Journal of Behavioural Sciences, Vol 35, No 2 (2025)

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Role of Blood Donation in Patient Care: Awareness among University Students in Malaysia

Dr.Farzana Rizwan, Dr.Imam Shaik, Yogarani Murali, Dhrishana Baranitheran (PhD)

Abstract


Worldwide, healthcare systems depend on consistent donors, and blood donation is essentialto patient treatment. Similar to numerous other nations, Malaysia encounters persistentchallenges, including a low incidence of blood donation, especially from the youngerdemographic, which results in inconsistent blood supply. Given that knowledge is necessaryto create a society's superior awareness, awareness is a critical component that needs to beconsidered in order to raise the contribution rate. The assessment and appraisal of Malaysianuniversity students' understanding of blood donation and its significance in enhancing patientoutcomes was the main goal of this study. Methodology: Using a cross-sectional surveyapproach, the knowledge of university students in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, was evaluatedfrom November to December 2024. The instrument was a Google Docs survey that usedconvenience sampling and simple random sample methods. The questionnaire was broken upinto six sections to assess our target group's comprehension in various areas. Thequestionnaire was divided into six sections: socio-demographic data, knowledge of eligibilityrequirements and the blood donation process, understanding of health conditions that affecteligibility, awareness of the health benefits of blood donation, perception of the role thatblood donation plays in saving lives, information sources, and preferred platforms for raisingawareness. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Statistical significance wasdefined as a p-value of less than 0.05. Findings: Out of 412 participants, 53.9% were aware ofthe life-saving potential of blood donation, and awareness was significantly correlated withage, educational attainment, and academic discipline. There was a correlation found betweenthe participants' gender, ethnicity, and awareness level. 35.2% showed that the main obstaclesto blood donation were ignorance, needle phobia (29.1%), and health issues (22.4%). Mostpeople (57.04%) learnt about blood donation from friends and family, while 17.96% learntabout it from different social media sites. Social media, however, was found to be the mosteffective medium for raising awareness. (83.3%) Conclusion: This study indicated thatuniversity students had a decent grasp of blood donation and its critical role in the healthcaresystem, while non-donors had significant knowledge gaps. Age group, educationalattainment, and study/course type are some of the most important criteria in increasingawareness. To close these gaps and increase blood donation rates, particularly among youngpeople like college students, targeted public education and awareness campaigns mostlythrough social media are advised.

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