Public education for the prevention of hemoglobinopathies: a study targeting Kocaeli University students

In addition to premarital screening programs, education of the general population is important in preventing hemoglobinopathies. The aim of the present study was the education of university students. Short questionnaires were applied before and after a prepared lecture. A 20-minute audiovisual education was provided including the clinical characteristics and inheritance of thalassemia and sickle cell anemia (SCA) as well as the importance of carrier screening. The attendance to 42 lectures was low (n= 1348 = 5%). Seventy-four percent of the students had heard of thalassemia. The percentage of the students who had some accurate knowledge was 25% for thalassemia and 11.7% for SCA. Following the lecture, these numbers increased to 86.2% and 72.1% for thalassemia and SCA, respectively. Only 13.6% of the students were aware of the risk of being carriers, but this increased to 78.6% following the lecture; 92.4% learned that these hemoglobinopathies were inherited and 78.8% learned that consanguineous marriages would increase the risk. Education on hemoglobinopathies must be integrated into the curricula of middle schools and high schools.