ISSN 2756-3332
African Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ISSN 2198-4638 Vol. 2 (7), pp. 378-385, September, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Review
A study on the awareness and perception of Bahraini adult sickle cell patients towards the preventive measures of sickle cell crisis
*Nabeel A'ala Mushaiama, Mohammed B. Ebrahim and Sayeed Haddad
Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain.
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Accepted 17 August, 2015
Abstract
Sickle cell crisis is preventable most of the times. However, in Bahrain sickling crisis is the most complained and cause of hospital admission. No data is available regarding the extent of knowledge and attitudes towards the sickling crisis’s preventive measures the adult Bahraini sickle cell patients have. The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of knowledge and attitude of Bahraini adult sickle cell patients towards the preventive measures of sickle cell crisis. The objective is to establish baseline data and to utilize the findings in designing awareness programs that would assist the sickle cell patients to prevent the sickling crisis. A convenient sample of 84 Bahraini adult sickle cell patients achieved. Structured interview approach was used to assess the subjects©knowledge and attitudes toward the preventives measures of sickle cell crisis. The results indicated that the sample was moderately knowledgeable about the sickling preventive measures (Mean of Knowledge score = 55%) and moderately compliant (Mean of Attitudes score = 63%). The subjects© knowledge (about the preventive measures) was found to be moderately and positively correlated (r = 0.57, r2 = 0.32, p = 0.000) with their attitudes toward crisis prevention. Designing awareness programs regarding the preventive measures of sickle cell crisis is an evident need for these patients.
Key words: Sickle cell disease (SCD), sickle cell trait (SCT), sickle cell disease crisis, sickling crisis, Vaso-occlusion crisis (VOC), knowledge, attitude, preventive measures of crisis.