Evaluating premarital screening knowledge in Saudi students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20151045Keywords:
Premarital screening, Prevention, Marriage, Saudi Arabia, HeredityAbstract
Background: The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of premarital screening (PMS) in Saudi Arabia. The use of PMS as a means to identify and approach both and infectious and hereditary disease was investigated in order to determine the impact of this practical approach.
Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at Jazan University from January to June 2014 to perform this research. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 1000 Jazan University Students, both males and females. The questionnaire consisted of 3 main parts. The first part was based on socio-demographic data, the second part dealt with the students’ knowledge about the premarital screening program while the third part explored their attitudes towards the screening program.
Results: The vast majority of the participants (922; 94%) believed that a PMS program was a preventive measure. More than two thirds of the participants (613; 72.5%) favored having regulation & law for premarital screening and most of the students (891; 90.8%) believed PMS programs limited the spread of hereditary (HD) and infectious diseases (ID). Most of the participants (756; 77.1%) reported that PMS tests should be done before engagement.
Conclusions:A large majority of the participants believed PMS program worked as a preventive measure; most of participants believed PMS program limited the spread of HD & ID. This reflects the importance of health education as a backbone in improving knowledge and attitude towards premarital screening programs.
Metrics
References
Ministry of Health. Guide of Healthy Marriage Program: General directorate of non-communicable diseases, 2014. Available at http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/HealthAwareness/Beforemarriage/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed 20 August 2015.
Al-Suliman A. Prevalence of ß-thalassemia trait in premarital screening in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med. 2006;26(1):14-6.
Schnog JB, Duits AJ, Muskiet FA, Cate HT, Rojer RA, Brandjes DP. Sickle cell disease: a general overview. The Netherlands J Med 2004;62(10):364-73.
Alseed HH, Al-Salem AH. Principle of blood transfusion in sickle cell anemia. Saudi Med J 2002;23(12):1443-1448.
Al-Awamy BH. Thalassemia syndromes in Saudi Arabia, meta-analysis of local studies. Saudi Med J 2000;21(1):8-17.
World Health Organization. Programmes and projects, media centre, Fact sheet No. 164. Hepatitis C, 2000. Available at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/. Accessed 20 August 2015.
Shaikha S, Nada H, Al-Serafi S. Premarital counseling: an experience from Bahrain. Est Med Hlth J 1997;3(3):415-419.
Salwa T, Al Azeem, Eman T, Elsayed A, Naglaa A, El Sherbiny A, et al. Promotion of knowledge and attitude towards premarital care: An interventional study among medical student in Fayoum University. J Public Health Epidemiology 2011;3(3):121-128.
Ibrahim R, Al-Bar, H, Al-Fakeeh A, Al Ahmadi J, Qadi M, Al-Bar A, et al. An educational program about premarital screening for unmarried female students in King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. J Infect Public Health 2011;4(1):30-40.
Nasserullah Z, Al Jame A, Abu srair H, Al Qatari G, Al Naim S, Al Aqib A, et al. National screening for sickle cell disease, Glucose-6-Phospate Dehydrogenase Deficiency and a Thalassemia in Qatif and Al Hasa. Ann Saudi Med. 1998;18:289-92.
Gharaibeh H, Mater FK. Young Syrian adults’ knowledge, perceptions and attitudes to premarital testing. Int Nurs Rev 2009;56(4):450-455.
Al-Aama JY, Al-Nabulsi BK, Alyousef MA, Asiri NA, Al-Bewi SM. Knowledge regarding national premarital screening program among university students in western Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J 2008;29(11):1649-53.
Mirza A, Ghani A, Pal A, Sami A, Hannan S, Ashraf Z, et al. Thalassemia and premarital screening: potential for implementation of a screening program among young people in Pakistan. Hemoglobin. 2013;37(2):160–70.
Rahma AK, Salha AR, Maya AK. Knowledge and attitude of university students towards premarital screening program. Oman Med J. 2012;27(4):291-6.
Ibrahim R, Al-Bar, H, Al-Fakeeh A, Al Ahmadi J, Qadi M, Al-Bar A, et al. An educational program about premarital screening for unmarried female students in King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. J Infect Public Health 2011;4(1):30-40.
Nasserullah Z, Al Jame A, Abu srair H, Al Qatari G, Al Naim S, Al Aqib A, et al. National screening for sickle cell disease, Glucose-6-Phospate Dehydrogenase Deficiency and a Thalassemia in Qatif and Al Hasa. Ann Saudi Med. 1998;18:289-92.
Ibrahim R, Al-Bar, H, Al-Fakeeh A, Al Ahmadi J, Qadi M, Al-Bar A, et al. An educational program about premarital screening for unmarried female students in King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. J Infect Public Health. 2011;4(1):30-40.
Mirza A, Ghani A, Pal A, Sami A, Hannan S, Ashraf Z, et al. Thalassemia and premarital screening: potential for implementation of a screening program among young people in Pakistan. Hemoglobin 2013;37(2):160–170.
Rahma AK, Salha AR, Maya AK. Knowledge and attitude of university students towards premarital screening program. Oman Med J. 2012;27(4):291-6.
Ibrahim R, Al-Bar H, Al-Fakeeh A, Al Ahmadi J, Qadi M, Al-Bar A, et al. An educational program about premarital screening for unmarried female students in King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. J Infect Public Health. 2011;4(1):30-40.
El-Mouzan MI, Al-Salloum AA, Al-Herbish AS, Qurachi MM, Al-Omar AA. Regional variations in the prevalence of consanguinity in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2007;28:1881-4.
Ibrahim R, Al-Bar, H, Al-Fakeeh A, Al Ahmadi J, Qadi M, Al-Bar A, et al. An educational program about premarital screening for unmarried female students in King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. J Infect Public Health. 2011;4(1):30-40.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
