Determinants of Blood Donation Status in Malaysia: Profiling the Non-Donors, Occasional Donors, and Regular Donors Determinants of Blood Donation Status in Malaysia: Profiling the Non-Donors, Occasional Donors, and Regular Donors
Main Article Content
Abstract
The blood shortage situation is a perennial concern in Malaysia. This study examines the sociodemographic and lifestyle related factors associated with blood donation status of non-donors, occasional donors, and regular donors. Discerning the donation status of blood donors is important as studies have noted that it is more cost-effective to reactivate occasional (consisting of existing or former) donors than to recruit new donors. Based on stratified random sampling measures, primary data were obtained from 550 Malaysian adults aged 18–60 years from Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Ordered probit analysis was conducted and marginal effects of various factors on blood donation status calculated. Results indicate that sociodemographic factors associated with donor status include gender, marital status, education level, and income level. Lifestyle related factors affecting donor status comprise working hours, family history, and fear of the donation process. It is concluded that donor awareness and education programs should be focused on females, singles, and individuals in the lower socioeconomic echelons. Donor recipients. Measures should be implemented to accommodate busy people and those fearful of the donation process. These strategies could be undertaken not only in Malaysia but also in other countries with comparable sociodemographic and health care settings.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Belsley, D. A., E. Kuh and R. E. Welsch. 2004. Detecting and assessing collinearity. In Regression diagnostics: Identifying influential data and sources of collinearity. New York: Wiley.
Bernama. 2015. Subramaniam: Only 2.2 % of Malaysian population donate blood. The Sun Daily, 14 June.
Boulware, L. E., L. E. Ratner, P. M. Ness, L. A. Cooper, S. Campbell-Lee, T. A. LaVeist and N. R. Powe. 2002. The contribution of sociodemographic, medical, and attitudinal factors to blood donation among the general public. Transfusion 42(6): 669–678. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1537-2995.2002.00120.x
Burgdorf, K. S., J. Simonsen, A. Sundby, K. Rostgaard, O. B. Pedersen, E. Sørensen, K. R. Nielsen, et al. 2017. Socio-demographic characteristics of danish blood donors. PLOS ONE 12(2): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169112
Carrier, É., M. S. Cloutier and J. Charbonneau. 2015. Cities, villages, and suburbs: What sets them apart when it comes to giving blood? Canadian Geographer 59(4): 447–460. https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12219
Cimaroli, K. 2012. The frequency of blood donation in Canada: An exploration of individual and contextual determinants. Masters thesis, School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University.
Department of Statistics Malaysia. 2008. Social statistics bulletin Malaysia 2008. Putrajaya: Department of Statistics Malaysia.
Dilsad, S., O. Tanriover, S. Hidiroglu, Y. Gurbuz, and M. Karavus. 2014. "Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Turkish women towards blood donation. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association 64(8): 869–873.
Edgren, G., T. N. Tran, H. Hjalgrim, K. Rostgaard, A. Shanwell, K. Titlestad, A. Wikman, et al. 2007. Improving health profile of blood donors as a consequence of transfusion safety efforts. Transfusion 47(11): 2017–2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2007.01425.x
Gillespie, T. W. and C. D. Hillyer. 2002. Blood donors and factors impacting the blood donation decision. Transfusion Medicine Reviews 16(2): 115–130. https://doi.org/10.1053/tmrv.2002.31461
Glynn, S. A., G. B. Schreiber, E. L. Murphy, D. Kessler, M. Higgins, D. J. Wright, S. Mathew, Y. Tu, M. King and J. W. Smith. 2006. Factors influencing the decision to donate: Racial and ethnic comparisons. Transfusion 46(6): 980–990. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2006.00831.x
Guest, J. F., V. Munro and R. F. Cookson. 1998. The annual cost of blood transfusions in the United Kingdom. Transfusion Medicine 20(2): 111–118. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2257.1998.00112.x
Healy, K. 2000. Embedded altruism: Blood collection regimes and the European union's donor population. American Journal of Sociology 105(6): 1633–1657. https://doi.org/10.1086/210468
Holdershaw, J., P. Gendall and M. Wright. 2003. Predicting willingness to donate blood. Australasian Marketing Journal 11(1): 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3582(03)70120-7
Hollingsworth, B. and J. Wildman. 2004. What population factors influence the decision to donate. Transfusion Medicine 14(1): 9–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0958-7578.2004.00473.x
Hupfer, M. E., D. W. Taylor and J. A. Letwin. 2005. Understanding Canadian student motivations and beliefs about giving blood. Transfusion 45(2): 149–61. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2004.03374.x
Jabatan Perdana Menteri. 2010. Government transformation programme. Report. Putrajaya: Prime Ministers Office. https://doi.10.1007/s13398-014-0173-7.2.
