Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitude toward Premarital Screening for Sickle Cell Disease among Young Adults in Central India – A Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent hemolytic disorder stemming from structurally abnormal hemoglobin, inducing intermittent sickle-shaped red blood cell formation. Its hereditary transmission follows an autosomal recessive pattern and is notably widespread in central India. SCD poses a substantial health challenge, potentially leading to organ failure and fatality in severe cases. Advocating for SCD awareness and premarital screening among young adults assumes critical importance, aiming to prevent unions between carriers of sickle cell trait (SCT) and thus reduce the likelihood of SCD inheritance in offspring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved unmarried young adults within the age group of 18-24 years. The research specifically focused on the participation of single young adults aged between 18 and 24 years. Study design was cross-sectional with simple random sampling. Data were acquired through the administration of a questionnaire, and subsequent analysis involved evaluating 227 responses following the application of exclusion criteria to an initial pool of 272 participants. RESULTS: Of the study participants, 66.96% lacked awareness of SCD, and 86.34% lacked awareness about premarital screening. A total of 73.75% of participants were in favor of screening themselves, and 74.36% were in favor of screening their partners for SCT before marriage. 70.51% responded that they would encourage others for screening for SCT before marriage. CONCLUSION: In regions with high SCD prevalence, there exists an inadequacy in the knowledge regarding SCD and premarital testing among the young adults, necessitating the implementation of awareness-promoting initiatives.