KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS, ATTITUDES AND CONCERNS OF VOLUNTARY NON-REMUNERATED BLOOD DONORS REGARDING BLOOD DONATION, IN COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - ISBT 2016 Dubai - Oral presentation

1. KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS, ATTITUDES AND CONCERNS
OF VOLUNTARY NON-REMUNERATED BLOOD DONORS
REGARDING BLOOD DONATION, IN COLOMBO,
SRI LANKA
Samaranayaka G D A1, Krishnapillai M1, Jayasekara A J M L S B A2
1. Post graduate Diploma Trainee, National Blood Transfusion Services
2. Consultant Transfusion Physician, National Blood Centre
ISBT - 2016

2. Background
100% voluntary donors
since 2013
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
450000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Voluntary Replacement
2015 - 395000

3. Background
Knowledge
Attitudes
Perceptions
Improve donor
recruitment
Misbeliefs
Concerns
Needs
Improve donor
retention

4. Objectives
• Assess the knowledge on donor selection
criteria
• Assess the attitudes toward blood donation
• Identify common misconceptions among
donors.
• Analyze their concerns
• Feedback and response of the medical staff
towards donors’ concerns

5. Methods
• Cross-sectional descriptive study
• Convenient random sampling method – random
mobile blood donation campaigns during the
period from March 2016 to April 2016 in
Colombo
• Self administered structured questionnaire in 3
languages - distributed among eligible donors
• Calculated sample size – 384
• Informed written consent
• Correctly filled 500 questionnaires were selected
• Data analysis was performed using PSPP v0.10.1

6. Factors and variables
Factors Variables
Socio-demographics Age, Gender, Education level
Attitudes First time/regular
Frequency of donation
Restricting factors among first time donors
Motivating factors
Knowledge Awareness of own blood group
Knowledge related to donor selection
criteria – 8 questions
Concerns Before and during counseling
During donation
After donation
Misconceptions

7. Blood donation - gender
74.4%
25.6%
Study group
Male Females
77.0%
23.0%
Sri Lanka
Males Females
72%
28%
Global average
Male Female

8. Study population compared with age
groups and gender
0
50
100
150
200
250
18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 >55
Male
Female
Gender 18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 >55
Female 33 57 29 8 1
Male 102 134 95 33 8
Total 135 191 124 41 9
• Mean age – 31.6
• Age range – 18-58

9. Study population compared with age
groups and gender
25.78%
44.53%
22.66%
6.25% 0.78%
Female
18-25
26-35
36-45
46-55
>55
27.42%
36.02%
25.54%
8.87%
2.15%
Male

10. Distribution of donors - education level
Gender
Education level
Secondary
or below
Post-
Secondary Collegiate Tertiary Total
Male 38 158 105 71 372
Female 21 56 34 17 128
Total 59 214 139 88 500
11.80%
42.80%
27.80%
17.60%
Secondary or below
Post secondary
Collegiate
Tertiary
Secondary
Or below
Post
secondary –
(Ordinary
Level)
Collegiate
(Advanced
Level)
Tertiary
(University
education)

11. First time vs regular donors -
distribution
57.20%
42.80%
Regular donors
First time donors
First time Regular
Male 155 217
Female 59 69
Total 214 286

12. First time donors
72.43%
27.57%
Male Female
37.29%
42.37%
16.95%
3.39%
Female
18-25
26-35
36-45
46-55
31.61%
42.58%
21.94%
3.87%
Male

13. First time donors – willing to become
regular donors
78.50%
21.50%
Committed
Not committed
79.35%
20.65%
Male
76.27%
23.73%
Female
X2 = 0.241; DF = 1; p = 0.6236

14. Restricting factors among first time
donors
30.37%
17.29%
10.75%
6.07%
4.21%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Inconvenient time or
location
Fear of needles
Fear of sickness
Lack of interest
Others

15. Restricting factors among first time
donors
55.86%
16.22%
12.61%
9.01%
6.31%
Male
Inconvenient time
or location
Fear of needles
Fear of sickness
Lack of interest
Others
29.55
%
43.18
%
15.91
%
6.82%
4.55%
Feamale
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Inconvenient
time or
location
Fear of
needles
Lack of
interest
Fear of
sickness
Others
Male
Feamale

