Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preventive Practices Toward G6PD Deficiency in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Highlights: What are the main findings? Knowledge of G6PD deficiency in Al-Kharj was limited, with major gaps in inheritance, medication triggers, and non-fava dietary risks. Preventive behaviours were low, with minimal uptake of premarital counselling and genetic testing. What are the implications of the main findings? Targeted education across premarital, antenatal, and primary-care services is needed to reduce preventable haemolysis. Embedding G6PD awareness in routine care supports Vision 2030 goals for preventive health and improved genetic counselling pathways. Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the world’s most prevalent X-linked enzymopathy, yet public literacy regarding its inheritance, haemolytic triggers, and preventive actions remains inadequate in many high-risk populations. This study assessed public knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices toward G6PD deficiency among adults in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, a region reporting haemoglobinopathy burden and a recent expansion of national newborn screening. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was administered between May and September 2025 using a bilingual, self-administered questionnaire. A total of 1104 adults (≥18 years) were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Knowledge was scored using 13 dichotomous factual items, and findings are reported as proportions with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results: Participants were predominantly female (57%) and university-educated (34.2%). Although 58.5% had heard of “fava bean anaemia”, only 38% recognised the X-linked mode of inheritance and 36.1% identified medication-induced haemolysis, despite 61.8% correctly linking fava beans to haemolytic risk. The mean knowledge score across items was 34.4%. Preventive practices were limited: 41.5% reported premarital medical consultation, and only 21.6% had undergone genetic assessment. Conclusions: Despite national advances in newborn screening, substantial public knowledge deficits and low engagement with preventive practices persist. Strengthened community-level education, particularly regarding inheritance, medication safety, and proactive screening, may reduce preventable haemolysis events. Integrating G6PD-targeted messaging within premarital, antenatal, and primary-care services may support long-term preventive health objectives.