Community-Based Assessment of Knowledge and Perception of Blood Genotype and Sickle Cell Disease among Pupils in Lafia LGA, Nasarawa State.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a major public health challenge globally. Nigeria accounts for the largest number of SCD cases worldwide, with over 150,000 affected births annually. Adequate knowledge of blood genotype and SCD is essential for informed reproductive decision-making and prevention of the disease. This study assessed the knowledge and perception of blood genotype and sickle cell disease among pupils in Lafia LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 417 pupils aged 10–18 years selected from primary and junior secondary schools in Lafia LGA. The participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, validated questionnaire developed using the adopt–adapt approach. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, while Chi-square analysis was used to determine associations between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of blood genotype and sickle cell disease at a 5% level of significance. Results: The findings revealed that 82.3% of respondents were aware of blood genotype. School was the major source of information (36.0%), followed by parents/guardians (17.3%) and social media (12.9%). More than half of the respondents (59.5%) reported knowing their genotype, with AA genotype being the most common (47.2%). Good knowledge of blood genotype and sickle cell disease was observed among 53.7% and 55.6% of respondents, respectively. Pupils demonstrated a generally positive perception of blood genotype and sickle cell disease, with mean perception scores above the decision point of 3.0 for most items. However, misconceptions regarding the spiritual origin of sickle cell disease persisted among some respondents. No statistically significant association was found between age, sex, class, religion, ethnicity, parental educational level and knowledge of blood genotype and sickle cell disease (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Awareness, knowledge, and perception of blood genotype and sickle cell disease among pupils in Lafia LGA were generally satisfactory. Nevertheless, few of the pupils remained unaware of their genotype and some misconceptions about the disease persisted. The study recommended strengthening school-based health education, expanding access to genotype testing, and implementing continuous community sensitization programmes to improve genotype awareness and contribute to the prevention of sickle cell disease.