Blood Donation Practice and its associated Factors among Civil Servants in Chiro Town, Western Hararghe, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Background: Although blood transfusion has been evident for the past 200 years, it is challenging to get safe blood and blood product for those in need. In Ethiopia, the need for safe blood and blood product is increasing, but the donation practice is still insignificant. This study aimed to assess blood donation practice and its associated factors among civil servants working in west Hararghe zone offices, Chiro town, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 383 civil servants from March 1 to April 20, 2018. Study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire and analysed by Statistical Package for Social Science Version 20. Logistic regression analyses was done to identify factors associated with blood donation practice. The level of statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05. Results: The blood donation practice among the civil servants was 43.6% (95% CI: 38.3, 49.3). Willingness to do­nate blood (AOR=2.54; 95% CI: 1.39, 4.65), good knowledge about blood donation (AOR=3.32; 95% CI: 2.02, 5.46), and following mass media (AOR=1.83; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.35) were the factors significantly associated with the blood donation practice. Conclusion: The civil servants’ practice of blood donation was low. Willingness to donate, having good knowledge about blood donation, and following mass media were the factors associated with the blood dona­tion practice. Therefore, it is very important to increase the civil servants’ awareness about blood donation practice using mass media. Keywords:Blood donation; Chiro town; Civil Servants; Ethiopia; Practice