Impact of Some Socio-demographic Characteristics, Motivation and Attitudes towards Blood Donation of Hospital-based Blood Donors as Determinants of Safe Blood in Nigeria

Background: Voluntary non-remunerated blood donors (VNRBD) that provide safe blood needed to save lives and improve health or used as a necessary adjunct to emerging modern Medicare are scarce in Nigeria.
Aim: To assess the contribution of donor socio-demographics characteristics, motivation and attitudes towards blood donation as guide to safe donor identification, recruitment and retention as VNRBD in Nigeria.
Materials and Methods: A total of 440 blood donors who met the minimum criteria to donate blood in Nigeria were enrolled and their serum screened for HIV using a combined HIV antigen-antibody Enzyme Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (GENSCREEN®PLUS HIV Ag- Ab ELISA). The relevant characteristics were assessed together with their HIV sero-status.
Results: The male/female blood donation and HIV sero-positivity ratio was 379:61 and 39:2 respectively. Blood donors aged 18-35 years donated 77.5% and were 90.2% HIV sero-positive when compared with those aged 36-55 years. Majority of blood donors were of single marital status 46.6% and this group were more unsafe (53.7%) when compared with those married divorced, separated and widowed. Blood donors self-employed or in a form of business, donated more blood (39.3%) and accounted for 51.2% of unsafe blood donations when compared with other categories of occupations. Majority of blood donors attained secondary education 45.7% and were more unsafe donors (48.8%) when compared with tertiary and those with primary or no formal education. Educational attainment showed a statistically significant association with blood safety but age, occupation and marital status did not. Majority of the blood donors were first time 93.2% compared to previous and repeat blood donors who were 6.8% and 6.1% respectively. The FBDs constituted 96.4% and accounted for 100% of unsafe blood when compared with other donors. Altruistic and voluntary blood donors were completely safe donors. Those motivated by pressures (family/friend/relative/peer) to donate their blood were in majority 93.6% and accounted for 95.1% of unsafe blood donors when compared with those motivated to donate for other non-financial reasons. Blood donors with altruistic and self-use motivations were 100% safe. However, the aim, motivation and attitude for blood donation were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The educational attainment of a predominant youthful blood donor population at hospital-based blood banks in Nigeria is significantly associated with blood safety. There is a need for extensive educational campaign on blood donation at establishments and gatherings where this study group can be found including schools, community/age-group meetings, religious houses and social youth organizations. The medium of communication should be vernacular and languages best understood by these potential blood donors and may include radio, television and advertisements in different social media outlets. It is by these proactive measures that, Nigeria’s target of achieving 100% VNRBD supply by 2020 will be achieved.