Table 2.
Mothers' demographic characteristics, awareness, and perception of early SCD diagnosis.
| Characteristics of respondents N = 164 | Frequencies | Percentages (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic characteristics | ||
| Level of education | ||
| Tertiary | 108 | 65.9 |
| Secondary | 46 | 28.0 |
| Primary | 10 | 6.1 |
| Marital status | ||
| Married | 146 | 89.1 |
| Single | 15 | 9.1 |
| Divorced/separated | 3 | 1.8 |
| Number of children with SCD | ||
| One | 159 | 97.0 |
| Two | 4 | 2.4 |
| Three | 1 | 0.6 |
| Greater than three | 0 | 0.0 |
| Experience with SCD genetic counseling and testing | ||
| Had participated in it before | 154 | 93.9 |
| Never participated in it before | 10 | 6.1 |
| Awareness of national newborn screening program | ||
| Aware | 47 | 28.7 |
| Not aware | 117 | 71.3 |
| Willingness to offer newborn screening to future children | ||
| Willing | 158 | 96.3 |
| Unwilling | 6 | 3.7 |
| Awareness about government guideline for SCD management | ||
| Aware | 23 | 14.0 |
| Not aware | 141 | 86.0 |
| Awareness about prenatal SCD diagnosis | ||
| Aware | 42 | 25.6 |
| Not aware | 122 | 74.4 |
| Willingness to partake in prenatal SCD diagnosis in the future | ||
| Willing | 28 | 17.1 |
| Unwilling | 92 | 56.1 |
| Undecided/unknown | 44 | 26.8 |
Notes: SCD = sickle cell disease.