Knowledge, attitude and determinants of voluntary blood donation practice among medical and nursing undergraduate students at Delta State University Abraka, Nigeria: a cross-sectional analytical study

Abstract

Blood transfusion is the donation of blood or blood products from a donor to the bloodstream of a recipient. It is a life-saving procedure used in both routine and emergency situations. However, the challenges of meeting blood donation requirements are worse in developing countries, hence this study aimed to assess the determinants of practice of blood donation among medical and nursing students in Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka; and examined their knowledge and attitude towards blood donation.  It was a cross-sectional analytical study of medical and nursing students at DELSU, using a self-administered questionnaire. Data was collected from 428 eligible respondents and was analyzed using the Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS), version 22. Ethical approval was obtained from Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara. The mean age of respondents was 22.4 ± 2.5years; and most respondents were female 295 (68.9%), single 422 (98.6%), with 53% within the modal age group of 22- 26 years. Of the 428 respondents interviewed, 267 (62.4%) had poor knowledge of blood donation, 411 (96.0%) had positive attitude towards blood donation and 67 (15.7%) had donated blood. Of the 67 donors, 20 (29.9%) experienced complications.  Gender (AOR=0.199; “95% CI [0.099, 0.400]”), level of study (AOR=4.598;“95% CI [1.525, 13.867]”), fear of complications (AOR=2.238; “95% CI [1.172, 4.276]”) and knowledge of blood donation (AOR=2.505; “95% CI [1.345, 4.667]”) were the significant determinants of practice of blood donation. Findings from this study have revealed gaps in knowledge about blood donation among medical and nursing students at DELSU. Targeted educational campaigns should be encouraged to effectively promote voluntary blood donation among medical and nursing students.