Thalassemia Awareness And Factors Associated With Carrier Screening Among Undergraduate Students In Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: Thalassemia stands as a prevalent genetic blood disorder, burdening numerous countries across the globe. Unfortunately, preventive measures for thalassemia, particularly in Asian nations, are lacking. In Pakistan, the high carrier frequency of 5 to 8% highlights thalassemia as a substantial health concern, posing a significant threat to future generations.

Objective: To determine the thalassemia awareness and factors associated with carrier screening among undergraduate students in Lahore, Pakistan.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study included 335 students from Punjab University and the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, selected through convenient sampling. An adapted questionnaire assessed thalassemia awareness and its association with carrier screening. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 25, presenting categorical variables as frequencies, percentages, and bar graphs. The Chi-Square test determined the link between thalassemia awareness and the willingness for carrier, screening.

Results: Out of 335 students, awareness about Thalassemia was found to be “Good” among 54% students, while 45.4% demonstrated average knowledge and only 0.6% students had poor knowledge about thalassemia disease. Regarding carrier screening, only 18% students poses good knowledge of thalassemia carrier screening.

Conclusion:  Overall awareness among students regarding thalassemia disease, treatment and its complication were quiet satisfactory. But knowledge about carrier screening was found extremely poor among participants. The findings of the study indicate that there is an urgent need for further research in this area in order to strengthen screening programmes or polices for the youth of the population.