16. Regular donors
75.87%
24.13%
Male Female
15.94%
46.38%
27.54%
8.70%
1.45% Female
18-25
26-35
36-45
46-55
>55
24.42%
31.34%
28.11%
12.44%
3.69%
Male
Total – 286
Males – 217
Females - 69

17. Donation frequency among regular
donors
68.12%
23.19%
7.25% 1.45%
Female
5≥
6-10
11-20
>20
52.07%
22.58%
18.89%
6.45%
Male
5≥
6-10
11-20
>20
55.94%
22.73%
16.08%
5.24%
Total
5≥
6-10
11-20
>20
Median donation frequency
Males Females
5 3

18. Motivation factors among donors
78.80%
17.60%
14.60%
11.60%
8.40%
4.60%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Help others
Religious beliefs
Feel contented
Inspired by others
Others' encouragement
Get blood tested

19. Motivation factors among donors
Help others
48.8%
Religious factors
6.2%
Feel contented
3.8%
Inspired by
others
2.8%
Encouragement
of others
2.2%
Get blood
tested
3.6%
6.8%
7%
1.8%
1.6%
9.2%
5.2%
1%

20. Awareness of their blood group
71.2%
28.8%
Know
Don't know
Know Don't know Total
Male 279 106 385
Female 77 38 115
Total 356 144 500
X2=1.312; DF=1; p=0.2521
72.5% 67.0%
27.5% 33.0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Male Female
Don't know
Know

21. Knowledge
Average scores
Total 52.1%
Male 53.8%
Female 47.2%
Correct Incorrect Row totals
Female 483 541 1024
Male 1601 1375 2976
Column totals 2084 1916 4000
X2=13.4155; p=0.00025

22. Comparison between education level
and knowledge
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Correct
answers
-
percentage
Secondary or below
Post-Secondary
Collegiate
Tertiary

23. Knowledge
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Correct
answers
-
percentage
48kg
Diabetes
Breast feed
Tatoo
58Y
Hx of Tx
Abroad
Menstruate

24. Concerns
36.4%
17.0%
11.2%
7.2%
3.2%
3.0%
2.8%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Long waiting time
Poor organization
Pre-donation counseling
Inadequate response to questions
Poor attitude of the staff
Painful bleeding
Complaints were poorly handled
Total

25. Concerns
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
Long waiting
time
Poor
organization
Pre-donation
counseling
Questions
not properly
answered
Poor attitude
of the staff
Painful
bleeding
Not listened
to complaints
Male
Female
Females - 49.2%
Males - 38.7%

26. Misconceptions
26.4%
8.6%
6.8%
3.6% 3.4%
1.20%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
Misconceptions
Weight gain
Weight loss
Acqure infections
Physical weakness
Develop diseases
Others
Misconceptions No Misconceptions Total
Male 143 229 372
Female 57 71 128
Total 200 300 500
X2 = 1.472; DF = 1; p = 0.2251 (0.05)

27. Misconceptions
58.4%
41.7%
32.5%
14.7%
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Percentage
Secondary or below
Post-Secondary
Collegiate
Tertiary

28. Misconceptions
Weight gain
24%
Infections
2.2%
Other diseases
1.4%
1.0%
Weak body
2.0%
1.4%
1.0% 0.6%
1.6% Weight loss
4.6%

29. Conclusions and recommendations
• Significantly higher number of males donate than females
• Higher mean donation rate in males than females
• Could be attributed to
– Poor knowledge in donor selection criteria, especially with regard to menstruation
– Relatively more concerns than males
– Other factors – pregnancy, breastfeeding, low Hb ect
• Demote donors who donate to get their blood checked.
• Restricting factors
– Male and female difference
– Inconvenient time and place
– Misconceptions – common among donors – needs to be addressed
• More concerns among females than male population –especially regarding
long waiting time and poor organization – arrange well organized mobile
blood donations
• Medical staff has to pay more attention to donors’ problems and needs.

30. Limitations
• Conducted only in Colombo area
– Capital of the country
– better socioeconomic level
• Ethnic groups – attitudes
• Limiting factors and misconceptions – in non
donors
• Knowledge – TTI ect