Prevalence of sickle cell trait and needs assessment for uptake of sickle cell screening among secondary school students in Kampala City, Uganda.
PLoS One
; 19(1): e0296119, 2024.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38241244
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most frequent and traumatizing genetic disease in Uganda, with the prevalence of the sickle cell trait (SCT) estimated at 13.3% leading to serious psycho-social and economic impact on the patients and their families.AIM:
This study aimed to determine the burden of SCT and factors influencing the uptake of screening services among secondary school students in Uganda.METHODS:
We used an analytical cross-sectional design with a multi-stage sampling approach. A total of 399 students from four secondary schools in Kampala City were enrolled in this study. Data were gathered using semi-structured questionnaires and blood screening. We used the sickling test to determine the presence of sickle cell alleles among the participants and hemoglobin electrophoresis as a confirmatory test. Data gathered using the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.RESULTS:
In total, 5.8% of participants who were tested during this study had SCT. Most (80.2%) participants were not in an intimate relationship at the time of data collection. The majority (60.4%) had moderate knowledge about SCT screening and obtained information about screening from the school. Only 29 (7.3%) participants knew of a family member with sickle cell. Overall, participants had a negative attitude toward SCT screening (67%), although 41.6% believed that most people who were sickle cell carriers did not live long and were often sick. Statistically significant associations were found between testing for SCT and knowing a partner's sickle cell status (odds ratio [OR] 2.112, p = 0.043) and Anglican religion (OR 2.075, p = 0.047).CONCLUSION:
Despite the moderate level of knowledge and negative attitudes, a relatively large number of participants had SCT. This highlights the need for a comprehensive health education package targeting adolescents to promote SCD/SCT screening.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Rasgo Drepanocítico
/
Anemia de Células Falciformes
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Screening_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
PLoS One
Asunto de la revista:
CIENCIA
/
MEDICINA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Uganda
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos