Perceptions about blood donation in a public school in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Abstract

Blood donor recruitment faces many barriers, especially resistance from potential donors, often due to a lack of knowledge among a large part of the population. Therefore, it is essential to promote blood donation awareness campaigns among adolescents who are close to the minimum age required by law. The research involved 113 students aged 14-16 years, participating in activities distributed across three classes (50 minutes each). Data were collected through questionnaires to capture students' perceptions, and the study was conducted in expository-participatory classes in which the main concepts were presented, followed by a question-and-answer session, using the second questionnaire. Although more than 98% knew something about blood donation, more than half (52.20%) were unaware that blood donation was possible in Brazil from the age of 16. After the activity, the percentage of students interested in becoming future donors increased from 77.80% to 89.10%. Furthermore, the number of negative responses to the question "What do you understand by 'blood donation'?" The percentage of people willing to donate blood decreased from 29.38% to 13.86% after the activity. Analysis of the subjective responses indicates understanding of blood donation as an altruistic act that helps save many lives. In this study, the results indicate the effectiveness of educational initiatives in raising students' awareness of the topic and the importance of knowledge of blood typing, transfusion, and other applications in treatment. Future efforts should focus on expanding the reach of these initiatives among students in basic education.