Socio-economic determinants of blood donation in Tanzania: A case of Morogoro Municipality

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Date
2017
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Mzumbe University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of socio-economic determinants on blood donation in Tanzania, a case of Morogoro Municipality. The specific objectives were (i) to determine the effect of social factors on blood donation, specifically age, sex, level of education, health status, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, fear for HIV test results and social network at community level and (ii) to examine the effect of economic factors on blood donation specifically income level, employment status, and health insurance. The study involved a sample of 128 respondents. The descriptive findings on blood donation found that, only 33 (26%) of out of 128 respondents had donated blood while 95(74%) out of 128 had never donated blood in their life. The logistic regression results showed sex (i.e. male), level of education (i.e. higher level of education) and religious beliefs (i.e. religious commitments) were positively related with blood donation at 1%, 10%, 10% level, respectively, with p values of 0.007, 0.077, 0.094 as theory suggested. Health status (. i.e. high sickness frequency), cultural beliefs (. i.e. cultural restrictions), fear for HIV test results, and health insurance (i.e. insured) were negatively related with blood donation at 1%, 5%, 10%, 1% level with p values of 0.000, 0.011, 0.070, 0.012, respectively, as per assumption. However, age, strong social network at community level, employment status, and level of income were not significant factors. Conclusively, blood donation was largely determined by sex, level of education, health status, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, fear for HIV test results and health insurance. To increase blood donation, females must be encouraged, emphasis on education, eradication of the myths and misconception about blood donation, partnerships between national blood transfusion and religious bodies, need for more community’s awareness about blood donation so as to alleviate unfounded fear (i.e. fear for HIV test results), need of improving health status of the people and donor recruitments programs strategies must be improved.
Description
A dissertation submitted to Mzumbe University as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master’s degree of Science in Project Planning and Management (MSc PPM) of Mzumbe University.
Keywords
Blood Donation, Blood Situation in Tanzania, Blood Donation in Africa
Citation
APA