Al Arrayed Shaikha, Al Hajeri Amani
Genetics Department, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Manama, Bahrain.
Ann Saudi Med. 2010 Jul-Aug;30(4):284-8. doi: 10.4103/0256-4947.65256.
Previous studies that have assessed patient awareness of the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) indicated a lack of awareness of the disease and possibly a need for more public education. Therefore, we measured public awareness in Bahrain of SCD.
The study was conducted from December 2006 to February 2007. A questionnaire was distributed among 2000 persons selected from among the general public. The participants had face-to-face interviews with either a health professional or a trained interviewer.
Most (93%) had heard of SCD and 89% knew that it can be diagnosed by a blood test, but 51% did not know the prevalence of SCD in Bahrain. Eighty-four percent recognized it as a hereditary disorder and 72% said that it can skip generations. Females showed better knowledge than males and married persons seems to know more about SCD than unmarried ones.
There is a good level of knowledge about SCD among the public, though some of the respondents were confused about the difference between the carrier state of a disease and the disease itself. There is wide acceptance and appreciation of the SCD prevention campaigns being conducted in Bahrain, such as the premarital service and the student screening program.
以往评估镰状细胞病（SCD）患者对疾病管理认知情况的研究表明，公众对该病缺乏了解，可能需要开展更多的公众教育。因此，我们对巴林公众对SCD的认知情况进行了调查。
该研究于2006年12月至2007年2月进行。我们向从普通公众中选取的2000人发放了调查问卷。参与者与卫生专业人员或经过培训的访谈者进行了面对面访谈。
大多数人（93%）听说过SCD，89%的人知道可以通过血液检测进行诊断，但51%的人不知道SCD在巴林的患病率。84%的人认识到它是一种遗传性疾病，72%的人表示它可能隔代遗传。女性的认知程度高于男性，已婚者似乎比未婚者对SCD了解更多。
公众对SCD有较好的认知水平，尽管一些受访者对疾病携带者状态和疾病本身之间的区别感到困惑。巴林开展的SCD预防活动，如婚前服务和学生筛查项目，得到了广泛的认可和赞赏。
