Abstract

Objective: To assess frequency of donor anxiety using a Donor Anxiety Scale.
Methodology: This study was carried out from 15th October to 15th December 2023 at Blood bank Jinnah Hospital Lahore. A structured questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was circulated to 130 donors, age group between 18-65 years. The results were analyzed by SPSS version 26.
Results: We found that 78% of donors felt adequately informed about the process, 46% were concerned about any potential pain and 53% about any potential long term effects, 11% were pressured by someone for the donation, 5% were concerned about recipient reaction, 2% experienced sleep disturbances, 19% considered withdrawing, 13% were concerned about any cultural judgements, 3% sought some counselling to deal with their anxiety and 78% felt that others could not understand their anxiety. It was noted that 52% donors felt anxious about donating blood, 45% about the procedure, 38% about the needle prick, 22% about feeling lightheaded, 39% upon the sight of blood, 18% about the recovery process post donation and 56% about the post donation reactions.
Conclusion: Tailored education, counseling, and community engagement may mitigate anxiety, fostering a positive blood donation experience and promoting regular contributions.

Key words: Anxiety, blood donors, stress, blood donation.