[Blood donation: knowledge and attitudes of a university population in Chile].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of students, professors, and other staff at the University of Talca, Chile, regarding voluntary blood donation.


METHODS
From June to July 2002 a previously-validated survey was administered to 487 individuals in the university community. The survey sought to measure their understanding of blood donation, i.e., motivators and reasons for becoming a blood donor and the myths and fears that might deter blood donation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.


RESULTS
Only 14% of survey participants had donated blood in the past, and most of these (43.3%) were professors or other academics. Of the participants who were planning to donate blood in the future, students were the majority (88.1%). When the males in the group that was planning to donate were compared to the females, the difference was not statistically significant (90.0% vs. 84.2%, respectively). Of the deterrents to blood donation, 73.4% said the collection instruments might not be sterile.


CONCLUSIONS
The university population represents a pool of desirable donors; an informative and motivating campaign could successfully convert the 87.3% potential donors into actual volunteer blood donors.
Vásquez
Marcela
M
Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunohematología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Chile. mvasquro@utalca.cl
Ibarra
Patricia
P
Maldonado
Mónica
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D002677:Chile; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities