title: Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Factors Associated with Voluntary Blood Donation among University Students in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
abstract: Background. Understanding the knowledge and awareness of blood donation among potential blood donors in the population, like young people, and the associated attitudes and practices is important.Methodology. This was a cross-sectional study whereby a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from the consenting participants.Results. A total of 422 participants were enrolled. Their mean age was 24.2 (SD 3.6) years. Of the 422, 30% have ever donated blood. 55% of those who had ever donated were repeated blood donors. Majority of the participants (93%) had positive attitudes towards blood donation and 88% were willing to donate in the future. Factors that were significantly associated with ever donating blood were male gender, knowing a person who has donated blood, knowledge of the amount of blood donated, willingness to donate in the future, and not expecting any postdonation reward.Discussion. High awareness, positive attitude, and high intention to donate in the future should be used to underscore the need to educate the young people on the value of blood donation in saving lives and to give them correct information on overall requirements for blood donation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Department of Community Medicine, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo), P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Elionora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, KCMUCo, Moshi, Tanzania; Northern Zone Blood Transfusion Centre, P.O. Box 823, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Wilhellmuss
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7578-3159
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mauka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), Box 3010, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Rune N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Philemon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, KCMUCo, Moshi, Tanzania; Department of Community Medicine, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Damian J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Damian
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, KCMUCo, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7750-7657
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mahande
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Department of Community Medicine, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo), P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania; Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, KCMUCo, Moshi, Tanzania; Department of Community Medicine, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Sia E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Msuya