Vol. 1, Issue 9, Part A (2015)

Abstract
Introduction: Blood transfusions form a crucial and irreplaceable part in the medical management of many diseases. The collection of blood from voluntary, non- remunerated blood donors from low risk populations is an important measure for ensuring the availability and safety of blood transfusion. The objectives of this study are to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of voluntary blood donation among under graduate students of B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, to identify and recruit potential voluntary blood donors amongst them and to determine the association between blood donation and gender and types of blood groups. Methodology: This was a cross sectional qualitative study conducted at the B .J. Medical College, Ahmedabad. A pre tested questionnaires was administered to 140 under graduate students. The responses were collected and analyzed with the Microsoft excel and epi info 7. The association between blood donation practice and gender of respondents and types of blood groups was tested using Chi-square. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Only 48 (34.3%) under graduate students have donated with 17(12.4%) donating once a year, 28 (20.0%) between 1-3 times a year and 3 (2.1%) more than thrice a year. Most (27.5%) donated voluntarily, 6.4% for a friend or relative. The association between blood donation practice and gender of respondents was found significant. (p<0.05). Conclusion: Under graduate student have good knowledge of voluntary donation and have a positive attitude towards donation but there is a disparity in their practice of blood donation.