KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BLOOD DONATION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN BASTAR REGION, CHHATTISGARH, INDIA
*Kumar A., Vikash Kumar, Krutika V., Pravin Chouhan, Meshram A., Gangane N.
ABSTRACT
Background-A blood bank plays a pivotal role in ensuring the supply of safe blood as and when required basis. The first step towards blood safety is to encourage blood donations from voluntary non-remunerated donors. Because of changing socio-economic environment and human factors, it is a challenge to retain and recruit healthy donors that faces the health industry today. The only source of blood is blood donation. With increase in educational level, the awareness level is also found to be increased. Aims-The aim of our study was to find out the knowledge of students about blood donation in this rural area. Settings and Design- This was a cross-sectional study, conducted among 260 students in different colleges in Bastar region, Chhattisgarh, India. Materials and Methods-By interview technique, using the pre-test structured close-ended questionnaire, the data were collected and analyzed. Inclusion Criteria-Students studying in different colleges in this region after giving verbal consents for interview were included in the study. Results- Majority of the students had knowledge about importance of blood donation and the reasons for need of blood but few of them (13.84%) had donated blood previously. The most common cause for not donating blood was weakness after blood donation followed by fear about blood donation. Conclusions Educational Institutes across India have plenty of potential blood donors in the form of young and healthy students which can fulfill the demand of safe blood in our country. Only knowledge about blood donation does not lead to blood donation among these students as seen in our study. Therefore, specific campaigns are needed to eliminate their misbeliefs and reinforce motivational perceptions among these students to convert into actual donation.
Keywords: Knowledge, blood donation, students.
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