What would it take to convince you to donate? A survey study of the relationship between motivators, barriers, and payment for whole blood, plasma, and platelet donation.

Background: With growing discussion about blood donor remuneration, the present study examined the level of payment that may be required to convince individuals to engage in whole blood, plasma, and platelet donations.

Study Design And Methods: Anonymous online surveys were completed by a college sample [n = 490; 76.9% female; Mean Age = 20.

Assessing motivations for non-living and living organ donation among individuals with and without a history of blood donation.

Objectives: The current study investigated relationships between a history of blood donation, registration as a non-living and living organ donor, and differential motivations.

Background: Motivational commonalities exist between blood and organ donors, but there is no prior data on the relationships between blood donation history and both living and non-living organ donor registration and motivation.

Methods/materials: Participants completed online surveys assessing blood donation history, organ donor registration and interest, and motivations related to donation behaviour.

Results from the blood donor competence, autonomy, and relatedness enhancement (blood donor CARE) randomized trial.

Background: This study aimed to promote competence, autonomy, and relatedness among first-time whole blood donors to enhance intrinsic motivation and increase retention.

Study Design And Methods: Using a full factorial design, first-time donors (N = 2002) were randomly assigned to a no-treatment control condition or to one of seven intervention conditions designed to promote donation competence, autonomy, relatedness, a combination of two (e.g.

Assessing the impact of an automated Web-based motivational interview on the intention and return behavior of Australian O-negative donors.

Background: O-negative donors are a critical resource for blood collection agencies, and their recruitment and retention provides an ongoing challenge. Motivational interviewing shows promise as a tool to promote donor retention, although concerns about scalability remain. The current study examined the effect of an automated Web-based interview drawing on motivational interviewing and self-determination theory on O-negative donors' motivation, intention, and behavior.

Donation related fears predict vasovagal reactions and donor attrition among high school donors.

Background: This longitudinal study of high school whole blood donors examined relationships among donation-related fears assessed prior to donation, vasovagal reactions to donation, and the proportion of donors who attempted another donation over the subsequent 60 weeks.

Study Design And Methods: Data regarding vasovagal reactions and attempted donation were obtained from donor records of 530 female and 342 male high school donors who answered questions about five types of fear (ie, of blood draw, needles, seeing blood, feeling pain, or fainting) prior to their index donation.

Results: Each type of fear was associated with an increased risk of vasovagal reactions (all P < .

Pain resilience, pain catastrophizing, and executive functioning: performance on a short-term memory task during simultaneous ischemic pain.

Among pain researchers there is a growing interest in the relationship between psychological resilience and pain experience. Whereas much of this work has focused on individual differences in pain perception or sensitivity, an equally important dimension of resilience is the capacity to persist with goal-directed activity despite experiencing pain. Consistent with this latter focus, the current study examined how pain resilience and pain catastrophizing combine to moderate the effects of ischemic pain on short-term memory task performance.

Examination of the relationship between iron status and cognitive function among healthy young women with and without a recent history of blood donation.

Background: With growing awareness of the prevalence of nonanemic iron deficiency among blood donors, there is a need to explore the extent of potential negative consequences. This study examined the relationship between various measures of iron status, blood donation history, and neuropsychological and psychosocial functioning in healthy young women.

Study Design And Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 160 female undergraduates completed neuropsychology tests and measures of sleep, fatigue, quality of life, and depression before providing a blood sample.

Emotional mechanisms and format effects of motivational questions for blood donation.

Unlabelled: Prior studies suggest that responding to online motivational questions increases blood donation intention. The present studies were designed to extend these findings by (a) exploring the impact of methodologic variations in the content and order of administration of specific questions on donation intention and (b) examining anticipated positive and negative emotional reactions as potential mediators.

Study Design And Methods: In the first study, 4709 respondents (51.

Preference for whole blood versus plasma donation among university students.

Background And Objectives: Debate continues about whether monetary payments encourage or discourage self-motivated behaviour such as blood donation. With the growing number of paid plasma donation centres in the United States, and the ongoing challenge to recruit and retain volunteer blood donors, a better understanding of the impact of compensation on donation preferences is essential.

Material And Methods: A sample of 459 undergraduate students (73·9% female, mean age =18·9, SD = 1·3 years) completed an anonymous online survey that included a question about their preference for donating blood, donating plasma or neither.

A randomized controlled trial of a tablet-based intervention to address predonation fears among high school donors.

Background: Prior studies have shown donation-related fear to be associated with decreased donor confidence and an increased risk for vasovagal reactions. This study examined the effects of a predonation intervention that provided fearful donors with suggestions for coping.

Study Design And Methods: Using a tablet-based application, high school donors (49.

Predonation fears identify young donors at risk for vasovagal reactions.

Background: Extending existing research on the relationship between predonation fear of having blood drawn and risk for vasovagal reactions among young donors, this study assessed the predictive power of specific donation-related fears.

