Journal Article

Evaluating knowledge enhancement and attitudinal shift among physicians participating in capacity building workshops on expanded premarital screening in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

Allam, Mushal, Rahma, Azhar T., Al Saffar, Muna, Amoodi, Hajra, Abdullahi, Aminu S., Abdulrahman, Wadha Mohammed, Al Jasmi, Fatma, Alameri, Mohamed Salem

2025

Overview

Background Premarital screening is a preventive public health measure to identify genetic, infectious, and chronic conditions affecting the health of couples and their future offspring. It plays a crucial role in reducing the prevalence of common hereditary disorders, particularly in regions with high consanguinity rates, like the Middle East. In the United Arab Emirates, where approximately half of the marriages are consanguineous, premarital screening has become a cornerstone of genetic healthcare, helping to mitigate the increased risk of genetic disorders. Despite its importance, gaps remain in healthcare professionals’ awareness and training regarding the implementation of premarital genetic screening, highlighting the need for educational interventions to ensure its effective integration into routine practice. This study evaluates the knowledge enhancement and attitude shift among physicians participating in health education workshops on expanded premarital screening, addressing gaps in their awareness, training, and perspectives on its implementation and ethical considerations. Results A cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2023 and June 2024 among physicians participating in three premarital genetic screening workshops. Differences in knowledge scores before and after the training were assessed using paired t-tests. The study surveyed 60 physicians, predominantly females (85%) and Emiratis (67%). Only 25% received formal training or education on premarital genetic screening. The study observed a significant increase in knowledge scores after the workshop, with overall scores rising from a mean of 45% (SD = 15) to 77% (SD = 12), showing a mean difference of 32% ( p  < 0.001). This improvement was significant across different age groups, genders, and regardless of prior formal training. While the belief that expanded premarital screening should be obligatory decreased (90% to 76%), the proportion of physicians who strongly disagreed that it breaks personal privacy increased significantly (10% to 42%). Conclusion These findings suggest that targeted educational interventions can significantly enhance healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes regarding genetic screening practices. To maximize impact, these interventions should be sustainable and reinforced through regular refresher courses. Continuous education ensures that physicians remain updated on the latest guidelines, advancements in genetic screening, and best practices, ultimately improving the quality of patient care and counseling services.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Attitude of Health Personnel / Bioinformatics / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Blood diseases / Capacity Building / Clinical medicine / Consanguinity / Counseling services / Cross-Sectional Studies / Cystic fibrosis / Empowerment / Female / Genes / Genetic counseling / Genetic crosses / Genetic disorders / Genetic screening / Genetic Testing / Genetics / Genomes / Genomics / Health care / Health education workshop / Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Health sciences / Health services / Human Genetics / Humans / Male / Medical screening / Middle Aged / Middle east / Physicians - psychology / Premarital Examinations / Premarital screening / Primary care / Proteomics / Public health / Rare diseases / Surveys and Questionnaires / Training / UAE / United Arab Emirates - epidemiology / Workshops