Evaluation of attitudes and barriers toward blood donation in volunteer blood donors in Mashhad city (Northeast of Iran)

Background: Blood transfusion services are responsible for providing blood products. Knowing the parameters that affect people’s decision to donate blood will help respond to this demand. This study was designed to assess the attitudes and barriers toward blood donation among volunteer donors in Mashhad (Northeast of Iran) during 2014-2015. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization centers in Mashhad. A total of 640 volunteer blood donors, including first-time and frequent donors, attended this study. The questionnaire was designed based on similar studies, and the reliability and validity were controlled. A questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice questions was provided to the participants. SPSS software was used for data analysis. The Student’s t-test was used, and P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Among the 640 participants, 80% completed and returned the questionnaire. Of the participants, 474 (92.5%) were male and 38 (7.4%) were female. A total of 114 donors were first-time donors, and the others had donated blood before. The most important motivations for blood donation included altruism: 249 (91.88%) among frequent donors and 76 (85.40%) among first-time donors. Other factors such as social influences also played a role. Lack of time (73.80%) was the most important barrier to blood donation among the first-time donors. Conclusion: The results showed that the most important motive and barrier for blood donation were altruism and lack of time, respectively. In other words, paying attention to the motivations and barriers of blood donation can play an important role in attracting and retaining blood donors.