Understanding Canadian student motivations and beliefs about giving blood

What influences decisions to donate plasma? A rapid review of the literature

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Plasma has become an essential ingredient for various medical treatments. Many blood collection agencies rely on voluntary non-remunerated donation when collecting plasma, but at present many do not collect sufficient plasma to meet domestic demands. This rapid review sought to explore the factors that have been found to influence people's decisions to donate plasma to inform future research.

METHODS

Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Citation Index and CINAHL for peer-reviewed journal articles that discussed plasma donation and the factors associated with donor behaviour. Pertinent information from included articles was extracted and arranged in themes.

RESULTS

In total, 33 articles were included in this review. Three main themes were identified by the authors. The first focused on site-level factors related to blood collection agencies' engagement with plasma donors and their influence on plasma donation experiences. The second theme considered how individual characteristics and experiences influence willingness to donate plasma. The third theme examined social and cultural-level factors, such as how social networks and community shape perceptions and experiences with donation.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the current understanding of plasma donation is focused mainly on converting whole blood donors and also centres on individual-level factors to donation. Further research must examine what factors attract non-whole blood donors to become plasma donors, focusing on broader social-level influences. This review will inform policies and interventions for blood collection agencies to increase plasma donors.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Blood Transfusion Services: A Perspective from Health Professionals and Donors

Purpose

Since the emergence of the COVI9-19 pandemic, there has been concern about the availability and sufficiency of blood transfusions to meet patient needs. Also, the adequate and safe blood supply is a major issue to fulfill present demands. This study aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the blood transfusion service and identify solutions to overcome this impact from the perspective of blood donors and healthcare professionals.

Methods

This study was conducted prospectively among Saudi Arabian blood donors and healthcare professionals between May 2020 and May 2021. A group of professional health care professionals and blood donors participated in this study to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood transfusion services and identify possible solutions to overcome the adverse effects on blood system activities.

Results

To understand the impact of pandemic COVID-19 on blood transfusion services in Saudi Arabia, we investigated population dynamics and statistical analysis from different age groups and health care professionals. A total of 424 blood donors and 372 healthcare professionals participated in this study. The suggested solution by the participants to overcome the blood shortage during pandemics was the organization of mobile blood drives at donors’ homes, work, and educational sites. Statically significant associations were found between blood donation during this pandemic and age (p=0.019) and marital status (p=0.001).

Conclusion

The findings of this study highlight the main problems of blood transfusion due to the onset of COVID-19. Hence, the data could be a source of improving blood transfusion and blood donation systems by healthcare centers and on an individual basis. Healthcare professionals use this public management system in hospitals to minimize the adverse effects of the pandemic.

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Incentives and limitations of Greek blood donors: Application of the Health Belief Model in the design of recruiting strategies

Background

Studies of the behavior of blood donors suggest that the examination of their incentives and reported barriers could be utilized in designing targeted recruiting strategies and awareness-raising campaigns.

Methodology

Data was collected via a questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), aimed to examine reported incentives, limitations, benefits, and self-efficacy of 261 blood donors at Thriasio General Hospital from January 1 to March 1, 2020, after required permission provided. The analysis was performed by the use of the SPSS statistical software. In addition, a Greek translation of the K6+ distress scale was provided.

Results

Our sample consisted of 261 blood donors, the majority of which were men (88.5%), 40-50 years old (36.4%), high school graduates (49.4%), and married (53.3%). Heightened awareness of increased blood needs and blood shortages was mentioned. 92.8% of respondents believe that blood donation is an act of contribution to society or beneficial for their health (86.6%). The limited working hours of blood donation services are the main obstacle mentioned by the participants (32.8%), while 80.7% emphasized the need for public information campaigns. Based on the K6 scale answers score, most participants are classified in the intermediate-risk category for Serious Mental Illness (SMI).

Conclusion

The study of beliefs and incentives of blood donors is a critical factor in developing an effective recruiting strategy in a volunteering frame. Public information campaigns regarding the blood donation process and reminders aiming at the return of blood donors after the necessary time interval could facilitate this effort.

Donor Screening and Deferral

The maintenance of an adequate and safe blood supply begins with choosing the right donor at the right time. The evolution of donor screening has been shaped by experience, donor satisfaction, and the ever-challenging emergence of relevant infectious diseases. Screening donors has been standardized over the past 6 decades to protect donor and recipient safety. In this review, we outline, define, and simplify the requirements to assess and defer donors with a focus on recent and ongoing changes to provide up to date information on donor qualification and current challenges in maintaining the blood supply.

Fear is associated with attrition of first-time whole blood donors: A longitudinal examination of donor confidence and attitude as potential mediators

BACKGROUND

Elevated fear and anxiety regarding donation-related stimuli (e.g., needles, pain, blood, fainting) has been associated with reduced blood donor recruitment and retention. The present longitudinal study tests the notion that this inverse relationship may be accounted for by lower donation confidence and more negative donation attitudes among fearful first-time donors.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In a sample of 1479 first-time whole blood donors [67.9% female; mean age = 19.3 (standard deviation (SD) = 2.5) years], path analyses were conducted to examine relationships among donor ratings of fear of blood draw and donation anxiety obtained approximately 1 week after donation, donation confidence and attitudes assessed approximately 6 weeks later, and donation attempts over the 14 months following the original donation.

RESULTS

Path analyses indicated that both fear of blood draws and donation anxiety were associated with fewer attempted donations, and that these effects were indirectly mediated by a combination of lower donor confidence and more negative donation attitudes.

