Impact of Education on Knowledge Regarding Voluntary Blood Donation: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Availability of blood and its components is becoming scarce day by day because of increasing demand due to rise in human life expectancy and the implementation of new and aggressive therapeutic methods requiring large quantities of blood and blood products; but supply is not matching with the demand. In many instances replacement donors are not available like in emergency, non-availability of eligible donors among patient attenders, thalassemia patients who require frequent blood transfusion and cannot arrange for replacement donor every time. Supply of both replacement and voluntary blood donors are increasing but still not matching with the increasing demand. AIMS: To educate community regarding blood donation and increase the knowledge & willingness for replacement and voluntary blood donation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted during blood donation camps during the year of 2012. The blood donation camps were conducted in various colleges. A total of 700 donors comprising of both males and females were taken. Out of these donors 380 had voluntarily donated blood at our Blood Bank of B. L. D. E. University's Shri B.M.Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Bijapur Karnataka. RESULTS: A total of 383 patients have donated blood voluntarily again in our blood bank. Majority (65%) of donors among respondents donated blood voluntarily, 30% had donated blood only for relatives or friends. A total of 200 (28.5%) men and 80 (11.4%) women had donated blood at least once in the past. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of the research indicated that the perceptions toward blood donation could be influenced to a large extent by knowledge significantly related with the occupation and education among the general population.