Quantifying the Levels of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Associated with Sickle Cell Disease and Premarital Genetic Counseling in 350 Saudi Adults

Abstract

Our study aims to observe the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) and premarital genetic counseling (PMGC) in 351 Saudi adults. The relationships between KAP levels and sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, and educational level) were observed. The study was conducted in King Khalid University Hospital between February 21, 2017, and March 7, 2018. A total of 351 Saudi participants attending the primary care clinic were selected using convenience sampling and were given a self-administered questionnaire. Overall, the 351 participants had the best attitude (41% scoring “good”), followed by knowledge (28.8%), and, lastly, practice (19.1%). Out of the sociodemographic characteristics, age group was the most statistically significant in all the three categories (knowledge, attitude, and practice). The > 50-year age group performed the worst in all the three categories. Despite the advancements in public healthcare measures in Saudi Arabia, our study revealed that there are still many gaps to be filled regarding the knowledge, attitude, and practice associated with SCD and PMGC.

Visual impairment among adults in Saudi Arabia

“…The study had some limitations. First, the sample size was small compared to previous studies,2017 but this was also a reflection of the generally low participation in research among the elderly population in this region,2017 and in the hospital 2018. Second, the findings are less likely to be a representative of the adult population in Riyadh city in Saudi Arabia, as many older adults who have multiple medical issues may be attending any of the other public or private eye clinics and hence might not be attending the ophthalmology clinic of this hospital.…”

“…First, the sample size was small compared to previous studies, 15,20,21 but this was also a reflection of the generally low participation in research among the elderly population in this region, 20,21 and in the hospital. 37,38 Second, the findings are less likely to be a representative of the adult population in Riyadh city in Saudi Arabia, as many older adults who have multiple medical issues may be attending any of the other public or private eye clinics and hence might not be attending the ophthalmology clinic of this hospital. Despite these limitations, the study provided recent evidence confirming the burden of visual impairment in Riyadh city and reiterates the need for more regular and obligatory ophthalmology assessment for Saudi adults, either during visits to optical stores or public hospitals, where visual checks are often conducted in the Kingdom.…”

Prevalence of Hemoglobin-S and Baseline Level of Knowledge on Sickle Cell Disease Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

“…We expressed the descriptive statistics such as participant characteristics in frequencies and presented in tables. We graded the level of knowledge depending on the number of correct responses scored from the questionnaires which was constructed from different literature which assessed the level of knowledge on SCD in different groups including pregnant women, also modified to fit the local context ( Babalola et al, 2019 ; Obed et al, 2017a ; Al-Qattan et al, 2019 ). A correct answer was scored as “1” while a wrong response was scored as “0”.…”

Knowledge and Perception of and Attitude toward a Premarital Screening Program in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, in our study, there were four predictors for marriage cancellation, as described above. With regard to PMS knowledge and enrollment in a health-related college, a study conducted in Saudi Arabia also showed a significant correlation between PMS knowledge and attitude [ 42 ]. This underlines the importance of increasing PMS knowledge, particularly for future couples to help them make informed decisions.…”