Abstract

Factors Influencing the Levels of Recruitment for Blood Donations in Saudi Arabia

Author(s):Yousef Duhaim A. Al-Rashdi, Saleh Hadi Alharbi, Fahad A. Alateeq, Ibrahim Bin Ahmed, Abdul Rahman Ali A. Alsogair, Thamer Z. Aldugieman and Hussain Gadelkarim Ahmed

Background: Understanding the blood donor motivations is essential in successful efficient donor recruitment and retention strategies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess some factors that influence the levels of recruitment for blood donations in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in the city of Hail, Northern Saudi Arabia. Data for blood donation was obtained from 700 Saudi volunteers living in the city of Hail. Participants were randomly selected by simple random regardless of age, gender, and education or occupation. Results: The overall individuals, who made a previous donation was 355/700 (50.7%). When the participants were asked whether they made a previous unavoidable donation, 156/355 (44%) answered: “Yes, have a previous donation for relative or friend”. On asking the participant “did you go intentionally to donate or you got over it by a coincidence”, about 266/700 (38%) participants, answered “yes I use to go for donation purposely” and 65/700 (9.3%) answered, “I did it as coincidence”. Conclusion: Only a small number of people intending to give a voluntary blood donation, which might be due to lack of awareness towards blood donation. The great majority of those experienced previous blood donations were due to unavoidable donation (for relative or friend). Religious, education, occupation factors should be considered in recruitment besides other known factors.

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