 34.01/60, respectively. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to assess the relationship between knowledge and attitude scores. Associations between sociodemographic factors and these scores were analyzed using t-tests (for binary variables), one-way ANOVA (for categorical variables), and Spearman correlations (for continuous variables). Notably, students attending private universities and coming from families with higher incomes had significantly higher knowledge scores, while these factors did not influence attitude scores. The weak correlation coefficient between knowledge and attitudes suggests that comprehensive strategies are needed to meaningfully influence students’ perceptions of LD. Recommendations include integrating LD-related content into curricula, providing training for both faculty and students on LD recognition and support strategies, and establishing peer-support programs in universities throughout Vietnam. Targeted interventions should prioritize raising awareness among students from public universities and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.