Knowledge of Sickle Cell Disease, Awareness of Sickle Cell Trait Status and Its Impact on Relationships Among Students at a Historically Black College.

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) primarily affects people of African American descent in the United States. Many individuals do not know their sickle cell trait (SCT) status or might not be aware of SCD. The purpose of this study was to assess SCD knowledge, awareness of SCT status, and its impact on relationships. A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2018 to June 2019 among students at a Historically Black College and University. Logistic regression was utilized to determine if the student's SCD knowledge and SCT status had a significant impact on the student's choice of relationships. A total of 203 students participated in the study. Most were female (60.1%) and African American (84.7%). The proportion of correct responses on individual questions within a SCD knowledge assessment ranged from 55.2% to 90.6%. Health professional students (Adjusted OR = 4.47; 95% CI = 1.18, 16.96; p = 0.028) and those with SCT (Adjusted OR = 13.00; 95% CI = 1.72, 98.39; p = 0.013) reported that their potential partner's SCT status would have an impact on their current and future relationships. A large number of students are not knowledgeable about SCD and few are aware of their SCT status.