Donation Patterns Research Articles

Herd behavior in public goods games.

The problem of free-riding arises when individuals benefit from a shared resource, service, or public good without contributing proportionately to its provision. This conduct often leads to a collective action problem, as individuals pursue personal gains while relying on the contributions of others. In this study, we present a Bayesian inference model to elucidate the behavior of participants in a public goods game, a conceptual framework that captures the essence of the free-riding problem. Here, individuals possess information on the distribution of group donations to the public good. Our model is grounded in the premise that individuals strive to harmonise their actions with the group's donation patterns. Our model is able to replicate behavioral patterns that resemble those observed in experiments with midsized groups (100 people), but fails to replicate those for larger scales (1000 people). Our results suggest that, in these scenarios, humans prefer imitation and convergence behaviors over profit optimization. These insights contribute to understanding how cooperation is achieved through alignment with group behavior.

Epidemiological Study and Seropositivity in Viral Panel Testing Among Corneal Tissue Donors.

Corneal tissue is a critical component for vision restoration through transplantation, yet the availability of suitable corneal tissue is limited. This limitation results in long waiting lists and high demand, especially in countries with lower donation rates compared to global benchmarks. In Mexico, the corneal donation rate remains significantly behind other Latin American countries and leading nations such as Spain. Understanding the characteristics of corneal tissue donors is essential for improving donation practices and addressing the shortage of available tissues. This descriptive retrospective study analyzed electronic medical records of cadaveric corneal donors at the General Regional Hospital 1 of the Mexican Social Security Institute of Querétaro from January 2022 to December 2023. Donors were included based on criteria such as age (2-85 years) and known cause of death. Exclusion criteria included age outside the specified range, neoplastic diseases, active systemic infections, and prior ocular surgeries. Serological testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV was performed to assess viral reactivity. Statistical analyses were conducted usingIBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), summarizing data with descriptive statistics. The study included 185 corneal donors with a mean age of 56.34 years. The majority were male (109; 58.9%), and the leading causes of death were cardiogenic shock (34; 18.4%), hypovolemic shock (31; 16.8%), and acute respiratory failure (30; 16.2%). Exclusion due to positive serological tests included seven donors (3.8%) for HIV and seven (3.8%) for SARS-CoV-2. A total of 16 donors (8.6%) were excluded due to positive results in the viral serological panel. The most common comorbidities were chronic kidney disease (36; 19.5%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (28; 15.1%), and systemic hypertension (31; 16.8%). The study highlights a predominantly male donor profile with a mean age of 56.34 years and emphasizes cardiogenic shock as a leading cause of death. The notably higher seropositivity rate of 8.6% for various viral infections compared to international reports indicates a need for improved health interventions and screening processes. The focus on cardiovascular and respiratory causes of death underscores regional health issues affecting donation patterns. To address the organ and tissue donation shortfall, it is crucial to enhance coordination within donation teams and increase public awareness, given the significant gap in donation rates compared to leading countries.

Exploring biorepository donation patterns, experiences, and recommendations: a mixed-methods study among Appalachian adults enrolled in a sugary drink reduction program.

Under-represented subgroups in biomarker research linked to behavioral health trials may impact the promise of precision health. This mixed methods study examines biorepository donations across an Appalachian sample enrolled in a sugary drink reduction intervention trial. Participants enrolled in the behavioral trial were asked to join an optional biomarker study and were tracked for enrollment and biospecimen returns (stool and/or buccal sample). At 6 months, participants completed a summative interview on decision-making process, experiences collecting samples, and recommendations to encourage biospecimen donation. Return rates were analyzed across demographics (i.e., age, gender, race, education, income, health literacy status, and rurality status) using chi-squares. Qualitative data were content coded with differences compared by biomarker study enrollment and donation choices. Of the 249 invited participants, 171 (61%) enrolled, and 63% (n = 157) returned buccal samples and 49% (n = 122) returned stool samples. Metro residing participants were significantly more likely (56%) to return stool samples compared to non-metro (39%) counterparts [x2(1) = 6.61; p = 0.01]. Buccal sample return had a similar trend, 67 and 57%, respectively for metro vs. non-metro [x2(1) = 2.84; p = 0.09]. An additional trend indicated that older (≥40 years) participants were more likely (55%) to donate stool samples than younger (43%) participants [x2(1) = 3.39; p = 0.07]. No other demographics were significantly associated with biospecimen return. Qualitative data indicated that societal (66-81%) and personal (41-51%) benefits were the most reported reasons for deciding to donate one or both samples, whereas mistrust (3-11%) and negative perceptions of the collection process (44-71%) were cited the most by those who declined one or both samples. Clear instructions (60%) and simple collection kits (73%) were donation facilitators while challenges included difficult stool collection kits (16%) and inconveniently located FedEx centers (16%). Recommendations to encourage future biorepository donation were to clarify benefits to science and others (58%), provide commensurate incentives (25%), explain purpose (19%) and privacy protections (20%), and assure ease in sample collection (19%). Study findings suggest the need for biomarker research awareness campaigns. Researchers planning for future biomarker studies in medically underserved regions, like Appalachia, may be able to apply findings to optimize enrollment.