Study Design And Methods: After the health screening, high school whole blood donors (59.5% female) were randomly assigned into one of three groups.

An automated motivational interview promotes donation intention and self-efficacy among experienced whole blood donors.

Background: Interventions intended to motivate donors to return can be costly and time consuming. The current study examined the effect of a Web-based automated interview, informed by motivational interviewing and self-determination theory, on donor intention, motivation, and behavior in a sample of highly experienced donors.

Study Design And Methods: Approximately 1 week after donating, 1177 highly experienced whole blood donors (mean prior donations, 35.

Estimating the risk of blood donation fainting for self versus others: the moderating effect of fear.

Background: People overestimate the likelihood that blood donors will experience faint and prefaint reactions, particularly if they are themselves fearful of having blood drawn. This study investigated the influence of making a risk assessment for oneself versus others, and examined whether providing information about the low base rates of reactions affected donation attitude, anxiety, and intention.

Study Design And Methods: An anonymous online survey was completed by 3702 individuals (53.

Online responses to motivational interview questions enhance blood donation intention.

Background: A motivational interview may promote blood donor retention, but live interviews can be costly. To address this challenge, we conducted two studies to examine the impact of online delivery of motivational interview content on donation intention.

Study Design And Methods: In Study 1, a total of 3883 respondents (52.

Fear of blood draw is associated with inflated expectations of faint and prefaint reactions to blood donation.

Background: Although the risk of fainting and prefaint reactions (e.g., dizziness, lightheadedness) is low during blood donation, there is evidence that this risk remains a concern for many donors.

The Development of a Social Networking-Based Relatedness Intervention Among Young, First-Time Blood Donors: Pilot Study.

Background: Increasing repeat blood donation behavior is a critical public health goal. According to self-determination theory, the process of developing internal motivation to give blood and an associated self-identity as a blood donor may be promoted by feelings of “relatedness” or a connection to other donors, which may be enhanced through social relations and interactions.

Objective: The purpose of this report it to describe the development and pilot testing of a social networking-based (Facebook) intervention condition designed to increase feelings of relatedness via virtual social interaction and support.

Fear of donation-related stimuli is reported across different levels of donation experience.

Background: This study aimed to characterize the extent of donation-related fears among donors with different levels of donation experience.

Study Design And Methods: A sample of 1054 recent donors (48.3% female; mean ± SD age 33.

A motivational interview promotes retention of blood donors with high internal motivation.

Background: Based on the hypothesis that self-determined motivation is associated with an increased likelihood of future behavior, the present study examined the ability of a motivational interview to promote internal motivation for giving blood and future donation attempts.

Study Design And Methods: A sample of 484 recent whole-blood and double red blood cell donors (62.4% female; age = 30.

Donating blood on a regular basis appears to reduce blood pressure, but appearances can be deceiving.

Background: Previous studies have reported a relationship between blood donation and decreased risk for cardiovascular events, and it has been proposed that this may be due to a lowering of blood pressure among hypertensive individuals who donate on a regular basis.

Study Design And Methods: With the use of a retrospective longitudinal analysis, predonation blood pressure readings were examined across consecutive whole blood donations for New York Blood Center donors. With blood pressure levels recorded at the first, second, third, and fourth donations, the sample was divided into three subgroups including high (≥140 mmHg), intermediate (>100 and <40 mmHg), and low (≤100 mmHg) systolic blood pressure (SBP).

Applying self-determination theory to the blood donation context: The blood donor competence, autonomy, and relatedness enhancement (Blood Donor CARE) trial.

The Blood Donor Competency, Autonomy, and Relatedness Enhancement (Blood Donor CARE) project was designed as a practical application of self-determination theory to encourage retention of first-time donors. Self-determination theory proposes that people are more likely to persist with behaviors that are internally-motivated, and that externally-motivated behavior can evolve and become internalized given the appropriate socio-environmental conditions. According to self-determination theory, motivation to engage in blood donation may become increasingly self-determined if the behavior satisfies fundamental human needs for competence (a sense of self-efficacy to achieve specific goals), autonomy (a sense of volitional control over one's behavior), and relatedness (a sense of connection to a larger group).

A brief motivational interview with action and coping planning components enhances motivational autonomy among volunteer blood donors.

Background: In contrast to standard donor retention strategies (e.g., mailings, phone calls, text messages), we developed a brief telephone interview, based on motivational interviewing principles, that encourages blood donors to reflect upon their unique motivators and barriers for giving.

Fear of blood draw and total draw time combine to predict vasovagal reactions among whole blood donors.

Background: Fear of blood draws is a predictor of vasovagal reaction risk among whole blood donors, and this relationship is particularly evident among less experienced donors. This study examines the combined effect of donor fear and total blood draw time on vasovagal reactions.

Study Design And Methods: After successfully completing the blood donor health screening, 2730 whole blood donors attending high school drives were asked about their fear of having blood drawn.