Awareness about Blood Donation Process and Transfusion Transmitted Malaria in a Tribal District of Odisha, India Mishra Pallavi* Assistant Professor in Zoology, Department of Zoology, Govt. Autonomous College, Plulbani, Odisha, India *Corresponding Author: Pallavi Mishra, Ph. D., Assistant Professor in Zoology, Department of Zoology, Govt. Autonomous College, Plulbani-762001, Odisha, India, e-mail: pallavi.msh@gmail.com
Online published on 23 December, 2019. Abstract Background Voluntary blood donation from healthy and active student populations is the safest and most ideal way to improve the quality of blood in blood banks across the country. Studies are required to be conducted at educational institutes to investigate the awareness about blood donation process among students. Method Atotal of 585 students from four colleges were interviewed with the help of structured questionnaire to collect information regarding their knowledge about blood group and blood donation process, willingness for blood donation as well as awareness towards transfusion transmitted malaria (TTM). Results The majority of participants (68.8%) were unaware of their blood group. Out of total 585 students 37.3% had appropriate knowledge regarding the various aspects of blood donation and only 25.3% students were aware of TTM. Although 17.7% students have donated blood once, 56.2% were willing to be blood donors in future. Conclusion Compared to urban dwelling general category students, the rural students belonging to socially backward categorywere associated with significantly inappropriate knowledge about blood group and donation process. In spite of residing in a malaria endemic region majority of students demonstrated scarce knowledge regarding TTM. There is need for regular blood donation awareness campaigns in educational institutes to provide motivation and correct information about the process of blood donation to these young and potential blood donors. Top Keywords Blood donation, Blood group, Awareness, Transfusion, Malaria. Top |