CONCLUSION

Because retention of new blood donors is essential to maintain a healthy blood supply, the results of the present study suggest that first-time donors should be assessed for fear and anxiety so that appropriate strategies can be provided to address their concerns, bolster their confidence and attitudes, and ultimately promote their long-term retention.

Motivators, barriers and communication channels for blood donation in relation to students at a university in Spain

BACKGROUND

Targeting young people to donate blood is a particularly promising option. The aim of this work was to know the motivators, barriers and preferred communication channels for blood donation among university students, and to determine the factors that explain why donors give blood.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A questionnaire was distributed to 420 students (response rate: 88.3 %) attending the University of Huelva (Spain). Data were gathered on sociodemographic variables, blood donation history, motivators and barriers to donation, and communication channels. Non-parametric contrasts were used to determine possible differences in the sociodemographic characteristics or donation history, and logistic regression to determine the factors associated to donation.

RESULTS

67.38 % of the students surveyed were non-donors, 12.94 % were first-time donors, 11.05 % were infrequent donors and 8.63 % were frequent donors. "Solidarity" was the main motivator for donating blood (40 %). "Lack of information on where and how to give blood" was the main barrier for non-donors (26.4 %), with "medical reasons" cited by first-time donors (22.2 %). 93.8 % of donors wished to be notified about their next donation appointment. The majority of those surveyed preferred e-mail to receive alerts and information on donation campaigns. The factors that explained blood donation were over 26 years of age and place of residence.

CONCLUSION

The study identified differences in the motivators, barriers and choice of communication channel among the university students in terms of blood donation, and the factors that explain blood donation. This knowledge is a useful source of information when designing blood donation campaigns that target young people.

Promoting the propensity for blood donation through the understanding of its determinants

BACKGROUND

The paper aims to understand the main antecedents related to the blood donation propensity related to both donors and non-donors. With our research, we will analyse the two perspectives to identify similarities and differences concentrating on the Italian context. Blood is a vital resource that strongly affects every national healthcare system's efficacy and sustainability and the system's ability to achieve the goal of universal coverage.

METHODS

The purpose of this paper is to understand the main antecedents of citizens' blood donation intention and the propensity to encourage communication about blood donation among both donors and non-donors. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is adopted as a theoretical lens. An empirical investigation was performed in Italy, adopting a mixed methods research design. First, a qualitative analysis was carried out through 30 in-depth interviews. Then, a survey was used to quantitatively investigate the intention to donate among both donors (N = 173) and non-donors (N = 87). A conceptual model was developed and tested through Structural Equation Modelling, developing a multi-group approach.

RESULTS

The present study confirms the relations proposed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, even though some differences between the two groups are shown. The construct Information and Communication is crucial for donors, non-donors, whereas for non-donor inhibitors is vital. Service quality has an impact on the propensity to recommend and communicate the value of blood donation.

CONCLUSION

This paper reveals the main differences between donor and non-donor perspectives. Fruitful insights for enhancing blood donation awareness are provided.

Altruism in blood donation: Out of sight out of mind? Closing donation centers influences blood donor lapse

In this paper, we use register data on all blood donors (n = 259,172) and changes in geographical locations of blood donation centers in the Netherlands over the past decade, to examine the strength of altruistic motivations in blood donation by testing how blood donor behavior changes after the cost of donating in the form of time and inconvenience increases. We examined whether closing donation centers influences blood donor lapse, and whether the risk for lapse varies between donors with different blood groups. A lower lapsing risk for donors with universal, O-negative blood as costs increase is considered as evidence of altruism: continued efforts in making a societal impact despite the increased time commitment would indicate altruism in donor behavior. In the total sample, 137,172 (52.9%) donors lapsed at least once. We found a very strong effect of changes in the distance to the nearest collection point on donor lapse. Donors whose nearest donation center closed were 53% more likely to lapse than donors whose donation center remained open, with the risk for donor lapse increasing with each extra kilometer distance to the new nearest donation center. While O-negative donors were 10.5% less likely to lapse after closing a donation center compared to donors with other blood groups, the effect of closing was similar across blood groups. Based on these results, we conclude that blood donors are clearly sensitive to cost changes imposed by blood banks and that they are not particularly motivated by altruistic concerns. Future studies are recommended to further examine the role of contextual factors in motivational change across the blood donor career. Blood banks are advised to strategically place donation centers throughout the country to promote blood donations, and design interventions to reduce donation barriers after changing their donation centers' locations.

Reasons of under-representation of Iranian women in blood donation

The under-representation of women in blood donation can lead to blood shortages. We aimed to determine the factors, which encourage or impede blood donations in women. The findings can help us in designing effective recruitment strategies that could encourage women to donate blood to cover the patients’ needs. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shiraz, Iran, from the 1st of January 2017 to the 1st of August 2017 on women aged 18–60 years old. The demographic characteristics of the participants, the reasons that motivate blood donors and the factors that discourage non-donors were surveyed. Reasons for lapses in donors were also mentioned. The most frequent reasons for blood donation were altruistic causes (94.4%), moral and personal obligations (89.1%), the feeling of responsibility (82.7%), and awareness of the positive effects on their health (77.4%). The most common deterrents in non-donors were fear of developing anemia (68.4%) or weakness and dizziness (66%), unsuitability due to certain medical conditions (62.4%), and lack of a situation in which they were asked to donate blood (61.8%). Although altruistic reasons are the chief motivating factors for women to donate blood, the overall female contribution in blood donation remains low. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures aiming at informing women about the importance of blood donation and to reduce fears based on misinformation. Confidence in the blood donation organization must be a major consideration in future recruitment strategies to reassure women about the safety of blood donation.

