Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preventive Practices Toward G6PD Deficiency in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia: A...

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the world's most prevalent X-linked enzymopathy, yet public literacy regarding its inheritance, haemolytic triggers, and preventive actions remains inadequate in many high-risk populations. This study assessed public knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices toward G6PD deficiency among adults in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, a region reporting haemoglobinopathy burden and a recent expansion of national newborn screening.

A community-based cross-sectional survey was administered between May and September 2025 using a bilingual, self-administered questionnaire. A total of 1104 adults (≥18 years) were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Knowledge was scored using 13 dichotomous factual items, and findings are reported as proportions with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

Participants were predominantly female (57%) and university-educated (34.2%). Although 58.5% had heard of "fava bean anaemia", only 38% recognised the X-linked mode of inheritance and 36.1% identified medication-induced haemolysis, despite 61.8% correctly linking fava beans to haemolytic risk. The mean knowledge score across items was 34.4%. Preventive practices were limited: 41.5% reported premarital medical consultation, and only 21.6% had undergone genetic assessment.

Despite national advances in newborn screening, substantial public knowledge deficits and low engagement with preventive practices persist. Strengthened community-level education, particularly regarding inheritance, medication safety, and proactive screening, may reduce preventable haemolysis events. Integrating G6PD-targeted messaging within premarital, antenatal, and primary-care services may support long-term preventive health objectives.