Recent studies indicate a high incidence of consanguineous marriage (CM) in Saudi Arabia, which may lead to the transmission of genetic diseases like thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, apnea, and other diseases from parents to their offspring. So, increasing community awareness regarding the dangers of CM can minimize the occurrence of genetic diseases. Our study aims to measure the level of community awareness and knowledge about consanguinity and its huge effect on developing genetic diseases in Saudi Arabia in 2023. This study is a cross-sectional observational study. The data was collected using an online questionnaire designed to elicit the participant's knowledge of the risk of genetic diseases resulting from consanguineous marriage. The participants were from 18 to 60 years of age from various regions of Saudi Arabia in 2023.
The study included 380 participants; the data shows that 82.1% of the participants were females, and the majority of respondents fall within the 21-30 age range, comprising 53.4% of the total sample. The majority of individuals surveyed have a high knowledge level, with 42.6% of individuals falling into this category. The second largest group is the moderate knowledge level group, with 41.8%, and 15.5% having poor knowledge. The assessment of community awareness and knowledge of the risk of genetic diseases resulting from consanguineous marriage in Saudi Arabia is an important area of research with implications for public health, healthcare providers, and the community at large. Our study showed that knowledge levels were adequate, but awareness levels were surprisingly low.
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