Knowing the Blood Nondonor to Activate Behaviour

This work is aimed at further developing the study of blood nondonor behaviour through a joint analysis of sociodemographic characteristics, psychological and physical barriers, impure altruism and anticipated emotions, as predictors of intention to donate. To that end, a step-by-step hierarchical regression analysis was applied on a sample of 2383 Spanish nondonors. The study’s results confirm the influence of traditional variables (sociodemographic characteristics, psychological and physical barriers and impure altruism), as well as the power of anticipated emotions, both positive and negative, of donation action and inaction as variables explaining the intention to donate. Another important contribution has been to develop the moderating role of psychological and physical barriers, in addition to impure altruism, on cause–effect relationships between anticipated emotions and intention to donate. A number of practical implications can be derived from this study for transfusion centres responsible for donation promotion.

Recruitment strategies: non-donor segmentation based on intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Non-donor behaviour can be influenced by many variables, both intrinsic and extrinsic, which differ among individuals. The aim of this study was therefore to segment Spanish non-donors based on criteria such as barriers and motivations, which influence the decision to donate for the first time, with the aim of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of recruitment actions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 2383 non-donors residing in Spain evaluated 21 barriers and 25 motivations through an online self-administered survey distributed by blood transfusion centres, which are responsible for donations in Spain, and several Spanish universities. After validating these scales and determining the underlying categories in each of them, latent class/profile analysis was performed to segment non-donors.

RESULTS

Spanish non-donors were divided into six clusters. According to their barriers and motivations, the following labels were assigned: (1) 'Impure altruists', (2) 'I want to, but make it easy for me', (3) 'Free-riders', (4) 'Reciprocal altruists', (5) 'I can't because I'm scared' and (6) 'I want to, but I can't'. Specific marketing actions were proposed for each cluster based on their characteristics, prioritizing them depending on their attractiveness.

CONCLUSION

The scales which were designed to evaluate barriers and motivations make a solid contribution to the existing literature due to their holistic, integrative nature. The existence of differentiated clusters and the lack of resources of blood transfusion centres make it clear that there is a need to define and implement targeted marketing strategies.

Segmenting Active Blood Donors According to Their Barriers to Develop Retention Programs

Given the lack of a consensus on a catalogue of donation barriers, this study proposes a holistic scale of barriers which was used to segment Spanish active blood donors to define specific retention and loyalty strategies. A sample of 26 626 active donors from 14 of the 17 Spanish blood transfusion centers assessed a total of 25 barriers through an online survey. This scale was validated and 4 barrier categories were defined: Informative, Intrinsic, Time-space and Procedural. Segmentation was performed through k-means clustering. Four active donor clusters were created: (1) "Very Inhibited" (13.2%), who experienced a high number of barriers in all categories; (2) "Uninhibited" (46.9%), which was the largest cluster with fewer barriers; (3) "Apprehensive" (16.9%), whose most prevalent barriers were Informative and Intrinsic in nature; and (4) "Busy" (23.0%), who experienced mainly Time-space and Informative barriers. Afterward, depending on the size of the cluster, the presence of barriers, and the greater ease or difficulty to act on them, the attractiveness of each cluster was established to propose specific marketing actions.

An analysis of blood donation barriers experienced by North American and Caribbean university students in Grenada, West Indies

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the associations of nationality, university program, donation history and gender, with blood donation barriers experienced by non-donating students on the day of a campus blood drive. This project focused particularly on nationality and the effect of the different blood donation cultures in the students' countries of origin.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 398 North American and Caribbean university students was conducted at St. George's University, Grenada, in 2010. Data were collected from non-donating students on campus while a blood drive was taking place. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate associations between the exposures of interest and donation barriers experienced by the students.

RESULTS

North American (voluntary blood donation culture) students were more likely than Caribbean (replacement blood donation culture) students to experience "Lack of Time" (relative risk (RR) = 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-2.07) and "Lack of Eligibility" (RR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.08-2.22) as barriers to donation. Conversely, Caribbean students were a third as likely to state "Lack of Incentive" (RR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.20-0.50), "Fear of Infection" (RR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.21-0.58), and "Fear of Needles" (RR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.21-0.48) were barriers than North American students.

CONCLUSIONS

University students from voluntary blood donation cultures are likely to experience different barriers to donation than those from replacement cultures. Knowledge of barriers that students from contrasting blood donation systems face provides valuable information for blood drive promotion in university student populations that contain multiple nationalities.

Blood Products and the Commodification Debate: The Blurry Concept of Altruism and the 'Implicit Price' of Readily Available Body Parts

There is a widespread consensus that a commodification of body parts is to be prevented. Numerous policy papers by international organizations extend this view to the blood supply and recommend a system of uncompensated volunteers in this area--often, however, without making the arguments for this view explicit. This situation seems to indicate that a relevant source of justified worry or unease about the blood supply system has to do with the issue of commodification. As a result, the current health minister of Ontario is proposing a ban on compensation even for blood plasma--despite the fact that Canada can only generate 30 % of the plasma needed for fractionation into important plasma protein products and has to purchase the rest abroad. In the following, I am going to suggest a number of alternative perspectives on the debate in order to facilitate a less dogmatic and more differentiated debate about the matter. Especially in light of the often over-simplified notions of altruism and commodification, I conclude that the debate has not conclusively established that it would be morally objectionable to provide blood plasma donors with monetary compensation or with other forms of explicit social recognition as an incentive. This is especially true of donations for fractionation into medicinal products by profit-oriented pharmaceutical companies.

