University Publications

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a potentially devastating condition that results in vaso-occlusive and hemolytic crisis. It is complicated by various life-threatening events. The severity of complications associated with this disorder is widely variable. The overall patient mortality is much higher, and life expectancy is shorter when compared to the general population. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and health beliefs of caregivers toward the complications and triggers of sickle cell disease. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted in the Sickle cell referral clinic, Dr. Gaafar Ibnauf Paediatric Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan, with a simple random sampling of 286 caregivers who attended the referral clinic during the study period between September and December 2021. Data were collected using a pre-structured investigator-filled questionnaire. The Likert scale was used to assess the health beliefs of caregivers toward the complication and triggers of sickle cell disease. A parametric one-sample T-test was used to investigate the statistical significance of the knowledge and health beliefs of caregivers toward the complications and triggers of sickle cell disease. Results: The vast majority of participants were female (85.7%). Most of them were from the second class, followed by those from the third class. Almost all of the participants were not employed; the rest were workers. Most of the caregivers' educational level was intermediate, followed by secondary level. The study findings indicate the level of knowledge of caregivers about the complication of SCD was unsatisfactory. In contrast, the knowledge about the triggers of SCD and the health beliefs of caregivers toward the complication and triggers of SCD were satisfactory. Keywords: Knowledge, Health Beliefs, Caregivers, Complications, Triggers, Sickle cell disease