Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Understanding the factors that motivate donors to donate blood will facilitate improvement in recruitment programs. Highlighting aspects of blood donation that are particularly motivating or attractive is important to both induct first-time donors and enable repeat donors to continue their donation behavior.
OBJECTIVE:
Assessment the motives for voluntary blood donation in the donors of Iraqi National Blood Bank through the study of sample of these donors.
DONORS AND METHODS:
This study conducted in the Iraqi National Blood Bank-Baghdad, in the period from November 2015 to February 2016. The persons who included in the study were voluntary donors, conveniently included in the study. A special form was prepared for each donor and a questionnaire is performed to fill the form.
RESULTS:
The study included 208 blood donors; the mean of age was 35.4 years with range of 18 to 60 years. One hundred and ninety eight (95%) donors were males while 10 (5%) females and Males: Female was 19.8:1. Forty donor (19%) donated the blood for the first time (first time donor) while 168 donors (81%) donated blood for more than one time.
The most common motive for blood donation as general, was humanity which was the motive in 89 donors (42.8%), followed by polycythemia (increased blood) which was the motive in 67 donors (32.2%), while patriotic motive was in 31 donors (14.9 %), followed by emergency motive in 14 donors (6.7%) while high blood pressure was the drive in 7 donors (3.4%).
CONCLUSION:
Most of the donors were in the forth decade of life and the majority were males. The most common motives for voluntary donation were humanity, increased blood, patriotic, emergency and high blood pressure
.