Motivating Factors and Potential Deterrents to Blood Donation in High School Aged Blood Donors

Background. To ensure an adequate supply of blood, collection centers must design campaigns that successfully recruit and maintain an active donor pool. Understanding factors that motivate and deter individuals from donating may help centers develop targeted recruitment campaigns. These factors among high school aged blood donors have not yet been fully investigated. Study Design and Methods. A voluntary, anonymous survey was administered to student donors at high school mobile blood drives. The survey instrument asked the students to rate several potential motivating factors in their importance in the decision to donate blood and several potential deterring factors in their future decision whether or not to donate blood again. The survey also asked the students to rate the desirability of several potential incentives. Results. Motivating factors that reflected prosocial, empathetic, and altruistic thoughts and beliefs were rated highly by students. Pain from phlebotomy was most commonly chosen as potential deterrent. Movie tickets and cookies/snacks at the drive were rated as the most attractive incentives. Conclusion. High school aged blood donors are similar to other donor groups in their expressed motives for donating blood. This group may be unique in the factors that deter them from donating and in their preferences for different incentives.

Improving first-time donor attendance rates through the use of enhanced donor preparation materials

BACKGROUND

Many nondonors are positive about blood donation and this motivates booking an appointment to donate. However, as their appointment approaches barriers to donating-such as anxiety-may become salient and deter attendance. Building on research of France and colleagues demonstrating the positive effect of enhanced preparation materials on donor recruitment, this study sought to determine whether these materials could effectively boost first donation appointment attendance.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A field study comprising a 3 (brochure: none, e-mail, hard copy) × 2 (national call center [NCC] contact: none, call) between-subjects design was conducted with 3646 nondonors who had scheduled their first appointment. Participants in the brochure conditions received either a hard copy or an e-mailed link to electronic materials modeled on the donor preparation research of France and colleagues. Participants in the NCC call condition also received a call scripted in line with these preparation materials. The key outcome was new donor attendance rate.

RESULTS

Although first-appointment attendance rates were high in the control (no additional contact) condition at 85.07% of those not canceling in advance, dual exposure to the preparation materials through a NCC call and an electronic brochure boosted attendance. The relative risk of attending in the NCC call and electronic brochure condition was 1.0836 (95% confidence interval, 1.0352-1.1343; p = 0.0006), with attendance 8.36% higher than in the control. This gain in attendance came at a relative increase in recruitment costs of 2%.

CONCLUSION

The use of tailored communication to address new donors' concerns and prepare them for donating bolsters attendance rates.

Blood donation: comparing individual characteristics, attitudes, and feelings of donors and nondonors

The shortage of blood donors and increased demand for blood is an important health issue. Finding ways to increase donor recruitment and retention is a priority and, thus, an important area for research. This article aims to better understand donors and nondonors on the basis of their social responsibility, susceptibility to interpersonal influence, involvement in and attitude towards the blood donation issue, and their aroused feelings. The data from 345 completed surveys were collected via a web-based, self-administered method. Mean differences were examined and the conceptual model was tested via structural equation modeling. The findings provide important clarification of donation and nondonation behavior.

[Social marketing of blood donation: an analysis of new donors' predisposition]

This article aims to understand the motivational factors that influence individuals to donate blood, in order to support the social marketing measures for recruiting new donors. Based on theoretical research, a structural model was developed to analyze influences and interactions of constructs in individuals' intentions to donate blood. A field survey used a structured questionnaire with a sample of 346 individuals. The analysis included descriptive analysis, evaluation of psychometric consistency, and structural equation modeling with partial least squares estimation. Fear showed a negative influence and the reference group a positive influence on individual predisposition to donate blood. This indicated that social marketing for blood donation can be more effective in encouraging new donors if it remains focused on these two factors.

Seroprevalency of transfusion-transmitted infections in first-time volunteer and replacement donors in Tunisia

BACKGROUND

Replacement donors are considered as having a major risk of transmission of infections to recipients mainly by the World Health Organisation.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Seroprevalency of HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis were determined in 19,783 whole blood donations collected in the Tunisian National Blood Transfusion Centre during the year 2010 (12,968 [65.55%] replacement donations and 6815 [34.44%] voluntary blood donations). For HBV, HCV and syphilis, we performed a univariate analysis to determine whether age, sex and type of donation were risk factors, then multivariate logistic regression, to see if these factors were independent.

RESULTS

Mean age of donors was 30.1 years (replacement donors 34.5 years, first time non-remunerated donors 34.5 years, P<0.001). The predominant age group was 30-39 years (35.51%) in replacement donors and 20-29 years (54.15%) in first time non-remunerated donors. Male gender was significantly predominant (73.00% men vs 27.00% women, P<10(-6)). There were significantly more men among replacement donors (82.27% vs 55.38%, P<10(-3)). There were more women in the age groups 18-19 and 20-29 years. Only one HIV seropositive donation was noted in a male first time non-remunerated donor aged 18. Replacement type of donation, male sex and age were three independent risk factors for the HBs Ag carriage. For anti-HCV antibodies and TPHA, only replacement type of donation and age were found out to be risk factors and only age was independent.

