Iranian blood donors' motivations and their influencing factors

Aim: One of the challenges faced by blood transfusion services is the motivation of blood donors. The purpose of this study was to define the motivations of Iranian donors. Methodology: A total of 16 955 volunteers were studied to evaluate their motivation for blood donation in 2003 and 2004. A questionnaire was designed covering socio-demographic characteristics, history of blood donation and a list of reasons for donating. The donor physician determined the donor's motivation after an interview. Motivation was classified as internal (altruistic and religious beliefs) and external motives. Results: The main motivations were 6629 (39 . 1%) altruistic, 6552 (38 . 6%) good for one's health and 1931 (11 . 4%) religious beliefs. It was shown that 8560 volunteers (50 . 5%) had internal motivations and 8395 (49 . 5%) had external motivations. Internal motivations were significantly higher in women, regular and educated donors. Conclusion: This study showed that internal motives are the main reason for blood donation in Iranian donors, especially in female, regular and high-educated donors. Thus, altruistic and religious messages can be emphasized in recruiting and retaining donors, particularly in this group. Nearly half of the donors were motivated by external factors - mainly to improve their own health status, especially in older donors. This may be due to a psychological impact in which they feel improvement in their general health. As voluntary non-remunerated blood donation is defined without considering the motivational factor, one might consider a new term such as 'internal motivated voluntary blood donors' in accordance with their motivation and efforts could be centered about recruiting these specific donors.