Ayobami Aiyeolemi

Stigma is a well-recognized barrier to care for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). Yet research on SCD stigma remains limited, and its impact on health outcomes is not well understood, as existing studies are largely quantitative, lack grounding in stigma theory, and use scales that do not fully capture lived experience or key stigma dimensions: anticipated, enacted, internalized, and perceived. Guided by the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework and using a community-based participatory approach, this project aims to qualitatively explore stigma experiences of individuals with SCD and to develop and validate a comprehensive SCD stigma scale. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis, and the scale will be evaluated for content, face, structural, and construct validity. This project will advance understanding of SCD stigma and produce a validated scale that enables researchers and policymakers to evaluate its effects and design targeted interventions.