James, A. B., D. G. Demmons, G. B. Schreiber, C. D. Hillyer, and B. H. Shaz. 2011. Contribution of attitudinal factors to blood donation in African American church attendees. Transfusion 51(1): 158–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2010.02775.x
Kamhieh-Milz, S., J. Kamhieh-Milz, Y. Tauchmann, T. Ostermann, Y. Shah, U. Kalus, A. Salama and A. Michalsen. 2016. Regular blood donation may help in the management of hypertension: An observational study on 292 blood donors. Transfusion 56(3): 637–644. https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.13428
Kasraian, L. 2010. Causes of discontinuity of blood donation among donors in Shiraz, Iran: Cross-sectional study. Sao Paulo Medical Journal 128(5): 272–275. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-31802010000500006
Leitman, S. F., J. N. Browning, Y. Y. Yau, G. Mason, H. G. Klein, C. Conry-Cantilena and C. D. Bolan. 2003. Hemochromatosis subjects as allogeneic blood donors: A prospective study. Transfusion 43(11): 1538–1544. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1537-2995.2003.00570.x
Lim, C. W. 2014. Top 10 things you didn't know about blood donation. The Star, 2 August. Maddala, G. S. 1986. Limited-dependent and qualitative variables in econometrics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Marantidou, O., L. Loukopoulou, E. Zervou, G. Martinis, A. Egglezou, P. Fountouli, P. Dimoxenous, M. Parara, M. Gavalaki, and A. Maniatis. 2007. Factors that motivate and hinder blood donation in Greece. Transfusion Medicine 17(6): 443– 450. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3148.2007.00797.x
McCullagh, P. 1980. Regression models for ordinal data (with discussion). Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 42 (Series B): 109–142.
McKelvey, R. D. and W. Zavoina. 1975. A statistical model for the analysis of ordinal level dependent variables. The Journal of Mathematical Sociology 4(1): 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/0022250X.1975.9989847
Mesch, D. J., M. S. Brown, Z. I. Moore and A. D. Hayat. 2011. Gender differences in charitable giving. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 16(4): 342–355. https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.432
Ministry of Health Malaysia. 2014. Annual report 2014. Putrajaya: Ministry of Health Malaysia. http://www.moh.gov.my/english.php/pages/view/56.
______. 2011. Annual report 2011. Putrajaya: Ministry of Health Malaysia. http://www.moh.gov.my/english.php/pages/view/196.
______. 2009. Annual report 2009. Putrajaya: Ministry of Health Malaysia. http://www.moh.gov.my/english.php/pages/view/196.
______. 2007. Annual report 2007. Putrajaya: Ministry of Health Malaysia. http://www.moh.gov.my/english.php/pages/view/196.
______. 2006. Malaysia's health 2006. Putrajaya: Ministry of Health Malaysia. http://moh.gov.my/images/gallery/publications/mh/MalaysiaHealth2006-2.pdf.
