Objective
To obtain information to devise strategies for a voluntary blood donor mobilisation campaign in Barbados.
Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that 100% blood should be collected from voluntary non‐remunerated donors (VNRD), yet the majority of blood donations (75%) in Barbados are family/replacement donations. Increasing VNRD is paramount to achieving a safe, reliable blood supply, and understanding the population is a strategy suggested by the WHO to inform donor recruitment and education.
Methods
Participants in Barbados (n = 429) completed a self‐administered questionnaire in 2014. The questionnaire comprised 31 questions, including demographics (age, gender, highest educational attainment) and blood donation‐related knowledge, attitudes and practices. Analysis of variance, t‐test and linear regression were used to analyse data.
Results
A total of 53% (n = 219) of participants had previously donated blood; almost half were family/replacement donors, and over one‐third (36·2%) were lapsed donors and had not donated within the past 2 years. Knowledge deficits included blood donation requirements, deferral factors and maximum yearly donations. Most participants (79%) were willing to donate with more information. Participants with higher educational attainment and previous donors had higher total knowledge and attitude scores (P < 0·01). Single, female and younger participants were less likely to donate blood (P < 0·05).
Conclusions
Barbados can likely increase voluntary blood donation rates by addressing knowledge deficits through education campaigns and increasing awareness of the need for donation.