Sickle Cell Disease Knowledge among Adult Patients in Benin City, Nigeria

Knowledge of sickle cell disease (SCD) among adult sickle cell disease patients had not been studied in south-south Nigeria. A good knowledge of SCD especially among those with the diseases is essential in the management of this condition particularly as regards compliance with routine drugs and clinic visit. A descriptive cross-sectional study of adult sickle cell disease patients attending the out-patients clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital from May 2010 to July 2010 was conducted. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to extract information on socio-demographic features, sickle cell disease knowledge, source of information on sickle cell disease and disease severity. A total of 192 patients comprising 75 (39.1%) males and 117 (60.9%) females were studied. One hundred and ninety had the SS while 2 had the SC genotype. The mean age of the respondents was 28.1±10.8 years, and the male to female ratio was 1: 1.6. The mean level of knowledge of the respondents was 6.8±2.7 out of 14 points. Level of knowledge increased with increasing age, increasing level of education, marriage, and early commencement of regular clinic visits. Level of knowledge was noted to be significantly poor among the uneducated patients (p=0.034) and among patients with severe disease (more than three vaso-occlusive crises requiring hospital admission or the presence of complications of SCD) (p=0.034). Level of knowledge is a very important factor in determining the severity of SCD. Improving the level of knowledge of SCD among sufferers will help ameliorate their disease