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

Abstract

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.

Young apheresis platelet donors show significant and sustained growth over the last decade in the US, 2010–2019: A favorable sign of the resiliency of the platelet supply

“…The aging donor population has been, in part, attributed to the declining engagement of younger donors who have been characterized as disinterested in volunteerism relative to older generations. 33,34 It is unknown whether this characterization is particularly true of modern young people, or whether this characterization of younger people as "selfish" represents typical generational rivalry. 35,36 While it may be tempting to categorize donors based on their traditional generational buckets (i.e., Baby Boomers, Millennials, etc.)…”

Military Blood Service in Poland

“…[14][15][16][17] Fear of seeing own blood, fear of the procedure itself and negative experiences from previous, first-time blood donation or lack of appropriate "incentives", eg, financial, may be an additional barrier for young people. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Interestingly, women, who are more altruistic than men and more motivated to donate blood, 19 accounted for only 1/4-1/3 of all donors in our analysis (Table 3). On the other hand, a similar proportion of female blood donors was also observed in other countries.…”

Donor motivation and psychosocial research

“…While the emphasis has been on the donor's health and the likelihood that his or her donation has risks for infectious contamination, a donor interview could be an opportunity to address other issues. In a study by France and co‐workers, donation anxiety was revealed as a significant inhibitor of repeat donation by first‐time donors 23 . The investigators suggested that novice donors be asked if they were anxious about donating and, if they answered in the affirmative, they should be given information that could point to coping mechanisms for them to employ 24 .…”

“…In a study by France and co-workers, donation anxiety was revealed as a significant inhibitor of repeat donation by first-time donors. 23 The investigators suggested that novice donors be asked if they were anxious about donating and, if they answered in the affirmative, they should be given information that could point to coping mechanisms for them to employ. 24 In another study that also looked at a very different role for a donor questionnaire, Livitz and co-workers explored "motivational interviewing" as a strategy to increase the likelihood that individuals would donate.…”