Features of Russians’ participation in blood donation: infl uence of blood donation frequency and sociodemographic characteristics

Introduction. The issues of public participation in voluntary non-remunerated blood donation are among the priority areas of state policy in the fi eld of healthcare. Despite signifi cant progress, contemporary demographic, geopolitical, and other challenges underscore the relevance of research in this area, which has not yet been widely explored in Russia.

Aim: to identify the characteristics of Russians’ participation in blood donation.

Materials and methods. The study employs an original sociological methodology, tested through a mass survey of blood donors (n = 402) conducted from July to September 2024 at the Vologda Regional Blood Transfusion Station No. 1.

Results. Blood donors were found to be a highly heterogeneous community, with motivation for participation in blood donation varying signifi cantly depending on socio-demographic factors and donation frequency. The latter factor proved to be one of the most important in developing effective interaction strategies between blood services and the population. Differences between fi rst-time and regular donors were revealed in their willingness to continue donating, awareness of the need for specifi c blood types, satisfaction with their visits to the blood transfusion station (BTS), etc. These factors should be taken into account in order to enhance voluntary non-remunerated blood donation.

Conclusion. The survey results provided a basis for identifying promising directions for improving donor information systems and the BTS operations. Among the main measures: implementing a fl exible appointment system for blood donation, reducing wait times for an appointment with a specialist and the donation procedure, increasing donor awareness, improving the work of the ”donor traffi c light“ system, sending mobile teams to for on-site workplace donations, placing outdoor donation advertisements and providing reserved parking for donors.

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