Sickle cell disease awareness among school children in Saudi Arabia

Le résumé fourni par la source

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects millions of people throughout the world. Previous studies suggested the need for more public education. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge about SCD among intermediate and high school students. Methodology: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,500 high school and intermediate students in Al-Ahsa region, from December 2018 to February 2019. The data were collected through a questionnaire and interviews. Results: Most of the students (89%) had heard of SCD and 80% knew that it can be diagnosed by a blood test, but 60% did not know how common was SCD in Saudi Arabia. Despite the high prevalence, 65.4% answered the hereditary nature of the disease, but only a small proportion thought that consanguineous marriages were a risk factor for SCD spread. Females showed better knowledge than males and married people knew more about SCD than unmarried ones. Conclusion: There was a good level of knowledge about SCD. SCD awareness in secondary school educational program should be incorporated, and public awareness message in media is recommended.

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