Determinants of voluntary blood donation among university students in Uganda: a case of Makerere University
Abstract
Every year, millions of people rely on the generosity of another person to donate blood. Yet, blood
donation rates vary considerably and the demands for blood and blood products are increasing
worldwide. This study was therefore carried out to find the determinants of voluntary blood
donation among university students because they are young and healthy and within the age bracket
that is accepted to donate blood. The study was a cross sectional study based on data collected
using structured questionnaires. The investigations were made by demographic and social economic factors. The study found out that 58.2% of the students voluntarily donate blood. Using
a binary logistic regression model, it was found out that the main elements associated with whether
or not a student voluntarily donated blood were having knowledge about the importance of
voluntary blood donation and having a previous history of voluntary blood donation. Having poor
knowledge of the importance of voluntary blood donation reduced the chances of a student
donating blood by 2 times as compared to a student with good knowledge of the importance of
voluntary blood donation. A student who had a previous history of voluntary blood donation had
4.6 more chances of voluntarily donating blood as compared to one who did not have a previous
history of voluntarily donating blood. The study therefore concludes by recommending that raising
awareness of the value of blood donation among university students is crucial in increasing the
chances of a student becoming a voluntary blood donor.