Social Work Examination Services (SWES) Human Behavior Practice Test

Children diagnosed with sickle cell anemia typically have parents from which demographic?

1. White European

2. Black or Latin American

3. Asian

4. Native American

The correct answer is: Black or Latin American

Children diagnosed with sickle cell anemia typically have parents from the demographic of Black or Latin American backgrounds. This condition is a genetic blood disorder that primarily affects individuals of African descent, as well as those from certain regions of the Mediterranean and Middle East, which includes Latin Americans with ancestral ties to these populations. Sickle cell anemia is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning both parents must carry the sickle cell trait for their child to be affected. The prevalence of sickle cell anemia in these demographics is significantly higher due to historical geographic factors, such as the adaptation of populations to malaria, which led to the survival advantage of the sickle cell trait in regions where malaria is common. Therefore, children diagnosed with this condition most commonly come from families within these racial and ethnic groups where the trait and the disease are more frequently observed.