CONCLUSION

In Tunisia, replacement blood donors were at higher risk of infection transmission, but only for hepatitis B.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivations towards Blood Donation among King Abdulaziz Medical City Population

Background. Blood donation is remarkably safe medical procedure. However, attitudes, beliefs, and level of knowledge may affect it. Objectives. To measure the level of knowledge regarding blood donation, find out positive and negative attitudes, identify the obstacles, and suggest some motivational factors. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). Participants were selected by convenient nonrandom sampling technique. A self-created questionnaire was used for data collection. Results. The study included 349 individuals. About 45.8% of the participants claimed that they have a history of blood donation. Reported causes for not donating blood were blood donation not crossing their mind (52.4%), no time for donation (45%), and difficulty in accessing blood donation center (41.3%). Reported motivating factors for donating blood were one day off (81.4%), mobile blood donation caravans in public areas (79.1%), token gifts (31.5%), and finally paying money (18.9%). Conclusion. People in the age group 31-50 years, males, higher education and military were more likely to donate blood as well as People who showed higher knowledge level and positive attitude towards blood donation. More educational programs to increase the awareness in specific targeted populations and also to focus on some motivational factors are recommended.

A behavior model for blood donors and marketing strategies to retain and attract them

Objective

analyze and propose a theoretical model that describes blood donor decisions to help staff working in blood banks (nurses and others) in their efforts to capture and retain donors.

Methods

analysis of several studies on the motivations to give blood in Spain over the last six years, as well as past literature on the topic, the authors' experiences in the last 25 years in over 15 Non Governmental Organizations with different levels of responsibilities, their experiences as blood donors and the informal interviews developed during those 25 years.

Results

a model is proposed with different internal and external factors that influence blood donation, as well as the different stages of the decision-making process.

Conclusion

the knowledge of the donation process permits the development of marketing strategies that help to increase donors and donations.

Giving blood and enrolling on the stem cell donor registry: ranking of obstacles and motives in Switzerland

BACKGROUND

To obtain a better understanding of factors affecting blood and blood stem cell donation behavior in Switzerland, a series of studies has been performed. In the recent study of this series, which is described here, motivators and barriers in the field of blood and blood stem cell donation were identified.

METHODS

Web-based survey data from a non-random sample of the Swiss population 2012/2013 (n = 3,153) were used to describe and compare the ranking of motives and obstacles to donate blood and to enroll on the Swiss blood stem cell registry. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Spearman's rank correlations were used to assess differences and associations between ranks and groups.

RESULTS

The prospect of saving lives and solidarity were the top two motives to donate blood or to enroll on the blood stem cell registry. The top two obstacles to enroll on the blood stem cell registry were lack of general information on blood stem cell donation and on its risks, whereas the top two obstacles to donate blood were the lack of information where and when to donate and deferral of or exclusion from blood donation.

CONCLUSION

Classical altruistic motives are top drivers for giving blood as well as registering for blood stem cell donation. Recruitment campaigns should focus on these motivators. Similarities in motivational factors as well as in obstacles regarding blood and blood stem cell donation can be found.

Norm perception and communication for vasovagal symptoms in blood donation

BACKGROUND

Blood is a valuable resource, but most people do not donate. One deterrent to blood donation is the anticipation of vasovagal symptoms (e.g., dizziness, nausea, and fainting), despite the fact that such symptoms typically affect a small proportion of donors. The current research examined norm perceptions regarding vasovagal symptom experiences and used a message-framing paradigm to communicate accurate norm information and increase future donation intentions.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Three studies were conducted using young adult samples. In Study 1, donors and nondonors estimated the percentage of people who experience vasovagal symptoms. In Studies 2 and 3, nondonors and donors (respectively) were provided with accurate, positively framed, or negatively framed norm messages and indicated their intentions to donate.

RESULTS

In Study 1 we found that participants vastly overestimated how normative it was to experience vasovagal symptoms and this overestimation was stronger among nondonors. In Studies 2 and 3, we showed that positively framed normative messages ("90% of donors do not experience vasovagal symptoms") were generally more influential than negatively framed messages ("10% of donors do experience vasovagal symptoms"), except among past donors who had unfavorable donation experiences.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that targeting and correcting norm perception may be a critical step toward improving blood donation rates.

Blood donors and factors impacting the blood donation decision: motives for donating blood in Turkish sample

BACKGROUND

Donations in Turkey are insufficient to cover the high transfusion needs arising from large numbers of thalassemia and sickle cell anemia patients and increasing demands for blood due to advanced surgery and cancer treatment. The most acceptable means to get blood is voluntary blood donation and the blood donor system in Turkey mostly depends on a combination of voluntary and involuntary donors. The main aim of this study is to explore the motivations of Turkish voluntary blood donors toward blood donation and to determine predictors of blood donation motivation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional sample survey of active blood donors in Ankara, Turkey was conducted. The sample consisted of 189 male volunteer blood donor adults. Donors filled in a self-administered questionnaire including the measures of demographic information, empathetic concern, altruism, social responsibility and blood donation motivation questionnaire during donation.

RESULTS

Factor analysis of Blood Donation Motivation Measure with varimax rotation revealed a three-factor solution named as "values and moral duty", "positive feelings and esteem" and "self-benefit and external reasons". The results with regression analyses showed that only social responsibility had an significant effect independent of age, income, and education on blood donation motivation.

CONCLUSION

These result reflects that blood donation motivation not only linked to a high degree of altruistic reasons, but also to a combination of some self-regarding motives. Additionally, feelings of empathy or altruism may be less strong at the time the decision to help, other factors may have a larger influence on helping decisions.

Intention of future donations: a study of donors versus non-donors

BACKGROUND

Recent years have seen the level of blood donation at a world level come to a standstill or even decline. This situation requires blood donation services to make efforts to increase donor recruitment and retention, as well as to increase the frequency of donations among current donors. In order to obtain good results, it is essential to understand the factors that affect intention to donate.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the explanatory power of a set of factors on intention to donate blood, as well as evaluating the ability of current donors to motivate others.

