Assessment of Blood Donation Practice and Its Associated Factors Among Wollega University Undergraduate Students, Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction Blood donation is the process of collecting blood from donors who are at low risk for infection and unlikely to jeopardize their own health. Blood donation addresses maternal and child mortality and contributes to saving millions of lives. But many African countries including Ethiopia are far below the minimum blood collection rate. Furthermore, the blood donation practice is not well studied among young university students in the study area. Hence, this study was done to assess the blood donation practice and associated factors among Wollega University students, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 387 students of Wollega University. The students were selected by systematic random sampling. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered into Epidata V.3.1 and exported to SPSSV.25 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify the associated factors. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and P-value <0.05 were used to declare the statistically significant associations in the multivariable regression. The analyzed result was presented using tables, graphs, and text. Results Of the 360 respondents, 147 (40.8%; 95% CI: 35.7–46.1%) ever donated blood. Blood donation practice was significantly associated with college of the students (AOR = 3.247; 95% CI: 1.348–7.820), not taking part in blood donation campaigns (AOR = 0.285; 95% CI: 0.161–0.503), knowledge of blood bank location (AOR = 5.297; 95% CI: 3.081–9.110), knowledge about blood donation (AOR = 2.035; 95% CI: 1.123–3.686) and attitude toward blood donation (AOR = 2.266; 95% CI: 1.122–4.577). Conclusion The magnitude of blood donation in this study was found to be less than the recommended level by the World Health Organization. Absence of the blood donation campaigns, college of study, lack of knowledge, and poor attitude toward blood donation were the factors that influence the blood donation practice. All health and related institutions including the Wollega University must work in coordination to improve the blood donation practice focusing on the regular voluntary blood donors.

A Review of Amelioration of Awareness About Blood Donation Through Various Effective and Practical Strategies

“…It could also examine potential solutions to these challenges, such as using artificial blood or expanding blood donor networks. Undergraduate students represent a promising demographic for future blood donation initiatives, presenting an opportunity for increasing the donor pool within the country [8]. One notable psychological impediment in the context of blood donation is the phenomenon of donation-related anxiety [54].…”

“…According to the WHO, a nation can only provide sufficient blood for patients requiring transfusions through a system based on voluntary, unpaid blood donations. The world has a shortage of blood donors [6][7][8]. According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States requires blood every two seconds, and transfusions of blood and blood components have saved thousands of lives [1,8].…”

“…The world has a shortage of blood donors [6][7][8]. According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States requires blood every two seconds, and transfusions of blood and blood components have saved thousands of lives [1,8].…”

Optimizing the Blood Donation App with Gamification Using User-Centered Design

“…Factors such as lack of awareness and motivation, fear or hesitation about the donation process and risks, and practical constraints like time limits and physical discomfort often become obstacles. To increase participation in blood donations, effective strategies need to be directed to overcome these barriers through better public education, improved medical service standards, and the provision of more comfortable donation facilities (Shama et al, 2022;Ashipala & Joel, 2023;Yosef et al, 2020).…”

Factors associated with blood donation among college and university students in Wuhan, China: structural equation model

“…College and university students, often in good physical health and receptive to blood donation, represent a high-quality donor group [ 3 , 4 ]. Lin et al’s study identified a direct correlation between college enrollment and blood donation rates among individuals aged 18–34, emphasizing the pivotal role of education, particularly university education, in donation propensity [ 5 ].…”