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Impact of Blood Donation Campaigns on Voluntary Blood Donation Practices among Young Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Blood donation is an important public health intervention that supports the availability of blood and blood products for patients requiring transfusion due to accidents, surgical procedures, childbirth complications, severe anaemia, bleeding disorders, and other medical emergencies. Despite the need for safe and adequate blood supplies, voluntary blood donation among young adults in Nigeria may be limited by inadequate awareness, misconceptions about blood donation, fear of needles or blood, concerns about weakness or adverse effects, lack of information about eligibility, and limited exposure to organized blood donation opportunities. Blood donation campaigns provide an opportunity to improve awareness, address misconceptions, encourage voluntary participation, and promote regular blood donation among eligible young adults. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of blood donation campaigns on voluntary blood donation practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Social Cognitive Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how young adults' perceptions of the need for blood donation, perceived benefits of donating blood, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence voluntary blood donation practices. The Theory of Planned Behavior emphasizes attitudes toward blood donation, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions as determinants of donation behaviour. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, peer influence, self-efficacy, reinforcement, social support, and environmental factors in shaping voluntary blood donation practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how blood donation campaigns may influence voluntary blood donation practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise young adults aged 18–35 years residing in selected urban and semi-urban communities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, educational institutions, workplaces, youth organizations, and eligible participants. Blood donation campaigns will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to blood donation campaigns, frequency and duration of campaign activities, campaign messages, information on blood donation eligibility, donation procedures, safety of blood donation, health benefits where applicable, common misconceptions, donor eligibility requirements, locations of donation centres or drives, appointment procedures, and opportunities for repeat donation. Voluntary blood donation practices will be assessed using indicators such as history of voluntary blood donation, frequency of donation, willingness to donate voluntarily, intention to donate again, participation in organized blood donation drives, donation without financial or material incentives, adherence to recommended donor eligibility requirements, and willingness to encourage eligible peers to donate blood. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized blood-donation knowledge and practice assessment tools, campaign-exposure assessments, voluntary donor records where available and ethically accessible, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, previous blood donation experiences, sources of blood-donation information, campaign exposure, knowledge, attitudes, and voluntary blood donation practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired and independent t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of blood donation campaigns on voluntary blood donation practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, voluntary blood donation practice scores or donation participation rates before and after the campaign may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that blood donation campaigns have a significant positive impact on voluntary blood donation practices among young adults in Nigeria. Young adults exposed to structured, evidence-based, and sustained blood donation campaigns are expected to demonstrate greater willingness to donate blood and higher participation in voluntary blood donation activities than those without comparable exposure. Campaigns may improve participants' understanding of blood donation eligibility, donation procedures, safety, and the importance of maintaining adequate blood supplies. Addressing misconceptions and fears may reduce perceived barriers to donation, while peer-focused and community-based campaigns may strengthen social support and encourage participation. Campaigns may also improve awareness of convenient blood donation locations and encourage repeat voluntary donation among eligible donors. However, fear of needles, concerns about adverse effects, misconceptions about blood donation, limited access to donation centres, inconvenient donation schedules, inadequate public awareness, distrust of healthcare systems, and insufficient follow-up of previous donors may reduce the effectiveness of campaigns alone. The study therefore expects accessible, credible, targeted, and sustained blood donation campaigns, supported by convenient donation opportunities and effective donor engagement systems, to contribute significantly to improved voluntary blood donation practices among young adults in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on voluntary blood donation, blood donation campaigns, transfusion medicine, health education, young adult health, community health promotion, emergency preparedness, healthcare services, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Blood Service Agency, state ministries of health, hospitals, blood transfusion centres, universities, youth organizations, healthcare professionals, community-based organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving voluntary blood donation. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening blood donation campaigns, improving public awareness of donor eligibility and donation safety, increasing access to convenient blood donation centres and mobile drives, addressing misconceptions and fears, developing donor reminder and retention programmes, and promoting a sustainable culture of voluntary blood donation among young adults across Nigeria.

Keywords: Blood donation campaigns, voluntary blood donation practices, young adults, blood donation, blood transfusion, donor recruitment, donor retention, health education, transfusion services, Nigeria, public health.