Knowledge level and motivation of Hong Kong young adults towards blood donation: a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (1) determine the knowledge level of young adults towards blood donation, and (2) to understand their donor identity and the meanings of blood donation to them. DESIGN: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate students of a university in Hong Kong recruited by convenience sampling, at public facilities in campus such as student canteens and the Campus Blood Donor Centre of the university. OUTCOME MEASURES: The questionnaire which consisted of three parts was used for data collection. Part 1 collected sociodemographic information and items associated with blood donation; part 2 related to knowledge on blood donation and part 3 focused on blood donor identity. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the OR and identify the predictors for blood donation. RESULTS: Among the 542 respondents, 274 were non-blood donors and 268 were blood donors. Blood donors generally have a better knowledge towards blood donation than non-blood donors. The results of univariate analyses indicated that being a female (OR=1.99, p<0.001), aged 22 years or above (OR=234, p<0.001), studying at year 4 or 5 (OR=2.12, p=0.003), studying health-related programmes (OR=1.96, p<0.001), being registered as an organ donor (OR=6.59, p<0.001), had prior experience of receiving blood (OR=7.60, p<0.001) or prior experience of being refused for blood donation (OR=5.14, p<0.001) were significantly associated with being a blood donor. Having prior experience of receiving blood was the strongest predictor for being a blood donor, followed by being registered as an organ donor, after controlling for all other factors in the logistic regression model. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with self-determination theory, which hypothesises that people are more likely to abide with blood donation behaviours that are internally rather than externally motivated.