Voluntary blood donation in Guangzhou from 2009-2014

Abstract

Background: Blood Fee Reimbursement Policy (BFRP) in Guangzhou was implemented in 2004, where costs of blood use could be reimbursed from the Guangzhou Blood Center based on blood donation history. Required volume for donors and their family including spouse and lineal relatives being beneficiaries of BFRP in Guangzhou is 600ml/donor for whole blood donation or 1U/ donor for apheresis platelets donation.

Objective: To study influence of BFRP in Guangzhou and donors’ socio-demographics on voluntary blood donation.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Data: 1,113,608 donors from 2009-2014 were included for descriptive statistics and six random samples with 40,000 eligible donors in each sample were used for regression analysis.

Main outcomes: Total volume of blood products donated per donor, frequency of donations per donor and volume per donation.

Results: 1% Whole blood donors (Odds ratio (OR): 5.72, 95% CI: 4.06-8.05) and 9% apheresis platelets donors (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.19-1.39) who had received blood fee reimbursement had higher odds to donate more than 600ml/donor and 1U/ donor respectively. Besides, 1% whole blood donors who had received blood fee reimbursement had higher frequency to donate blood (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.47-1.68) and higher odds to choose 400ml/donation (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.36-2.34). However, 3% apheresis platelets donors who had received blood fee reimbursement had lower frequency to donate blood (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63-0.9) and lower odds to choose 2U/donation (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.62-0.79).

Male donors had higher odds to donate more than 600ml/donor (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.17-1.34) and 1U/ donor (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.33-1.45), as well as higher frequency to donate whole blood (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05) and apheresis platelets (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.25 -1.38) and higher odds to choose 400ml/donation (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.63-1.78) and 2U/donation (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.71 -1.838).

Older donors were associated with higher odds to donate more than 600ml/donor but lower odds to donate more than 1U/donor, as well as higher frequency to donate whole blood and apheresis platelets and higher odds to choose 2U/donation. Donors in junior college group had lower frequency (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63-0.87) to donate apheresis platelets but higher odds (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.07-1.45) to choose 400ml/donation. Besides, donors had lower frequency to donate whole blood in senior high school group (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85-0.99) and below high school group (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.8-0.95) while higher odds to choose 400ml/donation in senior high school group (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.56-2.13) and below high school group (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.73-2.45).

Certain occupation groups including medical service, worker and peasant were associated with higher odds to donate more than 600ml/donor, as well as higher frequency to donate blood and higher odds to choose 400ml/donation.

Conclusion: The findings suggested that BFRP in Guangzhou had limited impact to blood supply. Thus any changes to this policy might not affect volume and frequency of blood products donated substantially. More effort could be done on recruiting more female donors and retaining male donors and donors aged 18-25 in Guangzhou.