Assessment of the Attitude, Knowledge, and Complications Related to Sickle Cell Disease in Al-Ahsa Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is one of the well-known hematological disorders that affects many people around the world. The risk of disease transmission increases with consanguineous marriage. SCD is considered a life-threatening condition, with mortality rates increasing annually because of the large number of comorbidities associated with this disease. The Al-Ahsa region carries the highest rate of SCD in Saudi Arabia. The aim of the study is to evaluate the attitude, knowledge, perceptions, and misunderstandings regarding SCD and its complications. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 387 participants of the Al-Ahsa population. Data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire contains four important domains: socio-demographical information, knowledge, attitude, and complications of SCD. Of the 387 people sampled, 80% of the participants had heard about SCD, and the major source of information were their friends and families. More than half of the population knew that SCD is inherited, although 40% did not know about the treatment for SCD. Most of the participants showed a positive attitude, being sympathetic toward people with SCD, while half of the participants preferred not to have a child rather than have one with SCD. A high proportion of the population did not know that SCD is a leading cause of life-threatening infections, kidney failure, and stroke. The study indicates that there is a need for awareness programs to address some misconceptions and expand information regarding SCD, which could contribute to improving knowledge about SCD.