Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Introduction: This study was conducted to find out the factors influencing dismal blood donation statistics in the region by obtaining inputs from undergraduate medical students regarding factors contributing or detrimental to blood donation, reasons for deferral, misconceptions and myths regarding donation, existing blood donation practices, suggestions for improvement of blood donation services and level and source of knowledge about donation. Materials and Methods: Three expert community and family medicine consultants in the field of research methodology validated the questionnaire. It includes three parts; the first part enquires about socio-demographic characteristics. The second part deals with knowledge of blood donation, while the third part includes questions about attitude of the students towards blood donation. Results: The subjects were graded into three groups based on their knowledge of blood donation and transfusion, as determined by the interview method. This was again found to have a highly significant association with donation behavior (p<0.00001). Conclusion: Educational programs and blood donation camps are necessary to motivate and increase awareness of university students towards voluntary blood donation rather than donating blood on need. Keywords: Blood donation, Medical Students, Misconceptions, Knowledge