Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine · Available online 20 Apr 2026 · In press · DOI 10.1080/21642850.2026.2661450
Background The availability of donated blood in Uganda rests on the goodwill of voluntary donors. Previous studies have shown that intention to donate blood predicts the practice of blood donation. To design interventions aimed at improving the availability of donated blood, there is a need to understand intention to donate blood. This study aimed to apply the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to assess the factors associated with the intention to donate blood among secondary school students, the major blood donor group in Uganda.Methods We analyzed secondary data from the blood donation awareness project baseline survey. The blood donation awareness project baseline survey was conducted in four purposively selected secondary schools in East Central Uganda. All the students eligible for the study were invited to participate in the baseline survey. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on the socio-demographic characteristics as well as the TPB constructs. Data were analyzed in STATA version 14. Correlations and structural equation modelling were used to examine the associations among the TPB constructs. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant.Results The mean score for intention to donate blood was 14.7 out of a total score of 20. The three TPB constructs explained 34.7% variance in the students' intention to donate blood. Perceived behavioral control had the strongest association with the students' intention to donate blood (β = 0.366, p-value < 0.001). Subjective norms were also significantly associated with the students' intention to donate blood (β = 0.080, p-value = 0.003). The students' attitude towards blood donation and moral responsibility were not associated with their intention to donate blood.Conclusion Our findings showed a moderate level of intention to donate blood among the students. Perceived behavioral control and subjective norms were associated with the students' intention to donate blood.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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