Blood donation intentions and predictors among Hosanna town dwellers, south nation nationality peoples region, Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION: Blood is a vital concern to society. It contributes to saving millions of lives each year in both regular and emergency situations. Globally, there is a continual need to maintain a safe and sufficient supply of blood and blood yields. Patients who are in need of blood transfusion as part of their medical management have the right to wait for safe and sufficient blood. However, globally, many patients still suffer unnecessarily and die because of a deficiency in safe blood transfusion. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the intention and factors influencing the donation of blood voluntarily among hosanna town dwellers. METHODS: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 677 adult dwellers of age 18–60 years old that were selected by multi-stage sampling in hosanna town Hadiya Zone, SNNPR Ethiopia, December 2016. RESULT: In this study, 204 (30.1%) of the total participants had ever donated blood. But only 236 (34.9) had the intention to donate blood in the future, which is much less. Age, income, educational status, attitude, and knowledge of participants showed statistically significant association with blood donation intention. As a unit increase by a comprehensive knowledge of the participants, blood donation intention increases by 1.46 (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI: (1.24–1.72)) and people with a favorable attitude towards blood donation had 6.36 times (AOR = 6.36, 95% CI: (3.30–17.24)) more likely intended to donate blood than those who had unfavorable attitude. People who had no formal education have intended 84% less likely when compared with those who had completed primary school only (AOR = 0.16, 95% CI: (0.04–0.64)). Similarly, people who were in the first, least, tertiary income category had blood donation intention 82% (AOR = 0.18, 95% CI: (0.06–0.58)) less likely when compared with people in the highest group. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: As only 30.1% and 34.9 had ever donated blood and intended to donate blood, respectively, which is very low. Lack of awareness and periodic sensitizations were major reasons. Thus, it would be better if the Hadiya zone health department, hosanna town health office, and blood bank hosanna branch take the initiative to increase awareness on voluntary blood donation in the community through different strategies and periodic sensitizations.