Sickle cell (SC) disease is a major health problem in Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. This study was conducted to describe the knowledge about risk of inheritance of SC-disease among mothers of SC-disease children registered in Primary Health Care centers of Qatif, their attitude regarding marital choices for their children, in perspective of inheritance of SC-disease and child bearing practices and the associated socio-demographic and knowledge factors.
Methodology
A telephonic interviewbased cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers of SC-disease children registered in Primary Health Care centers of Qatif. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the information. Participants were identified from SC-disease's electronic registry available in Qatif's PHCCs administration.
Results
A total of 200 mothers of SC-disease childrenwere included in the study with a mean age of 39.2 + 8.2 years and 52.5% had education of high school and above. 32 (16.0%) mothers had SC-disease and 19 (9.5%) of their husbands had SC-disease. Only 16 (8%) participants had undergone the premarital screening test. 124 (62.0%) families had more than one SC-disease child. Regarding mothers' knowledge of SC-disease transmission, 31.5% of the participants had poor knowledge whereas 28.0% had excellent knowledge. Most defective tested information was that 161 (80.5%) mothers did not know that parents with SC-trait can have 25% SC-disease child with each pregnancy. Knowledge was better among younger and more educated mothers, who had less children and oldest SC-disease child was in childhood age. Regarding the marital choices for their children, based on the SC status, 192 (96.0%) would not willingly agree to let their SC-diseased child marry someone who has SC-disease or trait and 181 (90.5%) would not willingly agree to let their SC-trait child marry someone who has SC-disease or trait. 160 (80.0%) of these mothers recommended potential couples facing incompatible marriage to avoid it absolutely. This recommendation was related to their better knowledge of SC-disease transmission. 158 (82.7%) mother's practiced some child spacing method(s) which was more among younger fathers, more educated mothers and mother's with better knowledge of SC transmission. The commonest method used was calendar (58.9%). Only 56 (35.4%) mothers start using child spacing methods after having a SC affected child. Only 75 (47.5%) had used it as a protective method against having a diseased child where the use was related to mothers' better knowledge of SC-disease transmission.
Conclusion
High rate of consanguinity, defective disease transmission knowledge and poor child spacing practice choices like using calendar method contributed to high number of SC-disease effected children among respondents' families. However, attitude towards avoiding incompatible marriages among their children was satisfactory. Poor knowledge was found associated with old age, less than high school education, having more than 6 children.