METHODS/MATERIALS

A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1015 Spanish individuals.

RESULTS

Results indicate that (i) motivations and hindering factors have the greatest explanatory power on intention to donate, (ii) experience as a donor is the most explanatory factor on future intention and (iii) there are significant behavioural and sociodemographic differences between donors and non-donors.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that it is necessary (i) to enhance the donor retention for maintaining the donation system using a personal and frequent communication with donors not only to remind them to schedule their next donation, but also to attract more donors; (ii) to recapture temporarily deferred donors, as they are less reluctant towards donation; (iii) to describe in detail how donation affects donors and clarify the importance of donation for society and (iv) to develop member get member programs in which current donors act as motivators amongst friends, coworkers and family.

Relationship between first-year blood donation, return rate for subsequent donation and demographic characteristics

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to determine any relationships between return rates of first-time donors, number of donations in the first year and the donors' demographic characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from 1,500 volunteer, first-time donors who donated blood at Shiraz Blood Transfusion Centre (Iran) were obtained from the donor database. The donors' demographic characteristics (sex, age, educational status) and donation histories were obtained for a 3-year period and the number of donations and interval between the first donation and the following donation within a 1-year period were recorded. We searched for correlations between return rate and demographic characteristics and the number of donations in the first, second and third years. The data were analysed with the chi-squared test, multiple logistic regression and Spearman's correlation tests. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

More than half of the first-time donors returned to donate again (n=776, 51.7%) during the 3 years after the first donation. The mean number of donations in the whole 3-year period was 0.69±0.49, while it was 1.33±0.62 (median 1) in the first year, 0.4±0.7 (median 0) in the second, and 0.3±0.65 (median 0) in the third year. The return rate was directly correlated with the number of donations in the first year (r=0.74, P<0.001). The return rate increased as the interval between the first and second donations decreased (P<0.05, OR=1.03). The return rate was higher for male donors and single donors (P<0.05), but was not related to age or educational level (P>0.05).

DISCUSSION

In this study 51.7% of first-time donors returned to donate again, a high figure indicating the success of our recruitment strategy. Understanding the importance of the number of donations in the first year for donors' return rate and planning recruitment programs and more effective measures to encourage donors in the first year may help to increase return rates.

Evaluation of blood supply operation and infectious disease markers in blood donors during the Egyptian revolution

BACKGROUND

The Egyptian revolution took place on January 25, 2011. Millions of protesters demanded the overthrow of the Egyptian president's regime. Many people suffered from life-threatening injuries after violent clashes between police and protesters.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The overall management of the blood bank operation at Cairo University Hospital was described, in an attempt to evaluate blood safety and establish a standard effective plan to manage blood supply during crisis.

RESULTS

Three days after the uprising, thousands of Egyptians rushed to the hospital to alleviate the blood shortage. A total of 3425 units were collected in 3 days and thousands of donors were turned away. An error delayed processing of 1000 units and they were used as stored whole blood. Apheresis platelets were donated by protesters who were particularly motivated to donate for two victims with liver injury. The usual positive rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody in Egyptian donors is 3.8%. However, the positive rate of HCV markers in the collected units was only 1.6%. The mean age of donors during the revolution was 31.7±10.4 years while the usual mean age of donors is 39.2±8.5 years. Operating theaters were used only for emergencies. A blood surplus developed that met the hospital needs for 1 month.

CONCLUSION

Revolution resulted in an influx of first-time donors with a relatively low positive rate of HCV antibody. To be prepared for disasters, a systematic approach to spread donors evenly on a daily basis is needed.

The causes for lack of interest to blood donation in eligible individuals, mashhad, northeastern iran

BACKGROUND

Donor recruitment and retention are significant problems in blood collection agencies around the world. The Aim of this study was to determine the causes of lack of interest to blood donation in eligible individu-als in Mashhad, Northeast of Iran.

METHODS

This was a descriptive study. Cases were 1130 non-donor individuals. Participants were selected from eligible individuals in different regions of Mashhad. In this study, surveys included information about age groups, gender, residence area, marriage, education; living situation and job as background variables.

RESULT

Less than 30% of the cases had enough knowledge about blood donation. There was a significant rela-tionship between location, age, education, occupation and social status with knowledge of blood donation, but there was not a correlation between gender and marital status.

CONCLUSION

There are some factors which affect the decision for blood donation. There is a need to change the negative attitude by increasing the knowledge considering the individual and the social status.

Attitude to blood donation in Saudi Arabia

Background and Objectives:

The blood donor system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia depends on a combination of voluntary and involuntary donors. The aim of this study is to explore the attitudes, beliefs and motivations of Saudis toward blood donation.

Materials and Methods:

The study was conducted at the Donor Centers at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) Blood Bank and King Saud University Students Health Center, Riyadh. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to donors (n = 517) and nondonors (n = 316), between February and June 2008. All were males.

Results:

Ninety-nine percent of the respondents showed positive attitude toward blood donations and its importance for patients care, and object the importation of blood from abroad. Blood donors: Ninety-one percent agree that that blood donation is a religious obligation, 91% think no compensation should be given, 63% will accept a token gift, 34% do not object to donating six times/year and 67% did not mind coming themselves to the donor center to give blood. Nondonors: Forty-six percent were not asked to give blood and those who were asked mentioned fear (5%) and lack of time (16%) as their main deterrents. Reasons for rejection as donors include underweight and age (71%) and health reasons (19%). Seventy-five percent objected to money compensation but 69% will accept token gifts and 92% will donate if a relative/friend needs blood.

