ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION AMONG JIGJIGA HEALTH SCIENCE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN 2018, JIGJIGA, SOMALI REGION

Abstract

SUMMARY Background Blood is made up of three different life saving components which include plasma, platelets, and red blood cells. The demand for the whole blood transfusion is rising in relation to increased life expectancy, accidents, severe anemia, cancer, chronic diseases, pregnancy related complication and technological advancements in the healthcare delivery system demanding blood transfusion. There is a constant effort made to increase voluntary blood donation practice. Voluntary unpaid donors are the safest group who gives blood regularly (5). Only 60% of the people in developing countries have adequate knowledge towards blood donation. The blood donation rate in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries is 3.9, 36.8 and 11.7 per 1000 population, respectively (6, 7). Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of voluntary blood donation in Jigjiga health science college students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018. Data was collected using pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. After data collection, it was entered into a computer and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 statistical software. Frequency tables, graphs, charts being used. Result: In this study a total of 318 participants were included which resulted a response rate of 98.7% among them 188(59.9%) being females and 126(41.1%) being males. The minimum age of the participants was 16 with maximum age of 24.Most respondents knew that a person can be infected by receiving blood transfusion 308(98.1). 58.4% of the respondents have adequate knowledge towards voluntary blood donation where 92.7% have positive attitude while only 3.5% of the respondents have ever practiced voluntary donated blood. Conclusion: In this study the students had relatively good knowledge although not as expected and they had good attitude towards voluntary blood donation while their practice was not comparable.