Knowledge, attitude and practice toward blood donation and associated factors among college students in Jumla, Nepal

Abstract Background Blood donation is a vital component of modern healthcare systems, as blood cannot yet be fully synthesized for routine clinical use and depends entirely on voluntary human donors. College students represent a large and healthy pool of potential donors; however, evidence regarding their knowledge, attitudes, and donation practices in geographically remote regions such as Jumla, Nepal, remains limited. Objective This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of blood donation and identify associated factors among college students in Jumla, Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 647 students from three educational institutions in Jumla: Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS), Karnali Technical School (KTS), and Jumla Multiple Campus (JMC). Participants were selected using an institution-based stratified convenience sampling approach and completed a structured self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests with SPSS version 23. Results Among the 647 participants, 73% demonstrated a positive attitude toward blood donation and 82.7% expressed willingness to donate voluntarily. However, only 19.5% had ever donated blood. Overall knowledge levels were generally low, with only 19.3% achieving a good knowledge score. Blood donation practice was significantly associated with age, gender, academic stream, and year of study ( p < 0.05). The most commonly reported barrier to donation was lack of opportunity (44.7%), followed by medical reasons and fear of needles. Conclusion Despite favorable attitudes and strong willingness toward voluntary blood donation, actual donation practice among college students in Jumla remained limited. The findings suggest that limited donation opportunities and inadequate awareness may contribute to the gap between intention and practice. Regular campus-based blood donation campaigns, targeted educational interventions, and strategies addressing fear-related concerns may help improve voluntary blood donation participation among students.