The Effects of Behavioral Aspects on Blood Donation. An International Systematic Literature Review

Abstract or Introduction

This thesis aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted factors that drive blood donation, by dissecting existing international literature and considering various research categories, thus painting a detailed landscape of the current insights in this field.

Blood is a valuable and irreplaceable healthcare resource used in various medical services ranging from surgeries and childbirth to treating cancer and other blood diseases. Despite its importance, its supply precariously relies on voluntary donations. By taking a systematic international approach to the existing literature, this thesis endeavors to report and comment on its findings unbiasedly and inclusively. It borrows six categories of existing research from previous scholarship: (1) Theory of Planned Behavior, (2) prosocial motivation, (3) affective expectations, (4) donor site experience, (5) past donation behavior, and (6) donor demographics. A combination of phrases and Boolean operators was queried to various databases, and the subsequent findings were then systematically whittled down to 22 relevant works. These studies can be thought of as driven by three goals: 1) explaining what motivates the act of donation, often in a specific sample used to describe a local or national majority population, 2) understanding the motivations for repeat donation, or 3) exploring the motivations of ethnic minority populations with lower donation rates than the majority. These studies often employed the Theory of Planned Behavior and found that perceived control, external and internal was important in crafting donation intentions. Attitudes, especially those about the possible emotional results of donation, were also important. Among those considering prosocial motivations, barriers related to expected pain, fainting, or inconvenience hold potential donors back. However, some authors argued that highly motivated individuals could overcome barriers related to external control. Adverse reactions to donations are both a source of anxiety for non-donors and a reason for some donors to lapse. Affective expectations are related to those fears and experiences. Demographics have some impact, especially with women appearing more motivated to donate and more likely to express concerns about fainting. [...]