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.