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The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge of college students with regard to blood donation in order to be able to create an education program to recruit new donors. After creating a table of specifications, a questionnaire was designed and reviewed by a jury of experts, and then tested in a pilot study. In the final study, 782 usable questionnaires were completed; the majority of students from the convenience sample were female (60.9%), under the age of 21 (93.1%), white (86.2%), non-Hispanic (95.8%), and had earned some college credits (61.4%).The data were analyzed using mean, t-tests, and ANOVA to test five null hypotheses. The overall knowledge (60%) of the subjects was less (M = 13.11 out of a possible 22) than anticipated. Statistically significant differences in knowledge of blood donation was found between college males and females (p < 0 .028), among students by education level (p < 0.047), and among students who were frequent, occasional, and nondonors (p < 0.000). No difference was found in the knowledge of blood donation among students by age. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

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Dried blood spots is an alternative method to collect blood samples from research subjects. However, little is known about how hemoglobin and hematocrit affect bead-based multiplex assay performance. The purpose of this study was to determine how bead-based multiplex assays perform when analyzing dried blood spot samples. A series of four experiments outline the study each with a specific purpose. A total of 167 subject samples were collected and 92 different biomarkers were measured. Median fluorescence intensity results show a positive correlation between filtered and non-filtered samples. Utilizing a smaller quantity of sample results in a positive correlation to a larger sample. Removal of hemoglobin from the dried blood spot sample does not increase detection or concentration of biomarkers. Of the 92 different biomarkers measured 56 were detectable in 100-75% of the attempted samples. We conclude that blood biomarkers can be detected using bead-based multiplex assays. In addition, it is possible to utilize a smaller quantity of sample while avoiding the use of the entire sample, and maintaining a correlation to the total sample. While our method of hemoglobin was efficient it also removed the biomarkers we wished to analyze. Thus, an alternative method is necessary to determine if removing hemoglobin increases concentration of biomarkers. More research is necessary to determine if the biomarkers measured in this study can be measured over time or within an experimental model.

Objective: To describe and compare the characteristics of blood donors and non-donors and to examine factors associated with donation, including motivators and barriers of blood donation in Guangzhou, China. Design: Cross-sectional survey using self-administered standardized structured questionnaires on both donors and non-donors. Setting: 12 mobile and 4 permanent blood donation stations in Guangzhou during the whole operation time. Participants: 500 blood donors who donated at the donation sites and 500 non-donors who never donated and passed by the station were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire during Dec 10, 2013 to Jun 25, 2014. Main outcome measures: Blood donation or no donation. Results: 1080 questionnaires were collected, of which 1034(95.7%) questionnaires were valid. 602(58.2%) participants were donors and 432(41.8%) were non-donors. Older people (OR: 1.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.24 to 1.72, p<0.01), males (1.33, CI: 1.02 to 1.71, p=0.03), non-college-students (1.76, CI: 1.16 to 2.56, p<0.01) and people with higher education level (1.27, CI: 1.11 to 1.45, p<0.01) were more likely to be donors. The main objective of blood donation was helping patients (n=405, 68.2%), and the main reason of not donating was being in poor health (n=138, 33.1%). However, other motives, such as benefiting health and free check for blood type and body, and obstacles, such as failing to meet the requirements and fear, were also important. More male donors would donate again than females (80.5% vs. 68.5%, p<0.01), whereas more female donors showed uncertainty than males (25.9% vs. 16.6%, p<0.01). Usage of blood (n=182, 46.7%) was what non-donors wanted to know the most if they were to donate in the future. The majority of participants (n=730, 71.3%) considered raising the awareness of blood donation among people was one of the most effective ways of blood donation promotion. Television was considered as one of the most effective methods of blood donation promotion and recruitment, and was more acceptable to females. Younger participants preferred the internet. Conclusion: These findings suggest that raising the awareness of blood donation is vital. Campaigns should focus on multiple aspects targeting different groups of people. Television and the internet are useful tools of blood donation promotion and recruitment. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

Thesis (MTech (Biomedical Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Biochemical and haematological changes occur in red blood cellular products during the recommended storage period of 35 to 42 days at 1°C to 6°C. The restriction of the sodium/potassium pump at specified temperatures result in low intracellular potassium ion levels while an increase in sodium ion levels are observed and acidosis occurs as a result of low pH concentrations due to glucose consumption. Structural and morphological changes occur such as the release of free haemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase and potassium into the supernatant causing the formation of spheroechinocytes and osmotic fragility. All these factors negatively impact the rheological properties of blood. These changes that transpire in the red cells during the storage period are referred to as “storage lesions”. Transfusion-associated graft versus host disease is an immunological and often fatal adverse transfusion reaction with gamma irradiation of cellular blood products used as a preventative measure. Gamma irradiation exacerbates storage lesions and of particular concern has been the increased potassium levels resulting in neonatal and infant hyperkalaemia. The storage lesions occurring in non-irradiated red blood cellular products are well documented although the literature regarding its irradiated counterparts has been less studied. A study of this nature has not previously been done in Cape Town, South Africa.

