Knowledge, attitude, and practice among medical students in gaza strip towards voluntary blood donation: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background A major component of emergency medical care is blood. The Gaza Strip has faced repeated wars over the last few years, emphasizing the importance of blood donation even more. This study aims to assess medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding voluntary blood donation in Gaza (VBD). Methods This cross-sectional study used stratified sampling method to survey medical students at Gaza’s two medical schools, Al-Azhar and Islamic Universities, between March and April 2022. A 35-item self-administered questionnaire with four sections: demographics, knowledge, attitude, and practice, was used. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results A total of 329 students were surveyed (response rate of 89.6%). The median age was 20 (IQR = 3). Males made up 44.7% of the sample. Overall, 54.7% were found to have good knowledge about VBD, 68.1% did not know the time-to-wait between each whole blood donation, and in terms of blood donation criteria, only 30.7%, 25.2% were aware of the appropriate age and weight for donating. Moreover, school was the source of most information (66.6%). Meanwhile, 73.3% of participants expressed a positive attitude toward VBD. Only (17,6%) did not show a willingness to donate blood regardless of their relationship with the recipient. The vast majority (83.3%) had never donated blood before, and 12.5% had no plans to do so in the future. The two most common reasons for this were the lack of opportunity and health issues (31.0%, 11.9%, respectively). Conclusion The sampled medical students had a positive attitude toward VBD, but there were deficiencies in their knowledge of blood donation criteria, and most had not donated blood. Adequate awareness campaigns are required to increase awareness about this universally and locally important subject

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Palestinian Healthcare Workers in the Gaza Strip towards Hepatitis B: A cross-sectional survey

Objectives: Healthcare workers are at a high potential risk of Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). This survey aims to identify gaps and strengths in the knowledge, cultural perceptions, and practices of healthcare workers towards HBV in order to drive appropriate health interventions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and April 2022. We surveyed a convenience sample of three at-risk healthcare providers from the major health facilities in Gaza. A 40-item, self-administered questionnaire was used. Statistical data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25 to obtain descriptive and inferential statistics via various nonparametric, correlation, and regression tests (with p<0.05). Results: 447 healthcare workers participated in the study. Overall, 105 (23.5%) demonstrated poor knowledge (under 14\20 points), 284 (63.5%) had moderate knowledge (14-17 points), and 58 (13%) showed good knowledge about HBV. The majority (367, 82.1%) expressed an excellent attitude. Finally, 287 (64.2%) demonstrated a good level of practice toward HBV infection. A history of needle stick injury was reported by 233 (52.1%) participants, of whom 170 (73.3%) reported taking appropriate preventive actions after exposure. Conclusion: The majority of participants demonstrated overall good knowledge regarding HBV infection. Nonetheless, significant gaps remain in the different aspects of the KAP construct, which require appropriate awareness campaigns to further limit the spread of this preventable viral infection. Keywords: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Attitude of Health Personnel; Hepatitis B; Epidemiology; prevention and control; Health Personnel; Cross-Sectional Studies