Voluntary and non‐voluntary blood donations among doctors

Abstract

Background Physicians may be an important source of blood donations as they are more likely to be familiar with the importance of donating and the donation process. The aim of this study is to report physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards voluntary and non‐voluntary blood donations. Study Design and Methods This was a cross‐sectional study conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC), Saudi Arabia. One‐hundred‐and‐sixteen physicians and dentists responded to an online structured questionnaire sent to their institutional emails. Results Sixty‐eight percent of participants (79% of males and 43% of females) reported previously having donated blood. Eighty‐six percent of donors had previously donated on a voluntary basis, whereas 31% of donors had previously donated for a specific person. A recent donation within 5 years was associated with the younger age group and knowledge of the minimum interval between donations. Fifty‐six percent of participants agreed with using replacement donations. Compared to participants in the youngest age group (25‐35 years), older participants in the age groups (46‐55 years) and (>55 years) were less likely to express intention to donate in the next 6 months (OR 0.289, P = .022 and OR 0.083, P = .004, respectively). Participants reporting poor nutritional status or other medical reasons as a barrier to donating blood were less likely to intend to donate (OR 0.146, P < .001). Among previous donors, intention to donate was associated with a recent donation within 1 year (OR 27.13, P = .002) and having had a pleasant donation experience (OR 14.98, P < .001). Conclusion Blood donation practices are strongly tied to physicians' gender and age and their knowledge of the donation process. The most significant barrier to blood donation was found to be nutritional and medical status.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of blood donation among undergraduate medical students in Syria

“…This reluctance towards financial incentives paralleled the attitude observed among Saudi students. [15] However, another study identified nutritional and medical factors as the primary obstacles to voluntary donation, [16] highlighting their significance as key barriers in this context.…”

Evaluation of Blood Donation Awareness Level: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…It was also found that there was a significant relationship between the educational level of the participants and the responses of those with infectious diseases, those using medication, and those using aspirin. Saleh et al similarly found that factors preventing individuals from donating blood were the donor's medical conditions and nutritional deficiencies [20]. Oh et al found in their study that people using low doses of aspirin (81 mg) could donate blood as long as their coagulation status was not significantly impaired [21].…”

Blood donation in different regions of Saudi Arabia: acceptance and rejection

“…In fact, determining the reasons for donor deferral will lead to a higher rate of donor return and retention. For donors who have been placed on a temporary hold, greater accessibility and more frequent invites are essential [19,59,60]. In addition, cultural, educational, and socioeconomic inequalities may explain some of the observed similarities and discrepancies among the most prevalent reasons for blood donor rejection.…”