Clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of sickle cell disease in The Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

Abdulkarim M Meraya, Otilia J F Banji, Santhosh Joseph Menachery, Hafiz Mosa Ali Malhan, Hatim Ali Asiri Halawi, Dhaifallah Moraya, Hamad Ahmed Hakami, Abdulaziz Mohammed Kubayni, Yunus Yahya Alfaifi, Hafiz Ibrahim Ghareeb, Mohammed Ali Abu Rasayn and Rayan Ahmed Alfaifi

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) constitutes a significant public health concern in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), affecting a substantial proportion of the population in the southern province of Jazan. The chronic and progressively incapacitating nature of SCD exerts a humanistic, psychological, and economic burden on the affected individuals and families. This study aims to assess this multifaceted burden on individuals with SCD in the Jazan region of KSA. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study using a self-administered validated questionnaire among SCD patients seeking medical services in various hospitals in the Jazan region. The questionnaire included sections to assess physical health, pain, social life, psychological distress, and financial burden. Descriptive statistics summarised participant characteristics. Comparative analyses using Chi-square tests and T-tests were conducted to explore differences in demographic variables between respondents reporting higher versus lower spending burdens. These analyses were intended to describe observed differences within the study sample rather than to infer population-level associations. Results: We included 110 individuals with SCD, with a mean age of 28.43 ± 9.66 years, 55.5% male, 4.5% non-Saudi, single (62.7%), with a little less than half residing in cities. The study showed low employment rates (36.4%) and high out-of-pocket expenditures for over half the patients, with transportation being the largest expense (SAR 828.51 ± 925.84/USD 220.94 ± 246.89 per month). High spending burden was associated with poorer physical health (p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0348759

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0348759

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