Antenatal blood donation for pregnant Nigerian mothers: the husbands' perspective

This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and motivation of husbands of pregnant mothers towards antenatal blood donation. A total of 700 husbands of pregnant mothers in Abakaliki, south-east Nigeria were interviewed over a 1-year period using a questionnaire. A total of 640 respondents completed the questionnaires giving a response rate of 91%. They had a mean age of 26.2 +/- 4 years with a range of 21 - 50 years. All the respondents had heard about blood donation but only 39% were well informed about it. One-third (33.1%) of respondents were willing to donate blood and the main motivating factor was their wives' previous experience with bleeding during pregnancy/delivery. Other motivating factors to blood donation included previous donation, information on blood donation and husband participation in antenatal programme. Two-thirds of respondents were unwilling to donate because of fear, misconception and availability of paid blood donors. Higher educational status was significantly associated with willingness to donate blood (p < 0.05). The willing blood donors showed a more positive attitude towards blood donation and were of the view that the donated blood if not used for their wives would benefit others. The non-donors on the other hand had a selfish attitude and would prefer to procure blood only when their wives needed blood transfusion. An intensive donor recruitment campaign, including mobilising husbands of pregnant mothers and providing information and education on all aspects of blood donation, will help correct some of the misconceptions about blood donation. This will increase the number of voluntary blood donors and thus increase available banked blood for pregnant women.