Predicting blood donation maintenance: the importance of planning future donations

BACKGROUND: Interventions to retain blood donors need to target the most influential and changeable factors. This study tested antecedents of three successive donation decisions. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were donors who had donated for the first time 1 year previous (n = 1018). Intention to continue donating, vasovagal reactions, deferral, anxiety, and planning failure were measured. Analyses distinguished between 1) those who registered for donation after questionnaire completion, versus those who did not; 2) those who did or did not register for donation a second time after questionnaire completion; and 3) those who did or did not register for donation a third time after questionnaire completion. RESULTS: Three logistic regression analyses showed that the first donation decision was influenced by intention (odds ratio [OR], 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-2.21), number of donations made in the first year (OR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.81-3.06), vasovagal reactions (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.97), and planning failure (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70-0.95). The second donation decision was influenced by intention (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.06-1.95) and planning failure (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57-0.78), while the third decision was influenced only by planning failure (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-1.00). CONCLUSION: This indicates that for new donors, retention efforts should focus on the promotion of a positive intention and decreasing vasovagal reactions. However, decreasing planning failure could be an even better investment since planning seems to determine long-term retention.