Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude of Fresh Clinical Medical Students of the University of Jos to Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

Background: Reports of awareness, knowledge and attitude of health care providers in training are few particularly in our setting. 

Aims and Objectives: This study sets out to assess the awareness, knowledge and attitude of fresh clinical students to sickle cell disease (SCD) and provide the basis for a training protocol. 

Method: The subjects were recruited consecutively after informed consent was obtained. A structured questionnaire was administered to participants. Three millilitres of venous blood was collected into an EDTA sample bottle to conduct haemoglobin electrophoresis.

Results: One hundred and seventeen, aged 19-34  years, fresh clinical students of the College; eighty (70.1%) males and 37 (29.9%) females were studied. One hundred and six (90.6%) knew that SCD affects Africans more while 54.9% indicated that persons with SCD could be in the steady state. While 47.0% of the respondents knew that the disease could manifest for the first time in children aged 3-6 months, 50.4% knew that diagnosis SCD could be made in the antenatal period. 74.4% knew that the cure to SCD may be through haematopoietic stem cell transplant. Eighty eight (75.2%) are favourably disposed to disclosing their haemoglobin type. Sixty four (54.7%) subjects had earlier tested for their haemoglobin type. Haemoglobin electrophoresis was conducted for ten (15.6%) and 17 (32.1%) subjects who “knew” and “never knew” their Hb type respectively. Three known Hb phenotypes did not correspond with determined. The determined Hb types of the subjects who, “never knew”, were; AA (47.1%) and AS (52.9%). 

Conclusion: High level of knowledge, awareness and subjective positive dispositions to sickle cell disease may not necessarily be demonstrated.