Knowledge and utilization of premarital screening for sickle cell disease among residents of semi-urban community, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Sickle cell disease is a major genetic disease that manifests early in life and may lead to significant morbidities. It is an inherited disorder resulting from an abnormality in the structure of a protein in the red blood cell called haemoglobin characterized by the presence of crescent-shaped erythrocytes. Sickle cell disease is one of the most prevalent genetic disorders among the African populations. This study assessed the knowledge and utilization of premarital screening for sickle cell disease among residents of semi-urban community of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used for the study. A multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 308 participants and a semi structured questionnaire was used in collecting data for the study. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26 at 5% significance level and 95% confidence interval and presented in tables of frequencies and percentages. Results: The result revealed that 73.1% of the participants had good knowledge of premarital screening for sickle cell disease and their commonest sources of information were family and friends (45.6%). More than half of the respondents (66.8%) had good utilization. Conclusions: Majority of the respondents had good knowledge and utilization of premarital screening for sickle cell disease. We recommend that there should be more emphasis on health education and awareness programmes at community level on premarital screening for sickle cell disease. Also, genetic screening services should be made available in all primary health care centers.