Conclusion:

These results reflect an encouraging strong positive attitude toward blood donation. Further future planning with emphasis on educational/publicity programs and careful organization of donor recruitment campaigns could see the dream of total voluntary nonremunerated blood donations should not take long to be true.

Blood donors' attitudes towards incentives: influence on motivation to donate

BACKGROUND

Understanding the factors that motivate donors to donate will facilitate improvements in recruitment programmes. Donation incentives are often used to improve the effect of recruitment programmes. This cross-sectional study was designed to understand donors' attitudes toward incentives.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Participants (n=421) were recruited among volunteer donors at the Shiraz Blood Transfusion Centre when they registered for blood donation. They completed a questionnaire with items regarding demographic characteristics, donation status (first-time donor or regular donor), and their motivation for donating, their attitude towards incentives, and the best type of incentives. Multiple logistic regression and chi-squared tests were used to analyse the data with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

RESULTS

The majority of donors (85.6%) donated blood for altruistic reasons. One quarter of the donors (25.3%) believed that incentives should be offered to encourage them to donate. Most donors (84.5%) believed that the most effective incentive was offering specific blood tests. Donors who had donated for non-altruistic reasons were more interested in receiving incentives. The desire to receive incentives was more widespread among younger, married, first-time donors, donors with a lower educational level and donors with a history of more than five donations. The desire to receive incentives decreased as age increased.

DISCUSSION

Most of the donors (74.7%) had no desire to receive incentives, and this was even more apparent among donors who donated for altruistic reasons. Non-monetary incentives may be effective in attracting younger, married, first-time donors, donors with a lower educational level and donors with a history of more than five donations.

Forecasting Ontario's blood supply and demand

BACKGROUND

Given an aging population that requires increased medical care, an increasing number of deferrals from the donor pool, and a growing immigrant population that typically has lower donation rates, the purpose of this article is to forecast Ontario's blood supply and demand.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We calculate age- and sex-specific donation and demand rates for blood supply based on 2008 data and project demand between 2008 and 2036 based on these rates and using population data from the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

RESULTS

Results indicate that blood demand will outpace supply as early as 2012. For instance, while the total number of donations made by older cohorts is expected to increase in the coming years, the number of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in the 70+ age group is forecasted grow from approximately 53% of all RBC transfusions in 2008 (209,515) in 2008 to 68% (546,996) by 2036. A series of alternate scenarios, including projections based on a 2% increase in supply per year and increased use of apheresis technology, delays supply shortfalls, but does not eliminate them without active management and/or multiple methods to increase supply and decrease demand.

CONCLUSIONS

Predictions show that demand for blood products will outpace supply in the near future given current age- and sex-specific supply and demand rates. However, we note that the careful management of the blood supply by Canadian Blood Services, along with new medical techniques and the recruitment of new donors to the system, will remove future concerns.

Motivation in Italian whole blood donors and the role of commitment

The literature contains numerous reports on motivation in blood donors, although none of these are specific to blood donation in Italy and almost all of them focus on altruism and the desire to help others. Altruism is important, but a comprehensive analysis of donor motivation should examine all the factors affecting the decision to donate, including commitment to voluntary blood donor organizations. The aims of this paper are to verify if the motivational factors that influence the choice to donate blood in Italy are generally consistent with the findings from other countries reported in the literature and to focus on commitment to donor organizations as an additional factor. A sample of 895 whole blood donors completed a self-report questionnaire containing questions about: reasons for beginning to donate, people who influenced this choice, and level of commitment to voluntary blood donor organizations. The most frequently reported reasons for giving blood for the first time were "to help others" (56%), "influence of family/friends" (22%), and "social/moral obligation" (11.2%); commitment did not vary as a function of the leading motivation reported. Differences emerged between males, who more frequently reported having been influenced by parents and friends, and females, who referred more often to altruistic motives. The opportunity to check one's own state of health also played an important role (6.9%), especially for male donors. Overall, however, the decision to donate was primarily a personal choice (41.3%), although influence was also attributed to relatives (21.8%), friends (22.3%), and voluntary blood donor organizations (21.8%). The reported level of commitment to the donor organization was positively correlated with the number of total and annual donations made and number of new donors recruited.

Gender differences in giving blood: a review of the literature

BACKGROUND

An overview of European blood donors shows that the distribution of men and women donors is similar in many countries, with Italy being an exception in that women account for only 30% of donors. Gender medicine is a key issue in this context, even though gender studies are very limited in the transfusion field, whether considered broadly or with specific regards to the selection, management and retention of donors. It, therefore, seemed important to compare the presence of women among blood donors in different European countries and examine the roles that gender is reported to play in the donation of blood in order to identify possible implications for communication with and management of the donor.

METHODS

To determine the proportion of women among donors in European countries, data were collected from annual reports or documents available on the websites of national associations; furthermore, all papers related to giving blood published in the five main journals in the sector (Transfusion, Vox Sanguinis, Transfusion and Apheresis Science, Transfusion Medicine, Blood Transfusion) were considered; about 80 publications were selected and the gender variable was examined.

RESULTS

The published studies showed that gender plays key roles in the motivation to give blood (women being more altruistic, men being more individualistic) and in adverse reactions, which was a particularly critical problem leading to fewer women become regular donors. A few aspects specific to the management of donors in Italy also emerged.

