Habitual and committed blood donors: motivational factors for adhesion to the program - doi:10.5020/18061230.2006.p61

Abstract

Blood, irreplaceable human product, is used in different situations and illness, such as: surgeries, accidents, anemia and others. This study aimed at recognizing the profile and motivational factors that effectively influenced the adhesion to a blood donation program. The research, descriptive in nature and with a quantitative and qualitative approach, was carried out with committed donors from the Regional Hematology Center of Crato – Ceará – Brazil. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire. The studied variables were: the sex, the age group and the educational level. As for the qualitative aspect, the motivation for blood donation was questioned. The data was collected in January and February 2003. Data analysis revealed a predominance of young committed donors with high educational level. The motives for donation were divided into three categories: facing the other, facing oneself and external influences. Solidarity was the predominant motive for first donation, but subsequently there was evidence of the awareness of collective co-responsibility as a motivational factor for adhesion to the commitment program. These results increase the knowledge about the role of educational actions that have been carried out and may subsidize the structuring of new awareness-raising campaigns for spontaneous blood donation. The female participation is advancing but still requires new and continuous demystifying and incitement actions.