Mahmood Kochr A, Sadraldeen Govand S, Othman Samir M, Shabila Nazar P, Saleh Abubakir M, Ismail Kameran H
Faculty of Medicine, Koya University, Koya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Collage of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 Nov 18;4(11):e0003515. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003515. eCollection 2024.
Premarital screening programs are essential for identifying and providing counseling to couples at risk of transmitting genetic diseases or sexually transmitted infections. Despite their importance, university students' awareness and knowledge of premarital screening programs remain inadequate. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of university students in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq regarding premarital screening programs. A cross-sectional survey involving 960 students was conducted from December 2023 to February 2024. The survey assessed participants' demographics, knowledge, perception, and attitudes toward PMSP using a structured questionnaire. Findings revealed that a significant portion of participants (39.4%) had poor knowledge of premarital screening programs, 35.9% had fair knowledge, and only 24.7% had good knowledge. Despite limited knowledge, there was strong support for premarital screening programs, with 83.1% agreeing on its importance and 78.8% recognizing the need for premarital awareness. Most participants (65.8%) believed premarital screening programs could reduce genetic diseases, and 65.6% thought it could lower sexually transmitted diseases' prevalence. Cultural acceptance of marrying relatives was notable, with 59.7% disagreeing with the preference for not marrying relatives. Married participants showed significantly higher knowledge and attitude scores compared to single participants. Gender differences were observed, with males having higher knowledge scores. There were no significant differences in perception and attitude scores based on gender or residential area. The study underscores the need for enhanced educational campaigns to improve premarital screening programs awareness and positively influence attitudes, especially targeting cultural aspects like accepting relative marriages. Comprehensive education and fostering positive attitudes toward premarital screening programs are vital for their broader acceptance and implementation.
婚前筛查项目对于识别有遗传疾病或性传播感染风险的夫妇并为其提供咨询至关重要。尽管其很重要，但大学生对婚前筛查项目的认识和了解仍然不足。本研究旨在评估伊拉克库尔德地区大学生对婚前筛查项目的知识、认知和态度。2023年12月至2024年2月对960名学生进行了横断面调查。该调查使用结构化问卷评估参与者的人口统计学特征、对婚前筛查项目的知识、认知和态度。结果显示，很大一部分参与者（39.4%）对婚前筛查项目的了解较差，35.9%的了解一般，只有24.7%的了解良好。尽管知识有限，但对婚前筛查项目有强烈支持，83.1%的人认同其重要性，78.8%的人认识到婚前宣传的必要性。大多数参与者（65.8%）认为婚前筛查项目可以减少遗传疾病，65.6%的人认为可以降低性传播疾病的患病率。值得注意的是，对与亲属结婚的文化接受度方面，59.7%的人不同意不与亲属结婚的偏好。已婚参与者的知识和态度得分明显高于单身参与者。观察到性别差异，男性的知识得分更高。在认知和态度得分方面，基于性别或居住地区没有显著差异。该研究强调需要加强教育宣传活动，以提高对婚前筛查项目的认识并积极影响态度，特别是针对像接受亲属婚姻这样的文化方面。对婚前筛查项目进行全面教育并培养积极态度对于其更广泛的接受和实施至关重要。