Blood Donation Pattern and Characteristics of Blood Donors in Saudi Arabia

Background: Blood donation rates in Saudi Arabia are relatively low compared to other countries. Understanding the patterns and characteristics of blood donors is crucial for improving donation rates and ensuring a sustainable blood supply. This Study utilizes data from the Wateen App to examine blood donation patterns in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from individuals who registered on the Wateen App. The Study analyzed demographic information, donation frequency, blood group distribution, regional variations, temporal trends, and user satisfaction with the App. Statistical analyses were performed to identify significant findings.Results: The Study found that the majority of registered donors were male, with a higher proportion in the 25-35 age group. Most donors had donated once, while a small percentage had multiple donations. O+ blood group donors constituted the most significant proportion, followed by A+ and B+. The Eastern province had the highest incidence of registered donors. Over the years, there has been a gradual increase in the number of donors. There was no significant correlation between donation numbers and different months, seasons, or Ramadan.Conclusion: This Study provides insights into blood donation patterns in Saudi Arabia. Efforts should be made to address gender disparities, engage a wider age range of donors, promote donations among individuals with less common blood types, and improve donation infrastructure in regions with lower donation rates. The Wateen App has shown positive outcomes in enhancing donor engagement. Further research and collaborative efforts are necessary to improve the blood donation system in Saudi Arabia.

Exploring Blood Donation: Perspectives among Undergraduate Students in Peshawar, Pakistan

To improve voluntary donation and public health in the face of Pakistan's shifting regulations and challenges, it is crucial to comprehend the blood donation patterns of undergraduate students in Peshawar. Objective: To compare and assess undergraduate students in medical, allied health sciences, and non-medical fields in Peshawar, Pakistan, on their knowledge, attitudes, barriers to, and motivations for, blood donation. Methods: An eight-month observational cross-sectional study with 1232 undergraduate students from various academic fields was conducted. Participants were assessed through a comprehensive questionnaire regarding blood donation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.0, employing descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. Results: The study enrolled 1232 undergraduate students, with 65.2% male and 34.6% female participants. Among them, 82.3% were aware of their blood group. While 24.74% exhibited poor knowledge about blood donation, 62.98% demonstrated moderate knowledge, and 12.29% had good knowledge. Additionally, 39.9% had never donated blood, but 83.9% expressed willingness to donate in the future. Fear of needles (13.90%), fear of infection (13.20%), and medical unfitness (13.10%) were significant barriers, while motivations included saving lives (22.20%), helping friends and family (19.40%), and moral obligation (14.80%). Conclusions: The study concluded that undergraduate students in Peshawar possess a moderate level of understanding regarding blood donation, with medical students showing higher knowledge levels. Despite variations across disciplines, positive attitudes towards donation were common, indicating potential for increased voluntary donation

Donation barriers, enablers, patterns and predictors of milk bank donors in the United States and United Kingdom.

