Unveiling blood donation knowledge, attitude, and practices among 12,606 university students: a cross-sectional study across 16 countries

Abstract We assessed university students’ knowledge, attitude, and practice toward blood donation and identified the factors that promote or hinder their willingness to donate. We employed a multicenter cross-sectional design, collecting data from August to October 2022 through self-administered questionnaires available in Arabic and English. Both online (Google Forms) and paper surveys were utilized. Data were analyzed using R Statistical Software (v4.1.3; R Core Team 2022). A total of 12,606 university students (7966 females and 4640 males) from 16 countries completed the questionnaire; of them, 28.5% had a good knowledge level regarding blood donation, and 22.7% had donated blood at least once. Students in health science colleges had significantly more awareness of blood donation (p-value 20 years had significantly higher odds of possessing a high knowledge level (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.77, p 20 years old were more likely to donate (aOR 2.21, p