?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Study+of+Knowledge%2C+Perceptions+and+Practices+Related+to+Blood+Donation+Among+the+Healthcare+Support+Staff+of+a+Tertiary+Care+Hospital+in+Gujarat%2C+India&rft.creator=Mullah%2C+Faruq&rft.creator=Kumar%2C+Dinesh&rft.creator=Antani%2C+Dhara&rft.creator=Gupta%2C+Monica&rft.subject=Online+Journal+of+Health+and+Allied+Sciences&rft.description=Background%3A+There+is+a+serious+mismatch+between+demand+and+availability+of+blood+in+our+country.+One+of+the+important+factors+motivating+people+for+donating+blood+is+their+interaction+with+staff+of+health+facilities+including+support+staff.+The+knowledge+and+perceptions+of+support+staff+about+blood+donation+have+not+been+studied+adequately.+Methodology%3A+Data+was+collected+from+randomly+selected+100healthcare+support+staff+using+a+pretested+questionnaire.+The+questionnaire+was+based+on+prior+qualitative+analysis+of+perceptions+of+few+of+the+potential+participants.+Results%3A+91%25+of+the+respondents+felt+that+blood+donation+was+not+safe.+Only+16%25+had+adequate+knowledge+about+eligibility+for+blood+donation+and+all+of+them+were+females.+39%25+respondents+had+donated+blood+themselves+and+79%25+had+family+history+of+blood+donation.+None+of+the+socio-demographic+factors+except+young+age+were+found+to+be+associated+with+better+knowledge+or+positive+perceptions+about+blood+donation.+Many+among+those+who+had+donated+blood+also+did+not+perceive+blood+donation+as+safe.+Apprehension+about+blood+being+not+properly+used+and+not+having+been+approached+by+anyone+were+commonest+reasons+for+not+donating.+Conclusions%3A+The+knowledge+about+safety%2C+eligibility+and+motivation+for+blood+donation+is+very+poor+among+the+healthcare+support+staff.+Efforts+must+be+made+to+educate+these+employees+and+promote+voluntary+blood+donation+among+them.+Various+incentives+as+suggested+by+employees+themselves+and+several+international+bodies+may+be+considered+to+promote+blood+donation+among+healthcare+support+staff.&rft.publisher=Kakkilaya+BS&rft.contributor=Kakkilaya%2C+Dr+Srinivas&rft.date=2013-04-15&rft.type=Journal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F9136%2F1%2F2013-1-2.pdf&rft.identifier=++Mullah%2C+Faruq+and+Kumar%2C+Dinesh+and+Antani%2C+Dhara+and+Gupta%2C+Monica++(2013)+Study+of+Knowledge%2C+Perceptions+and+Practices+Related+to+Blood+Donation+Among+the+Healthcare+Support+Staff+of+a+Tertiary+Care+Hospital+in+Gujarat%2C+India.++%5BJournal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F9136%2F