Blood Donation: Attitude and Beliefs Among Undergraduate Dental Students in Kanpur – A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Blood donation is a major concern to the society as donated blood is
lifesaving for individuals who need it. The healthy, active and receptive huge student
population can be a potential blood donor to meet the safe blood requirements. The
objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices about blood
donation among Undergraduate Dental Students in Kanpur, India. Methods: A cross
sectional study was conducted in a private dental college in Kanpur. A total of 360 dental
students were interviewed with the help of structured questionnaire. Data analysis was
performed in SPSS version 19. Multiple regressions were used to examine the effect of
different independent variables on a single dependent variable to test the statistical
significance at 95% confidence level. Results: The majority of participants (92%) had
appropriate knowledge regarding the various aspects of blood donation. Attitude domain
showed that around 42% of students were positive about blood donation. Around 50% of
students showed willingness to donate blood. After adjusting for potential confounders,
male gender was associated with appropriate knowledge, positive attitude and willingness
for blood donation when compared against female gender. Conclusion: Good knowledge
about blood donation practices is not transforming in donating blood. Interactive awareness
sessions on blood donation should be organized during undergraduate years and
opportunities for blood donation should be created for the students, which can greatly
ensure good quality of blood and safe modern medical care.