[Blood donation: knowledge and attitudes of a university population in Chile]

To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of students, professors, and other staff at the University of Talca, Chile, regarding voluntary blood donation.

From June to July 2002 a previously-validated survey was administered to 487 individuals in the university community. The survey sought to measure their understanding of blood donation, i.e., motivators and reasons for becoming a blood donor and the myths and fears that might deter blood donation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Only 14% of survey participants had donated blood in the past, and most of these (43.3%) were professors or other academics. Of the participants who were planning to donate blood in the future, students were the majority (88.1%). When the males in the group that was planning to donate were compared to the females, the difference was not statistically significant (90.0% vs. 84.2%, respectively). Of the deterrents to blood donation, 73.4% said the collection instruments might not be sterile.

The university population represents a pool of desirable donors; an informative and motivating campaign could successfully convert the 87.3% potential donors into actual volunteer blood donors.