Post‐Donation Morbidity Among Blood Donors in Rural Population: An Observational Study Based on Self‐Reported Outcomes

Background Blood donation constitutes a critical requirement for healthcare services, yet researchers have not sufficiently studied the safety of donors and the health effects that occur after donors give blood in rural areas. Objective The study aimed to evaluate how blood donors from rural population experienced postdonation health problems based on self reported outcomes. Method The research is an observational study design. The participants explained symptoms that they experienced during the week after their most recent blood donation. The primary outcome included a composite measure that evaluated postdonation morbidity through specific symptoms, including fatigue, dizziness, headache, and nausea. Logistic regression and Spearman correlation was used to analyze participant data in R Version 4.3.2. All morbidity outcomes were based on retrospective self‐report rather than real‐time follow‐up. Results The study found that 45% of participants experienced symptoms which they attributed to their donation process. The most frequent symptoms reported by patients included fatigue (22.2%) and dizziness (15.7%). Female donors had a higher prevalence of fatigue compared to male donors. Multiple donors who donated five or more times showed higher chances to report health problems (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2–5.0, p = 0.015). There existed a moderate positive relationship that connected donation frequency with the burden of symptoms (Spearman’s ρ = 0.34, p = 0.001). Conclusion The process of blood donation remains safe for most people who donate blood; however, many donors experience temporary symptoms that last until they donate blood again, especially people who donate frequently and female donors. The study results come from retrospective self‐reports, which researchers should not use to determine long‐term health effects. The study needs improved donor monitoring together with future research through prospective studies.