Motivations and barriers to replacement (relational) blood donation in Kenya: A cross-sectional survey
Authors: V. Machuki, E. Aosa, K. Ogollah, K. Shikuku, D. Shilabukha, K. Thambura, A. Ogunde, M. Nyanchama
Abstract
Objectives: To explore the motivating factors and barriers that drive people in Kenya to donate blood in response to the needs of relatives or friends, that is, replacement
(relational) donation.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted across all 47 counties in Kenya,targeting blood donors and health facilities. Using a multistage, stratified random
sampling technique, data were collected from 481 participants across 264 randomly selected blood transfusion facilities. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (Version
27, Chicago, Illinois) was used to analyze the data. Box plots, histograms, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test were used to assess normality; descriptive statistics were
presented as tables and charts, and Spearman’s rho correlation examined the relationship between awareness of blood donation and actual donation behavior.
Results: The study achieved a response rate of 455/481 (94.59%). Despite high awareness of blood donation, 419/457 (91.7%), only 286/458 (62.4%) of the sampled population had ever donated blood. Replacement donation remains the primary motivator, with 227/316 (71.8%) of active donors driven by requests from friends or relatives. Significant barriers to donation included psychological and physical fears, especially fear of fainting 33/130 (25.4%), or fear of contracting diseases 23/130 (17.7%), alongside cultural myths and peer pressure. Conclusion and Recommendations: These barriers ought to be addressed through aggressive educational campaigns to ensure that people not only understand the importance of blood donation but also are in a position to effect change by participating in blood donation and implementing safety measures that would enable the continuation of blood donation across the country. There is also a need for public sensitization campaigns to emphasize that the need for blood donation is perpetual, not
just during calamities or in response to relatives' or friends' needs.