In this dissertation I provide an ethnographic account of the testimony of four expert witnesses who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada (the Krever Inquiry) as they described the production of scientific knowledge and the role that knowledge played in the struggle to protect the blood supply from being contaminated by AIDS during the early 1980's. In doing so, I bring together the experts' testimony with contemporary documents gathered by the Commission and interviews I conducted with participants in the proceedings. Using insights drawn from the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and history, I explore what the witnesses' accounts reveal about their understandings of their professional world and its relationships with other worlds, especially that of public health policy making. The Krever Inquiry offered a valuable opportunity for carrying out such an investigation. It provided a site where science was not only used, it was talked about. The Inquiry invited those involved in the blood system in the early 1980's to reflect upon and explain the beliefs and actions which surrounded one of the worst public health disasters in Canadian history and it asked the witnesses how similar catastrophes could be avoided in the future. As a result, many of the issues addressed at the hearings reflect matters of current concern in public health and medicine. The Inquiry addressed difficult issues surrounding the nature of scientific knowledge and its application in health decision-making and policy formulation. This study, therefore, may be of interest to those dealing with the problems surrounding uncertainty and the management of public health crises. It may also be of interest to those dealing with conflicts rising out of the intersection of different worlds of experience and practice, as well as to those involved in the current initiatives to both make medical and public health institutions more proactive, and inclusive, and public health decision-making more transparent.

In this dissertation I provide an ethnographic account of the testimony of four expert witnesses who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada (the Krever Inquiry) as they described the production of scientific knowledge and the role that knowledge played in the struggle to protect the blood supply from being contaminated by AIDS during the early 1980's. In doing so, I bring together the experts' testimony with contemporary documents gathered by the Commission and interviews I conducted with participants in the proceedings. Using insights drawn from the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and history, I explore what the witnesses' accounts reveal about their understandings of their professional world and its relationships with other worlds, especially that of public health policy making. The Krever Inquiry offered a valuable opportunity for carrying out such an investigation. It provided a site where science was not only used, it was talked about. The Inquiry invited those involved in the blood system in the early 1980's to reflect upon and explain the beliefs and actions which surrounded one of the worst public health disasters in Canadian history and it asked the witnesses how similar catastrophes could be avoided in the future. As a result, many of the issues addressed at the hearings reflect matters of current concern in public health and medicine. The Inquiry addressed difficult issues surrounding the nature of scientific knowledge and its application in health decision-making and policy formulation. This study, therefore, may be of interest to those dealing with the problems surrounding uncertainty and the management of public health crises. It may also be of interest to those dealing with conflicts rising out of the intersection of different worlds of experience and practice, as well as to those involved in the current initiatives to both make medical and public health institutions more proactive, and inclusive, and public health decision-making more transparent. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / The objectives of the study: To determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of black employees of The University of Limpopo (Turfloop campus) about blood donation. To determine the degree of willingness by blacks to donate as well as suggesting some solutions to improve the performance by the South African National Blood Services. Design: A descriptive study utilizing a self-reported questionnaire was carried out. Setting: The University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Material and Methods: A total of 138 employees participated in the study. With the aid of Predictive Analytics Software (PASW), 136 male and 101 female participants were randomly selected from the 40 University departments. The mean ages by gender was 36.91, ±10, 06 years for males, and 41.93, ±9, 35 years for females. The mean ages by donor status was 40.24, ±10, 15 years for donors and 37.94, ±9, 9 years for non-donors. Outcome measures: Subjects demographic variables were determined by the use of a pre-tested self-reported questionnaire, which covered personal characteristics such as gender, age, residence, number of household members, marital status, educational background, faculty or department of vi employment, as well as the monthly income bracket. Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding blood donation were also assessed using the pre-tested self-developed questionnaire. The following information was included: previous practices, current and lifetime practices of blood donation. Results: There was a general lack of practice of blood donation despite the presence of average knowledge relating to matters of blood donation amongst the black employees of the University of Limpopo, (Turfloop campus). There was no difference between black females and males as far as blood donation was concerned. There was a reflection of similar practices of blood donation by both genders. Blood donation generally started at a very late age due to early lack of exposure, information and awareness. Conclusion: Findings from this study showed that the prevalence of non-donors amongst the blacks is high. The attitudes and practices of non-donors towards donation were generally less favourable, but it can be argued that a high percentage of these findings may likely change with the right interventions.