Abstract
Thalassaemia, a hereditary blood disorder, remains under-recognised due to limited awareness, particularly among young people. This scoping review aimed to evaluate the characteristics and effectiveness of premarital thalassaemia educational interventions globally. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, six databases were searched for English-language studies targeting adolescents and young adults. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, and data were extracted using a standardised form adapted from the Joanna Briggs Institute, focusing on intervention characteristics, outcomes and key findings. Most studies involved school students and young adults from culturally diverse, resource-limited settings. The interventions—traditional, technology-based or culturally adapted—consistently improved knowledge (P < 0.001). However, behavioural outcomes, such as increased uptake of screening, were inconsistent. While educational strategies enhanced knowledge effectively, socio-cultural barriers limited the translation into behavioural changes. These findings support the need for future interventions to integrate behavioural change theories, leverage digital tools and address cultural sensitivities to improve their overall impact.
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18295/2075-0528.2908
- Journal
- Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 25(1), 773-783
- Publisher
- Sultan Qaboos University
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-ND 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
Anwar, M. N., Abdullah, N. N., Roslan, D., & Ruzlin, A. N. (2025). Characteristics and Effectiveness of Premarital Thalassaemia Educational Interventions Worldwide: A scoping review. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 25(1), 773-783. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2908
MLA 9
Anwar, Maisarah N., et al. "Characteristics and Effectiveness of Premarital Thalassaemia Educational Interventions Worldwide: A scoping review." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 25, no. 1, 2025, pp. 773-783. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2908.
Chicago (author–date)
Anwar, Maisarah N., Nik Nairan Abdullah, Dalila Roslan, and Aimi N.M. Ruzlin. 2025. "Characteristics and Effectiveness of Premarital Thalassaemia Educational Interventions Worldwide: A scoping review." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 25 (1): 773-783. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2908.
Harvard
Anwar, M. N., Abdullah, N. N., Roslan, D. and Ruzlin, A. N. (2025) 'Characteristics and Effectiveness of Premarital Thalassaemia Educational Interventions Worldwide: A scoping review', Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 25(1), pp. 773-783. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.2908.
Vancouver
Anwar MN, Abdullah NN, Roslan D, Ruzlin AN. Characteristics and Effectiveness of Premarital Thalassaemia Educational Interventions Worldwide: A scoping review. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2025;25(1):773-783. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.2908
IEEE
M. N. Anwar, N. N. Abdullah, D. Roslan, and A. N. Ruzlin, "Characteristics and Effectiveness of Premarital Thalassaemia Educational Interventions Worldwide: A scoping review," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 773-783, 2025, doi: 10.18295/2075-0528.2908.