Misje, A. H., V. Bosnes, O. Gåsdal and H. E. Heier. 2005. Motivation, recruitment and retention of voluntary non-remunerated blood donors: A survey-based questionnaire study. Vox Sanguinis 89(4): 236–244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1423-0410.2005.00706.x
Ngim, C. F., N. M. Lai, H. Ibrahim and V. Ratnasingam. 2013. Attitudes towards prenatal diagnosis and abortion in a multi-ethnic country: A survey among parents of children with thalassaemia major in Malaysia. Journal of Community Genetics 4(2): 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-012-0133-x
Ou-Yang, J., C.-H. Bei, B. He and X. Rong. 2017. Factors influencing blood donation: A cross-sectional survey in Guangzhou, China. Transfusion Medicine. 27(4): 256– 267. https://doi.org/10.1111/tme.12410
Ou, Y., K. K. W. Yau, C. M. Poon, Y. V. Hui, S. S. Lee and C. K. Lee. 2015. Donation frequency and its association with demographic characteristics: A 1-year observational study. Transfusion Medicine 25 (6): 366–73. https://doi.org/10.1111/tme.12267
Penang Institute. 2014. Population by ethnicity and age, Penang 2014. In Data asas sosioekonomi negeri Pulau Pinang (Penang in numbers) 2014/2015, 1–158. Penang, Malaysia: Penang Institute.
Piliavin, J. A. and P. L. Callero. 1991. Giving blood: The development of an altruistic identity. The Johns Hopkins Series in Contemporary Medicine and Public Health. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.
Powers, D. A. and Y. Xie. 2008. Statistical methods for categorical data analysis. 2nd ed. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Saberton, P. J., A. Paez, K. B. Newbold and N. M. Heddle. 2009. Geographical variations in the correlates of blood donor turnout rates: An investigation of Canadian metropolitan areas. International Journal of Health Geographics 8(1): 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-072X-8-56
Shenga, N., K. R. Thankappan, C. C. Kartha and R. Pal. 2010. Analyzing sociodemographic factors amongst blood donors. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock 3(1): 21–25. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2700.58667
Stewart, K. R., C. R. France, A. W. Rader and J. C. Stewart. 2006. Phlebotomist interpersonal skill predicts a reduction in reactions among volunteer blood donors. Transfusion 46(8): 1394–1401.
The Star. 2010. Thalassaemia at a glance. 6 June. Veldhuizen, I. J. T, C. J. M. Doggen, F. Atsma and W. L. A. M. De Kort. 2009. Donor profiles: Demographic factors and their influence on the donor career. Vox Sanguinis 97(2): 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1423-0410.2009.01201.x
Volken, T., C. Weidmann, T. Bart, Y. Fischer, H. Klüter and P. Rüesch. 2013. Individual characteristics associated with blood donation: A cross-national comparison of the German and Swiss population between 1994 and 2010. Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy 40(2): 133–138. https://doi.org/10.1159/000349985
Wiwanitkit, V. 2002. Knowledge about blood donation among a sample of Thai university students. Vox Sanguinis 83(2): 97–99. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1423-0410.2002.00209.x
Wooi Seong, K. 2017. Overcoming blood supply challenges in multi-ethnic donor and patient populations: The Malaysia experience. International Society of Blood Transfusion 12(1): 4–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/voxs.12329
Wooi Seong, K., V. Raffeal and Y. Ayob. 2014. Adopting a proactive approach to blood shortages: Experience from the national blood centre, Malaysia. ISBT Science Series 9(1): 189–192. https://doi.org/10.1111/voxs.12104
World Health Organization. 2016. Blood safety and availability: Factsheet. Geneva: World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs279/en/.
______. 2012. Blood donor selection: Guidelines on assessing donor suitability for blood donation. Geneva: World Health Organization. http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/76724.
______. 2010. Towards 100% voluntary blood donation: A global framework for action. Geneva: World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/bloodsafety/publications/9789241599696/en/.