The Impact of WhatsApp on the Blood Donation Process in Saudi Arabia

Qarmoosha Rasheed Al-Hajri; Asma Alfayez; Demah Alsalman; Fahad Alanezi; Hala Alhodaib; Saja A Al-Rayes; Afnan Aljaffary; Bashair AlThani; Heba AlNujaidi; Atheer K Al-Saif; Razaz Attar; Duaa Aljabri; Sama'a Al-Mubarak; Mona M Al-Juwair; Sumaiah Alrawiai; Turki M Alanzi

doi:10.2147/JBM.S339521

The Impact of WhatsApp on the Blood Donation Process in Saudi Arabia

J Blood Med. 2021 Nov 19:12:1003-1010. doi: 10.2147/JBM.S339521. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Qarmoosha Rasheed Al-Hajri¹, Asma Alfayez¹, Demah Alsalman¹, Fahad Alanezi², Hala Alhodaib³, Saja A Al-Rayes¹, Afnan Aljaffary¹, Bashair AlThani⁴, Heba AlNujaidi⁵, Atheer K Al-Saif⁵, Razaz Attar⁶, Duaa Aljabri¹, Sama'a Al-Mubarak¹, Mona M Al-Juwair¹, Sumaiah Alrawiai¹, Turki M Alanzi¹

Affiliations

¹ Health Information Management and Technology Department, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
² Community College, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ College of Business Administration, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: WhatsApp was the most popular messenger app used in Saudi Arabia with 71% of the total population using it in 2020. WhatsApp is increasingly being used as a tool for mobile health (m-health) interventions; however, concerning blood donation, there is a lack of research studies on the topic.

Objective: This study aims to measure the general awareness levels of the blood donation process and assess blood donation history, the motivators and inhibitors to donating blood, and to assess the impact of WhatsApp on the blood donation process in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: In this research study, a descriptive quantitative cross-sectional analysis was adopted. A questionnaire survey was designed using Google Forms and distributed online through social media applications to collect data. All citizens aged above 18 years of age were eligible to participate in the survey. There were a total of 150 participants in the study.

Results: More than 90% of participants were aware of their blood group, blood donation requirements, and causes to be deferred from the donation. Furthermore, 27% of participants donated blood because their relatives or friends needed blood, 26% donated due to human solidarity, 18% did not donate blood because of their health condition and 14% did not because of the fear of needles. About 33% of participants relied on WhatsApp to search for blood donors, and all the requests were fulfilled with blood donors. In addition, 94% of participants strongly believed that the WhatsApp application had a significant role in bridging the gap for blood banks' need for blood donors.

Conclusion: Social media applications such as WhatsApp can bridge the gap between blood banks, blood donors and the patients in need of blood in Saudi Arabia, where there is a shortage of blood donors.

Keywords: Saudi Arabia; WhatsApp; blood donation.