Lack of knowledge of thalassemia among non-medical university students in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Thalassemia is a prevalent hereditary hematological condition in Saudi Arabia, with carrier frequencies between 1.8 and 3.2%. Despite the implementation of the national premarital screening program in 2004, public awareness continues to be minimal. University students, anticipated to exhibit elevated health literacy, may still lack adequate knowledge.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study employed an online questionnaire distributed to undergraduate and graduate students from non-medical colleges at Alfaisal University. A17-item online survey assessed knowledge of thalassemia. The authors classified the knowledge scores into four ordinal categories and used ordinal regression to examine their associations with demographic factors.

RESULTS

Among the 223 responders, 69.5% had never heard of thalassemia. Approximately 48% scored zero on the knowledge testing, while 8% exhibited good knowledge. Nationality emerged as the only significant predictor of high knowledge (OR = 1.975, p < 0.01), with non-Saudi students demonstrating greater awareness. No associations were found with age, gender, or marital status.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate an essential gap in thalassemia awareness, especially among educated young individuals. This gap and comprehensive community-based educational initiatives should be targeted at the middle and high school levels. Specific measures are essential to enhance national screening and preventive strategies. These findings highlight the urgent need for national educational initiatives to complement premarital screening, targeting younger populations before reproductive age.