Blood donation in young people: estimation of education and awareness in Rome high school students using translated questionnaires

Background: Ensuring a stable blood supply is a critical public health challenge, with young adults representing a vital pool of potential donors. Education and awareness are key to fostering positive attitudes and behaviors toward blood donation among youth. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of educational interventions on the willingness of high school students in Rome to donate blood and to validate the Italian translation of two established questionnaires measuring knowledge and motivation related to blood donation. Materials and methods: An observational, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among senior students at the “Democrito” high school in Rome during the 2022–23 academic year. Eligible students (aged 18 or older) completed two validated and translated questionnaires before and after a series of educational lectures on blood donation. The reliability and content validity of the translated instruments were evaluated, and changes in students’ intentions and attitudes were analyzed using the McNemar test. Results: Of 54 students with matched pre- and post-intervention responses, the proportion expressing a positive attitude toward blood donation increased from 57.4% to 75.9% following the educational sessions (p = 0.0213), indicating a statistically significant improvement. Motivations for donation included altruism, health benefits, social approval, and practical incentives. Despite increased willingness, only a small fraction of students who expressed intent ultimately donated blood, highlighting a gap between intention and action. The translated questionnaires demonstrated high content validity (CVI: 0.975 and 0.908) and were well-understood by the target population. Conclusions: Educational interventions significantly enhanced students’ willingness to donate blood, underscoring the importance of targeted awareness campaigns in schools. However, bridging the gap between intention and actual donation remains a challenge, necessitating further strategies to address logistical and psychological barriers. The validated Italian questionnaires provide reliable tools for future research and program evaluation in this context.