A Cross Sectional Study to Assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Voluntary Blood Donation amongst Undergraduate Students of a Medical College in North India

Abstract

Background: The youth of the country especially college students can serve as a readily available pool of
voluntary blood donors and help tide away some of the scarcity of blood and blood products. This study was
conducted to determine the Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding Voluntary Blood Donation
among medical undergraduate studentsand to assess the factors which can lead to a subsequent increase in
the same.
Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted amongst 500 undergraduate medical students
studying at Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab using a structured, self-administered questionnaire
regarding KAP.
Results: The mean age of the 500 participating students was 20.46 years with a standard deviation of
1.5 of which 55.2% were females.71.2% and 61.4% students had correct knowledge regarding interval
between blood donation for males and females respectively but the knowledge regarding common causes
of deferral was less. Posters and pamphlets were the most common sources of information regarding blood
donation.92.6% students had a good attitude towards blood donation. 127 (25.4%) students had donated
blood previously and 17 (3.4%) of them had donated blood more than once in a year.
Conclusion: The students had a fair knowledge about VBD and the majority had a favourable attitude
towards it. Steps should be taken to increase the awareness regarding VBD since early sensitisation towards
its importance can motivate students to become voluntary blood donors, making them major contributors
to the blood donor pool throughout their adulthood and help in overcoming blood shortage in the country.