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.