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Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Blood Donation Among People From Various Areas in Karachi

Background: Over 90% of total blood transfused in Pakistan is donated by the friends and relatives of patients. The population of Karachi particularly healthy and active individuals can be a good source of quality blood if they are motivated and are willing to be voluntary blood donors. Therefore the objective of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices about blood donations among people of Karachi. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among people of Karachi from April 2015 to September 2015. A total of 300 people were interviewed with the help of structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 20. Results: The study showed that the frequency of blood donation was significantly higher in males than females. In total, 273 of the participants have knowledge about blood donation whereas the remaining 27 participants were unaware. In total, 230 participants never donated blood. Regarding attitudes of participants, study showed that 31% participants think that they are weak, 23.7% told that it’s harmful, 23% told that they are diseased, and 23.3% told that they have a fear of getting sick/infected. Conclusion: Attitudes and performance regarding blood donation was less than satisfactory among the participants as compared to knowledge and awareness, this may be due to misconceptions, misbelieves and restrictions. An intensive campaign should be implemented to encourage public about blood donation to alleviate their fears and to change their perceptions.