Alzahrani Saleh Saad J, Alghamdi Nawaf Saleh A, Alzahrani Eyad Awad M, Alzahrani Fadi Ahmed M, Alghamdi Mohammed Ahmed A, Hafiz Zaher Musleh S, Fouad Amr A
College of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, SAU.
Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, SAU.
Cureus. 2024 Jan 20;16(1):e52616. doi: 10.7759/cureus.52616. eCollection 2024 Jan.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) presents a major health challenge in Saudi Arabia due to its high prevalence. The important role of medical students as future healthcare leaders necessitates high awareness and knowledge about the disease.
To assess SCD awareness among Al-Baha University medical students, and to evaluate its relation to gender and academic level.
A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 105 medical students from the first to sixth year at Al-Baha University. Data collection utilized an online self-administered questionnaire, covering demographic characteristics and assessing SCD knowledge. Fisher's exact and Pearson Chi-squared tests were employed to analyze associations between gender, academic level, and SCD awareness.
The majority of male participants 52 (89.6%) and all females 47 (100%) demonstrated awareness of SCD. Clinical year enrollment (68.6%) correlated with heightened awareness across various aspects of SCD compared to the preclinical year. Most participants were in clinical years (68.6%), and 94.3% of them had knowledge about SCD. Approximately, 75 (71%) of participants correctly identified features of sickle cell crisis, 83 (79%) reported the accurate cause of SCD, and 75 (71%) cited the appropriate preventive measures. Only 15 (14%) demonstrated knowledge of correct management of SCD. Contrarily, 84 (80%) were aware of SCD complications, 66 (63%) recognized different SCD types, 67 (64%) felt adequately informed about SCD, and 34 (32%) were involved in SCD counseling. Male participants exhibited greater awareness of SCD features than females. Notably, involvement in SCD counseling was more prevalent among students of clinical years.
This study underscores the need for targeted educational initiatives, particularly among preclinical year students to enhance SCD awareness among students. We also emphasize the role of clinical education in fostering a comprehensive understanding of SCD, with increased participation in counseling programs.
由于镰状细胞病（SCD）在沙特阿拉伯的高患病率，它对该国的公共卫生构成了重大挑战。医学生作为未来的医疗保健领导者，对该疾病具备较高的认知和知识十分必要。
评估巴哈大学医学生对SCD的认知情况，并评估其与性别和学术水平的关系。
开展了一项横断面研究，纳入了巴哈大学一年级至六年级的105名医学生。数据收集采用在线自填问卷，涵盖人口统计学特征并评估SCD知识。采用Fisher精确检验和Pearson卡方检验分析性别、学术水平与SCD认知之间的关联。
大多数男性参与者52名（89.6%）和所有女性参与者47名（100%）表现出对SCD的认知。与临床前阶段相比，临床阶段的入学率（68.6%）与对SCD各个方面的更高认知相关。大多数参与者处于临床阶段（68.6%），其中94.3%的人了解SCD。大约75名（71%）参与者正确识别了镰状细胞危象的特征，83名（79%）报告了SCD的准确病因，75名（71%）列举了适当的预防措施。只有15名（14%）表现出对SCD正确管理的知识。相反，84名（80%）了解SCD并发症，66名（63%）认识到不同的SCD类型，67名（64%）觉得对SCD有足够的了解，34名（32%）参与过SCD咨询。男性参与者对SCD特征的认知高于女性。值得注意的是，参与SCD咨询在临床阶段的学生中更为普遍。
本研究强调了有针对性的教育举措的必要性，特别是在临床前阶段的学生中，以提高学生对SCD的认知。我们还强调临床教育在促进对SCD的全面理解方面的作用，以及增加参与咨询项目的重要性。
