Nursing Students' Knowledge and Motivations Regarding Blood Donation Following the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hong Kong: A...

Background/Objectives: Blood transfusions save lives and improve health, but there has been a global blood shortage and a significant disparity in blood donation worldwide in recent years. As future healthcare professionals who educate and promote blood donation, the knowledge and attitude of nursing students are paramount to improving future motivation and engagement. In this study, we aimed to investigate the knowledge and motivations of nursing students regarding blood donation following the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Methods: With the cross-sectional descriptive design of this study, we used a well-validated Blood Donor Identity Survey (Chinese version), as well as convenience sampling of university students aged ≥18 enrolled in full-time nursing programs at a large university. Ethical approval was sought prior to data collection in November 2023. A total of 711 of the ~2200 target participants returned the questionnaires, with 650 completing them (29.5%). Results: Of these 650, 465 (71.5%) were non-blood donors and 185 (28.5%) were blood donors, with blood donors (9.77 ± 1.28) demonstrating a significantly higher total knowledge score than non-blood donors (9.46 ± 1.33), with p = 0.006. Prior experience of receiving blood (OR = 5.81, 95% CI: 2.92-11.54, p < 0.001), older age (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.12-1.33, p < 0.001), knowing someone who had donated blood (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.29-5.35, p = 0.008), and having a religious affiliation (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.07-3.06, p = 0.028) were found to be significant factors associated with a greater willingness to donate blood. Conversely, taking medication was found to be a significant factor associated with a lower likelihood of being a blood donor (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09-0.63, p = 0.004). Within the ratings of donor identity, higher Amotivation scores reduced the odds of blood donation (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.78-0.89, p < 0.001), while an increased score on Identified Regulation was significantly and positively related to donor status (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.09-1.22, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Blood donation rates among local nursing students were low after the pandemic, despite moderate overall knowledge. Collaboration among the Hong Kong government, healthcare organizations, and university nursing faculties is vital to promote blood donation among future nursing professionals and the public.