Medicina Comunitária e Educação em Saúde

Abstrato

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Voluntary Blood Donation and Associated Factors among Ambo University Regular Students, Ambo Town, Ethiopia

Abnet Nigatu, Dereje Bayissa Demissie

Availability of blood for transfusion is limited in Ethiopia, as is voluntary blood donation. Evidence relating to knowledge, attitudes and practices on blood donation among Ethiopians is also scarce. Because University students represent an important group of potential blood donors, we investigated what socio-cultural factors may be important to consider for promoting voluntary blood donation among them. Methods: Cross-sectional facility based quantitative study method was employed among Ambo university regular students from April 5-15, 2014. The study participants were selected by using simple random sampling technique. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collected data. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors. Result: The proportion of students having good knowledge blood donation was 40.4% and significantly associated with source of information from health facility [(AOR=24.72, 95%CI: 7.18-85.09], mass media [AOR=10.28-95%CI: 2.92-36.18] and family education [AOR=13.04, 95%CI: 3.82-44.55], sex [AOR=1.7, 95%CI: 1.08-2.68], faculty of natural science [AOR =1.98, 95% CI: 1.20-3.25 and residence [AOR=2.24-95%CI: 1.43-3.53]. The positive attitude of the respondents towards blood donation were 47.4% and significantly associated with family education [AOR=2.46, 95%CI: 1.44-4.21], Academic year [AOR=2.4, 95%CI: 1.26-4.58] and good knowledge [AOR=2.16, 95%CI: 1.4-3.35]. The practiced of voluntary blood donation were 23.6% and significantly associated with family education [AOR=2.04, 95%CI: 1.19-3.48], voluntary blood donors [AOR=3.16, 95%CI: 1.03-9.66], family member received blood [AOR=2.24, 95%CI: 1.31-3.81] and good knowledge [AOR=2.96, 95%CI: 1.78-4.92]. Conclusion and recommendation: Majority, 59.6% had poor knowledge and more than half (52.3%) of the study participants had unfavorable attitude towards voluntary blood donation and 76.4% had never practiced blood donation yet. Therefore, Policy makers would be better to plan to increase KAP of voluntary blood donation among University students. These factors should be emphatically considered during Voluntary blood donation program development.