Abstract:
Background: Blood saves a number of lives each year. Despite of its importance and availability of
a very large proportion of potentially eligible population to donate, as well as many campaigns
promote donation of blood, Ethiopia’s current blood supply is far less compared to the demand. And
it is based on family-based donation which disfavor most critical patients. Moreover, there is paucity
of information related to blood donation among University students.
Objective: To assess blood donation practice and associated factors among Wachemo University
Students, Southern Ethiopia, March 1-31, 2019.
Methods and Materials: Facility-based cross-sectional quantitative study was used among 682
students. Multistage and simple random sampling method was used. Pre-tested semi-structured selfadministered
questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered using Epidata 3.1 and exported
to Statistical Package for Social Science windows version 24 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were
carried out. Bivariate and multivariate analysis were used. The degree of association between
independent and dependent variable was assessed using adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence
interval at p- value 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained from Haramaya University Institutional
Health Research Ethical Review Committee.
Result: In this study, the level of voluntary blood donation practice was 27.5% at (95% CI (24.3,
30.8)). Higher in class year, (Second year: (AOR=2.02, 95% CI: (1.06, 3.86) and third year (AOR:
3.22 95%CI (1.69, 6.13)), being in College of Social Science, (AOR: 0.402, 95% CI (0.250, 0.646)),
and Engineering and Technology Science (AOR: 0.404, 95% CI (0.261, 0.627), family member
received blood (AOR: 0.475, 95% CI (0.32, 0.69), and having inadequate knowledge (AOR: 0.42,
95% CI (.22, .80) were significantly associated with blood donation.
Conclusion and Recommendation: In this study, blood donation among University students was
poor when compared to WHO recommendations. So that responsible bodies should motivate and
sensitize university students to donate blood and to make donors repeat and the regular donor through
different strategies