DISCUSSION

Gender seems to play an important role in the aspects studied and does, therefore, merit further consideration in relation to strategies to recruit donors and the management of critical events during donation.

Applied tension may help retain donors who are ambivalent about needles

BACKGROUND

Vasovagal symptoms can discourage people who might otherwise give blood on many occasions. However, the effects of symptoms on donor retention as well as the effects of treatments to reduce vasovagal symptoms on donor retention are probably moderated by a person's confidence that they can tolerate the procedure.

METHODS

Data from a study on the effects of the muscle tensing technique applied tension (AT) on donor retention were examined to determine if (1) the degree of donor ambivalence about needles influenced the impact of vasovagal symptoms on subsequent return and (2) ambivalence about needles moderated the effect of learning AT on donor return. One-year follow-up data on 614 people who had previously given blood and were randomly assigned to either a no treatment, donation-as-usual condition or one of two conditions involving AT were obtained. Self-reported degree of needle ambivalence and vasovagal symptoms were assessed during the initial blood donation.

RESULTS

Among participants in the no treatment group, increases in vasovagal symptoms were associated with decreases in donor return but only among people who expressed some fear of blood draws. Similarly, among people who expressed no fear of needles, learning AT had no effect on post-donation estimate of the likelihood they would give blood again or return rate. However, among people with some fear of blood draws learning AT led to both a higher estimate that they would give blood again as well as actual return rate.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience of vasovagal symptoms may not deter people who are generally confident in their ability to tolerate blood donation. However, among people who are ambivalent about needles, symptoms may 'confirm' pre-existing doubts about their suitability for blood donation and lead to drop-out. Targeted interventions that give the uncertain volunteer a sense of confidence that they might be able to realize their goal and become a regular blood donor may be useful.

Predonation hydration and applied muscle tension combine to reduce presyncopal reactions to blood donation

BACKGROUND

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effects of hydration and applied muscle tensing on presyncopal reactions to blood donation. Both interventions are designed to prevent the decreases in blood pressure that can contribute to such reactions, but due to the distinct physiologic mechanisms underlying their pressor responses it was hypothesized that a combined intervention would yield the greatest benefit.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Before blood donation, first- and second-time blood donors (mean age, 20.2 years; SD, 4.9) were randomly assigned to 1) standard donation, 2) placebo (leg exercise before venipuncture), 3) predonation water, or 4) predonation water and leg exercise during donation.

RESULTS

Main effects of group were observed for phlebotomist classification of vasovagal reactions (chi(2)(3) = 8.38, p < 0.05) and donor reports of presyncopal reactions (chi(2)(3) = 13.16, p < 0.01). Follow-up analyses of phlebotomist classifications revealed fewer reactions in the predonation water and predonation water and leg exercise groups relative to placebo but not standard donation. Follow-up analyses of self-reported reactions revealed that women, but not men, had lower scores in both the predonation water and the predonation water and leg exercise groups relative to both placebo and standard donation.

CONCLUSIONS

Predonation hydration and a combination of hydration and leg exercise may help attenuate presyncopal reactions in relatively novice donors, although future studies with larger samples are required to confirm this effect.

Vasovagal Syncope and Blood Donor Return: Examination of the Role of Experience and Affective Expectancies

Vasovagal sensations (e.g., dizziness, nausea, and fainting) are one of the main reasons people find blood donation unpleasant. A better understanding of predictors of vasovagal sensations during blood donation could inform interventions designed to increase donor return rates. The present investigation examined the extent to which experience with blood donation and vasovagal sensations during blood donation uniquely predict the likelihood of donor return, even when controlling for affective expectancies. Participants presenting at community blood drives indicated how many times they have given blood and provided ratings of expected anxiety, pain, disgust, as well as fear of fainting before giving blood. After donating, participants completed a measure of vasovagal sensations experienced during blood donation. They also rated the pleasantness of the experience and willingness to donate blood in the future. The findings showed that experience with blood donation and vasovagal sensations during blood donation uniquely predicted willingness to donate blood in the future even when controlling for age and negative affective expectancies about giving blood. This finding suggests that vasovagal sensations and experience with blood donation have unique (and perhaps additive) effects on willingness to donate blood in the future, suggesting that behavior modification interventions that directly target these variables could potentially increase donor retention.

Causes of discontinuity of blood donation among donors in Shiraz, Iran: cross-sectional study

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE

the adequacy of blood depends on blood donation rates and numbers of blood donors. To prepare adequate blood supplies, it is essential to investigate the barriers and factors that stop individuals from donating. This study aimed to identify the causes of lapsed donation at our center.

DESIGN AND SETTING

cross-sectional study of volunteer blood donors in Shiraz, Iran.

METHODS

we selected 850 donors who had donated between January 1, 2005 and June 1, 2005, but had not donated again by June 2008. The participants were recruited by letter and telephone, and were interviewed using a specially designed questionnaire that contained items on demographic characteristics, donor motivations and reasons for not returning to donate. We used the chi-square test to identify associations between lapsed donor characteristics and reasons for declining to donate.

RESULTS

the greatest motivation for donation was altruism. The most frequent reasons for lapsed donation were lack of time because of work and self-exclusion for medical reasons. Among first-time donors, the most frequent reasons were unsuitability for donation and lack of time.

CONCLUSIONS

the reasons for not returning to donate are varied and may correlate with demographic characteristics. In this study, the main reason for not returning was lack of time. Changing donation hours so that donors can donate after work, providing mobile teams at workplaces, and shortening the duration of the donation process may help increase repeat donation rates.