Knowledge, attitudes and practices amongst black employees of the University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The objectives of the study: To determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of black employees of The University of Limpopo (Turfloop campus) about blood donation. To determine the degree of willingness by blacks to donate as well as suggesting some solutions to improve the performance by the South African National Blood Services. Design: A descriptive study utilizing a self-reported questionnaire was carried out. Setting: The University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Material and Methods: A total of 138 employees participated in the study. With the aid of Predictive Analytics Software (PASW), 136 male and 101 female participants were randomly selected from the 40 University departments. The mean ages by gender was 36.91, ±10, 06 years for males, and 41.93, ±9, 35 years for females. The mean ages by donor status was 40.24, ±10, 15 years for donors and 37.94, ±9, 9 years for non-donors. Outcome measures: Subjects demographic variables were determined by the use of a pre-tested self-reported questionnaire, which covered personal characteristics such as gender, age, residence, number of household members, marital status, educational background, faculty or department of vi employment, as well as the monthly income bracket. Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding blood donation were also assessed using the pre-tested self-developed questionnaire. The following information was included: previous practices, current and lifetime practices of blood donation. Results: There was a general lack of practice of blood donation despite the presence of average knowledge relating to matters of blood donation amongst the black employees of the University of Limpopo, (Turfloop campus). There was no difference between black females and males as far as blood donation was concerned. There was a reflection of similar practices of blood donation by both genders. Blood donation generally started at a very late age due to early lack of exposure, information and awareness. Conclusion: Findings from this study showed that the prevalence of non-donors amongst the blacks is high. The attitudes and practices of non-donors towards donation were generally less favourable, but it can be argued that a high percentage of these findings may likely change with the right interventions.