Epidemiological analysis of blood donors from college students in Hefei city
Authors: Sun Qian qian , Bian Mao hong 
Published: July 2024

Rationale

College students represent a unique demographic group as they are adults no longer under direct parental care, yet often lack the institutional health support available to more established members of society, which can lead to their health needs being neglected, despite their substantial contributions to blood donation. The objective of this study is to shed light on the health status of college students in Hefei, with a specific focus on transfusion‐transmitted diseases. Based on the detailed data analysis, the implementation of some constructive strategies will play a good warning role in improving clinical blood safety and promoting better health monitoring of this population in the future.

Aims & Objectives

The study aims to achieve two main objectives: On the one hand, to deepen our understanding of college students' participation in blood donation activities. On the other hand, to propose effective strategies for increasing youth involvement. Additionally, such research aims to afford recommendations for ensuring the safety of clinical blood supplies. Although the strategies and suggestions presented are speculative, they are grounded in the logical analysis of data and relevant theoretical frameworks. Therefore, these recommendations serve as a basis for potential future testing and implementation.

Method

The evaluation process for blood samples at the Hefei Blood Bank involves thorough serological testing for hepatitis B and C, HIV, and Treponema pallidum using both Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT). HIV reactive samples were further confirmed using Western Blot techniques at an external specialized laboratory. To ensure accuracy, each sample was tested with reagents from two different manufacturers. Moreover, any initially reactive sample was retested with the same reagent to eliminate potential false positives. In cases of conflicting results, alternative reagent kits are utilized for further confirmatory tests. Only samples that consistently show reactive results in consecutive tests are considered positive confirmation samples.

Results & Conclusion

Upon analysis of the data set, it was found that out of the total 663,105 donors, 177,089 (26.7%) were identified as college students, with the remaining 486,016 categorized as noncollege students. Our study demonstrated a notably lower prevalence of blood‐transmitted infections among college students (0.48%) in contrast to the wider donor population (1.23%), underscoring their potential as safe blood donors. To uphold this level of safety and protect public health, it is crucial to increase disease prevention awareness and advocate for responsible donation practices within this specific demographic. Strengthening confidentiality protocols and expanding education on safe sexual behaviors in university settings are vital actions to cultivate an environment that promotes informed and secure blood donation.

In Terms of Specific Infections

The overall group had prevalence rates of 0.44% for hepatitis B, 0.15% for hepatitis C, 0.02% for HIV, and 0.42% for Treponema pallidum.

When focusing on the student cohort, the prevalence rates were 0.17% for hepatitis B, 0.04% for hepatitis C, 0.02% for HIV, and 0.23% for Treponema pallidum.

Transmissibility through blood transfusion

All donors (%)
Students (%)
Non‐students (%)

Any infection
1.23
0.48
1.51

HbsAg
0.44
0.17
0.54

Anti‐HCV
0.15
0.04
0.19

HIV Ag/Ab
0.02
0.02
0.02

Anti‐TP
0.42
0.23
0.49

Individuals with two or more infectious agents occur more than once in all categories. While it leads to numerical over‐representation, such overlap is minimal and statistically insignificant.