Assess the level of knowledge and attitude toward hematopoietic stem cell donation and donor registration among undergraduate B.Sc. Nursing 1st year students

Abstract

Introduction. Blood disorders like thalassemia and leukaemia can be life threatening. For many patients,
hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only effective treatment. Since fewer than 30% of patients find
a matching donor within their family, most depend on unrelated volunteer donors. However, donor registries face a
shortage of volunteers due to misconceptions, fear of the procedure, and lack of awareness. Therefore, assessing and
improving public knowledge and attitudes toward stem cell donation is essential to increase donor participation and
save lives. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge and attitude towards hematopoietic stem cell donation and
donor registration among undergraduate B.Sc. Nursing 1st year students of SGT University
Method: Chi- Square was used to associate the level of knowledge score of nursing students with selected
demographic variables. Design: A quantitative approach using a non- experimental, descriptive survey design among
nursing students in SGT University Gurugram, Haryana, has been adopted.
Tools and techniques: Socio-demographic profile for baseline data and the tool was developed by Cicek and Dinc
(2020) is used to assess the of knowledge of university students regarding hematopoietic stem cell donation. Likert
Scale is used to assess attitude regarding hematopoietic stem cell donation, what is the perception of nursing students
in hematopoietic stem cell donation, and what is the attitude level of nursing students towards stem cell donation
measured on a five- point Likert Scale. Data was collected through Google Forms from (n= 152) nursing students
studying in SGT University.
Result: The study revealed that more than half of the nursing students (56%) had poor knowledge regarding
hematopoietic stem cell donation and donor registration. Nearly one- third (32%) had moderate knowledge, while only
12% demonstrated good knowledge. The vast majority of nursing students (97%) had a positive attitude towards
hematopoietic stem cell donation and donor registration. There was a statistically significant moderate positive
correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (r = 0.503, p < 0.001). This indicates that students with higher
knowledge levels tended to have a more positive attitude toward hematopoietic stem cell donation and donor
registration.
Conclusion: Although most nursing students had poor knowledge about hematopoietic stem cell donation and donor
registration, they generally exhibited a highly positive attitude. A significant positive relationship was found between
knowledge and attitude, suggesting that improving knowledge may further enhance positive attitudes.