{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T11:02:14Z","timestamp":1788174134182,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,4]],"date-time":"2026-03-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772582400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Thalassemia is a prevalent hereditary hematological condition in Saudi Arabia, with carrier frequencies between 1.8 and 3.2%. Despite the implementation of the national premarital screening program in 2004, public awareness continues to be minimal. University students, anticipated to exhibit elevated health literacy, may still lack adequate knowledge.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study employed an online questionnaire distributed to undergraduate and graduate students from non-medical colleges at Alfaisal University. A17-item online survey assessed knowledge of thalassemia. The authors classified the knowledge scores into four ordinal categories and used ordinal regression to examine their associations with demographic factors.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Among the 223 responders, 69.5% had never heard of thalassemia. Approximately 48% scored zero on the knowledge testing, while 8% exhibited good knowledge. Nationality emerged as the only significant predictor of high knowledge (OR\u202f=\u202f1.975,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt;\u202f0.01), with non-Saudi students demonstrating greater awareness. No associations were found with age, gender, or marital status.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The results indicate an essential gap in thalassemia awareness, especially among educated young individuals. This gap and comprehensive community-based educational initiatives should be targeted at the middle and high school levels. Specific measures are essential to enhance national screening and preventive strategies. These findings highlight the urgent need for national educational initiatives to complement premarital screening, targeting younger populations before reproductive age.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1722773","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,4]],"date-time":"2026-03-04T07:02:16Z","timestamp":1772607736000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Lack of knowledge of thalassemia among non-medical university students in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Noara","family":"Alhusseini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Alfaisal University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter M. B.","family":"Cahusac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Alfaisal University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yara O.","family":"Alsouss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Alfaisal University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sabri","family":"Kemahli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Alfaisal University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1242","DOI":"10.1007\/s44197-024-00281-x","article-title":"Prevalence and regional distribution of beta-hemoglobin variants in Saudi Arabia: insights from the national premarital screening program","volume":"14","author":"Aljabry","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Epidemiol Glob Health"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jegh.2017.12.001","article-title":"Distribution of hemoglobinopathy disorders in Saudi Arabia based on data from the premarital screening and genetic counseling program, 2011\u20132015","author":"Alsaeed","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Epidemiol Glob Health."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"365","DOI":"10.1007\/s10897-005-1123-5","article-title":"Comparing knowledge of \u03b2-thalassemia in samples of Italians, Italian-Americans, and non-Italian-Americans","volume":"14","author":"Armeli","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Genet Couns"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"228","DOI":"10.22146\/jpkm.69349","article-title":"Empowering thalassemia patients and family to increase public knowledge on thalassemia","volume":"7","author":"Asa","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Pengabdi Kpd Masy Indones J Community Engagem"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1186\/s13023-020-1323-y","article-title":"Lack of knowledge and misperceptions about thalassaemia among college students in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional baseline study","volume":"15","author":"Hossain","year":"2020","journal-title":"Orphanet J Rare Dis"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1007\/s12687-011-0039-z","article-title":"A holistic approach to education programs in thalassemia for a multi-ethnic population: consideration of perspectives, attitudes, and perceived needs","volume":"2","author":"Wong","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Community Genet"},{"key":"ref7","first-page":"218","article-title":"Awareness among parents of \u03b2-thalassemia major patients regarding prenatal diagnosis and premarital 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study","volume":"23","author":"Tutuba","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1007\/s12687-017-0351-3","article-title":"Thalassemia: a prevalent disease yet unknown term among college students in Saudi Arabia","volume":"9","author":"Olwi","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Community Genet"},{"key":"ref13","first-page":"30","article-title":"Assessing knowledge about thalassemia among reproductive age population after video media education","volume":"2","author":"Rakhmilla","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Biomed Clin Sci"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1080\/03630269.2022.2142607","article-title":"Knowledge and attitude toward hemoglobinopathies in premarital screening program among the general population in the western region of Saudi Arabia","volume":"46","author":"Almasmoum","year":"2022","journal-title":"Hemoglobin"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"531","DOI":"10.1080\/03630260802508384","article-title":"Knowledge and attitude toward the hemoglobinopathies premarital screening program in Saudi Arabia: a population-based survey","volume":"32","author":"Al Sulaiman","year":"2008","journal-title":"Hemoglobin"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"264","DOI":"10.1080\/03630269.2018.1541802","article-title":"Awareness and attitude of university students about screening and testing for hemoglobinopathies: a case study of the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia","volume":"42","author":"Eissa","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hemoglobin"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public 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