Motivations to donate blood and plasma: A scoping review of quantitative studies

Effective recruitment and retention of donors are essential for the supply of blood components and blood-derived medicines. In many high-income Western countries, there is an imbalance between demand and production of blood-derived medicines. Motivational factors behind donations range from altruism and health concerns to incentives or responding to a need from friends or family. Motivations might differ according to beliefs and social norms. The aim of this review was to identify the motivations that influence blood and plasma donation behavior in high-income Western countries.

We conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL for studies published from 2013 onwards that examined motivations for blood or plasma donation in high-income Western countries. Reported motivations were coded and grouped into predefined categories and subcategories.

Thirty-eight studies including 147,010 participants met the inclusion criteria. Most studies assessed motivations for blood donation, while few focused on plasma donation. Across studies, prosocial motivations were the most frequently reported drivers of donation. Among blood donors, altruistic reasons such as helping others and social responsibility predominated. Non-donors more often cited collectivist motives, such as donating when a friend or relative needed blood. For plasma donation, prosocial motivations remained important, although incentives were cited more often than for blood donation.

Prosocial motivations, particularly altruism and personal values, are the main drivers of blood and plasma donation in high-income Western countries. However, motivations vary across donor groups and between blood and plasma donation.