title: Effect of health education on the knowledge and attitude to sickle cell disorder and screening practices among school of nursing students in Sokoto, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sickle cell disorder is the most important genetic hematological disease that affects people of black African descent. The years of young adulthood present a good opportunity for screening and counseling for this genetic blood disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess effect of health education and provision of free sickle cell haemoglobin screening on knowledge of sickle cell disorder, attitude towards sickle cell haemoglobin screening, and uptake of sickle cell haemoglobin screening among students of a School of Nursing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study design was a quasi-experimental noncontrolled study. Self-administered questionnaire was used for pre- and post-intervention data collection. Implemented interventions were seminar on sickle cell disorder combined with free sickle cell haemoglobin screening. The data was analyzed with Epi-info version 3.5.1 statistical software package.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents who participated in all the study phases were 104. Mean knowledge score (%) was high (80.9 +/- 22.8%) at baseline and improved significantly to 91.8 +/- 9.4% (p < 0.001) at post intervention. 91.3% were willing to screen fiancée before getting married while 72.1% were willing not to go ahead with marriage if self and fiancée are carriers of sickle cell haemoglobin. Phenotype of the respondents that volunteered to be screened for sickle cell haemoglobin were: A (70.5%), AC (6.8%) and AS (22.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implemented interventions, seminar on sickle cell disorder combined with free sickle cell haemoglobin screening service yielded significant impact on respondents' knowledge, attitude and uptake of sickle cell haemoglobin screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos. aoabi@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Abiola
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Ojika
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mannir
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Abba
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
authors.forename: M T O
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Aschcroft
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Akanmu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009549:Nigeria; D013338:Students, Nursing; D055815:Young Adult