MMSL X:X | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2025.004

BLOOD DONOR MOTIVATION IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTIVATIONAL FACTORSOriginal article

Pavlína Rabasová ORCID...1*, Karel Pavlica ORCID...1, Roman Pospíšil ORCID...1, Hana Konečná ORCID...2, Zuzana Čermáková ORCID...3
1 Department of Health and Social Studies, Faculty of Social Studies, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
2 Institute of the Humanities in Helping Professions, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
3 Blood Centre of University Hospital Ostrava, Czech Republic

Introduction: The motivation of donors to donate substances of human origin, such as blood and its components, bone marrow, gametes, and others, is influenced by various factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics, motivational factors, and the level of social competence.

Aim: To describe and analyse the motivation of donors to donate blood and blood components in relation to sociodemographic characteristics and motivational factors at the Blood Centre of the University Hospital Ostrava.Design and Methods: Quantitative research based on an anonymous questionnaire survey, followed by inferential analysis of bivariate data. The self-designed questionnaire included 13 questions focusing on motivation to donate, donation experience, anonymity in donation, and sociodemographic data (gender, age, education, size of place of residence, monthly household income, and type of profession).

Results: Six of the nine motivational factors were found to be statistically associated with sociodemographic characteristics. Age influenced attitudes towards commemorative medals (p=0,013). Gender was significant for four factors: the publication of donor lists (p=0,050), special health insurance (p=0,003), media coverage of donor and recipient stories (p=0,000), and more targeted information campaigns (p=0,013). Education was associated with declared donor preference in the event of an organ shortage (p=0,010) and with the publicity of donor lists (p=0,048). Household income was significant in relation to commemorative medals (p=0,000) and declared donor preference in cases of organ shortage (p=0,003). The results of our research supported the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR) research study No. TL05000144, which formulated, for example, basic principles of compensation for donation in the Czech Republic and fundamental recommendations for recruitment campaigns targeting living body part donors.

Conclusions: Motivating donors to donate human substances plays a key role in sustaining the health system and saving lives. Understanding individual donor characteristics and preferences is important for developing motivational strategies to encourage new and existing donors to donate. Our research findings contribute to the targeted sustainability of blood and blood component donation programmes.

Keywords: Substances of Human Origin; Blood and Plasma Donors; Social Determinants; Sociodemographic Characteristics; Motivation

Received: May 26, 2025; Revised: June 25, 2025; Accepted: August 13, 2025; Prepublished online: August 25, 2025 

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