Knowledge, Inhibition and Incentives Towards Voluntary Blood Donation: A Comparative Study among Medical and Non-medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: The factors impacting blood donation decision are directly related to the knowledge and awareness regarding the same. One of the potential sources for safe blood donation is the young and physically fit students across the country. Aim: To compare the knowledge, inhibitions and choice of incentives for voluntary blood donation among medical and non-medical (engineering) students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done between 250 students from the second year of both medical (MBBS) and non-medical (Engineering) courses in the vicinity of our Institute. Data was collected using pre tested closed questionnaire. Simple Chi-square tests were applied to calculate association between different variables with p-value set as significant at <0.05. Results: According to the results of the study there was significant difference in the p-value in knowledge and also some misconceptions that inhibit to donate blood, particularly in the non-medical group. No significant difference was seen towards incentives, while the type of incentive preference differed. Conclusion: A considerable percentage of non-medical students had low awareness about blood donation. The negative attitude towards blood donation is an important factor contributing to the lack of interest and decreased participation in blood donation among the student. Therefore, there is a critical need for programmes creating awareness and activities encouraging blood donation in the young student population.

Keywords

• awareness
• donors
• engineering
• negative attitude