Giving Blood and Enrolling on the Stem Cell Donor Registry: Ranking of Obstacles and Motives in Switzerland

Abstract

Background: To obtain a better understanding of factors affecting blood and blood stem cell donation behavior in Switzerland, a series of studies has been performed. In the recent study of this series, which is described here, motivators and barriers in the field of blood and blood stem cell donation were identified. Methods: Web-based survey data from a non-random sample of the Swiss population 2012/2013 (n = 3,153) were used to describe and compare the ranking of motives and obstacles to donate blood and to enroll on the Swiss blood stem cell registry. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Spearman's rank correlations were used to assess differences and associations between ranks and groups. Results: The prospect of saving lives and solidarity were the top two motives to donate blood or to enroll on the blood stem cell registry. The top two obstacles to enroll on the blood stem cell registry were lack of general information on blood stem cell donation and on its risks, whereas the top two obstacles to donate blood were the lack of information where and when to donate and deferral of or exclusion from blood donation. Conclusion: Classical altruistic motives are top drivers for giving blood as well as registering for blood stem cell donation. Recruitment campaigns should focus on these motivators. Similarities in motivational factors as well as in obstacles regarding blood and blood stem cell donation can be found.

Blood donation across the life course: the influence of life events on donor lapse

“…Furthermore, previous donor studies have shown that nonmedical, self-reported reasons to stop donating blood, such as time constraints and decreased social connections, are notably related to life events such as childbirth and changing jobs (Piersma et al 2017). However, a major shortcoming of these studies is that they typically relied on cross-sectional data, measuring donor behavior and motivations at one point in time without taking into account that people and their behavior are susceptible to change (Bart et al 2014). While findings from these crosssectional analyses illustrated the potential influence of life events, it is not clear whether there exists a causal relationship with blood donor behavior over time.…”

Factors Influencing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation

“…Likewise, a study in Switzerland showed that a lack of general information about HSCD (52.6%) followed by the lack of risk information (34.6%) were the main reasons that prevented participants from donating [16]. Lack of trust in the health system was one of the main concerns and factors that hindered participants from donation in the current study.…”

“…A study in Switzerland assessed obstacles and motivations that influenced people's enrollment in blood stem cell donation registries or programs [16]. An Internet survey was used to collect data from 3153 participants.…”

“…The main motives for enrollment were the possibility of saving lives, solidarity with fellow humans, and increasing patients' chances for recovery. On the other hand, lack of general information and information about risks included in hematopoietic stem cell donation were the main obstacles to donation [16].…”

Donor Research - an Upcoming Field of Interest All Over the World!

“…In a Swiss study on motivators and barriers in the field of blood and stem cell donation, Bart et al [6] show that the prospect of saving lives and solidarity are the two major reasons to donate or to enroll in a donor registry. In contrast, lack of information and deferral were identified to be the two key problems.…”