{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T14:36:58Z","timestamp":1791815818291,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,5]],"date-time":"2024-01-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1704412800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Ghana is a majority youthful population, but is only able to meet 60% of its annual blood donation requirements. Although tertiary students in Ghana may serve as important blood donor resource by virtue of their higher educational attainment, data about their blood donation processes-specific knowledge are scarce. This study therefore explored the perspectives, and experiences of young adults regarding blood donation processes. This exploratory study employed mixed-methods approach (semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion, [FGD]). Data collection was sequential; the questionnaire distribution was completed before FGD commenced; themes that emerged from the questionnaire responses guided FGDs. Convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 382 young adults (15\u201349 years). All statistical analyses were undertaken using the two-tail assumptions; p&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Majority (79.3%) of the participants were in their twenties, with only 1.3% being 40\u201349 years old. Although two-thirds of participants expressed willingness to donate blood, less than a-third (31.7%; 127\/382) had previously donated blood. Overall, less than one-third of participants could correctly identify the minimum weight (26.4%), or the inter-donation interval (14.7%); 37.4% and 58.1% could respectively indicate the required donor age or \u22653 infectious agents screened for prior to blood collection. Among previous donors, 37.2%, 28.1% and 43.0% could identify the required weight, acceptable inter-donation period, and donor age respectively. Two-thirds and a-third of participants preferred voluntary unrelated, and paid donations respectively. Whereas 42.4% of participants indicated intrinsic health benefits of blood donation, 17.0% suggested that blood donation was associated with disease risks. Both previous donors and non-donor groups considered lack of education, fear of post-donation health issues and lack of privacy at blood collection centers as main hindrances to donor recruitment. Targeted intentional blood donation-specific educational campaigns are warranted to address the blood donation processes knowledge gap among the study population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0295600","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,5]],"date-time":"2024-01-05T13:24:49Z","timestamp":1704461089000},"page":"e0295600","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Mixed-methods exploration of the knowledge of young adults about blood donation processes; a one-center cross-sectional study in a tertiary institution"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Belinda","family":"Baidoo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Ankomah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Alhassan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Godfred","family":"Benya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-6571-3297","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Emmanuella","family":"Obike","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Audrey","family":"Benfo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joseph","family":"Boachie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9686-8300","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Patrick","family":"Adu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0295600.ref001","volume-title":"Blood safety and availability","author":"WHO","year":"2022"},{"key":"pone.0295600.ref002","volume-title":"The 2016 global status report on blood safety and availability","author":"WHO","year":"2017"},{"key":"pone.0295600.ref003","unstructured":"Status Of Blood Safety In The Who African Region: Report of the 2010 Survey [Internet]. 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