Pasteurised donor human milk is recommended for very low birthweight infants who do not have access to their mother's milk. Although the use of donor milk continues to increase, little is known about the donation experiences of milk bank donors. We aimed to describe and compare enablers, barriers and patterns of human milk donation and identify factors predicting donation volume in a convenience sample of approved milk bank donors in the United Kingdom and the United States. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from August 2022 to December 2022. Approved milk bank donors (n = 556) from three milk banks in the United States (n = 369, Mothers' Milk Bank of Florida, Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas and Northwest Mothers Milk Bank) and one milk bank in the United Kingdom (n = 187, Hearts Milk Bank) completed the survey. A substantial portion of donors in both settings reported participating in other forms of milk exchange (51% of U.S. donors vs. 39% of UK donors, p = 0.009). Top donation barriers reported in both settings were completing the serological screening and having enough space to store collected milk. Most donors started donating when their infant was 3 months old or older and reported donating mature milk. The most common source of information related to milk banking in each setting was the internet (United Kingdom-70% vs. United States - 63%, p = 0.112). Variables that predicted lifetime donation volume differed between the United States and the United Kingdom, highlighting the importance of setting-specific milk banking research.

On solid ground? Manumitted slaves, land ownership and registration in eighteenth-century Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT In pre-industrial societies subsistence agriculture played a crucial role in ensuring survival, not just for people born free, but also for those born into slavery. Within the legal framework of colonial structures, certain owners granted their enslaved individuals temporary usage rights to parcels of land upon their emancipation, and in rare cases, even bestowed permanent ownership. This article wants to study land ownership patterns of manumitted slaves in eighteenth-century Sri Lanka, when the island’s coastal territories were subject to the influence of the Dutch East India Company. By examining Dutch-language last wills from the period 1702 to 1765 we analyze the patterns of land donations by former owners to their freed slaves. By establishing connections between these donations and the detailed land registers of suburban districts surrounding the cities of Colombo and Galle, our objective is to uncover the shortand long-term implications of land ownership for the manumitted individuals and their families. Furthermore, this article also reflects on the implications of negotiated registration practices of such land ownership with a colonial power for the manumitted slaves. What did the label ‘manumitted’ or ‘free’ slave entail in Sri Lanka’s society, and how did registration in Dutch bureaucracy influence those labelling practices?

Explanation of the sociological patterns of organ donation: An analytical study.

In many countries, the consent of family members is required for organ donation from brain-dead patients who are potential candidates for organ donation. In this regard, knowing the factors affecting family members' decision for organ donation can help improve the conditions. This qualitative study aimed to identify the factors affecting family members' decision-making regarding donation of brain-dead patients' organs. This research applied qualitative research by focusing on the content analysis approach. The study started from April 2021 in Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan and Ayatollah Kashani in Shahrekord and continued until data saturation was reached (September 1401). Participants were assigned to one of three groups: brain-dead patients' family members who consented to organ donation, brain-dead patients' family members who declined to consent to organ donation, and people involved in the organ donation process. The sample was selected using the purposive sampling method. The data were collected using unstructured interviews and the field survey method. In this study, a qualitative content analysis with a contractual approach was used to analyze the data. The analysis of the collected data using different methods yielded 11 main categories, including 1) unresponsive healthcare system, 2) inadequate support from government systems, 3) weakness of social work organizations, 4) fear of being stigmatized, 5) cultural values, 6) symbolization, 7) perpetuation and the society's attitude, 8) development of personality system and generalism, 9) human values, 10) spiritual maturity, and 11) belief-religious challenges, leading finally to three themes, including 1) structural and functional weakness of systems, 2) sociocultural factors, and 3) worldview. The findings of the present research were able to identify the roots and social factors affecting Iranian families' decisions regarding the consent or nonconsent of brain-dead patient members. Health system administrators and organ donation committees in medical sciences universities in Iran can try to solve the shortage of donated organs by using the specific social aspects introduced in this study. It is also recommended to design effective models for more satisfaction of family members for brain death patient organ donation in healthcare based on the underlying concepts of this study.

Political contributions by American inventors: evidence from 30,000 cases

AbstractPolitical scientists know surprisingly little about the political behavior of inventors, or those who produce new technologies. I therefore merged US patent and campaign contribution (DIME) data to reveal the donation behavior of 30,603 American inventors from 1980 through 2014. Analysis of the data produces three major findings. First, the Democratic Party has made significant inroads among American inventors, but these gains increasingly come from only a few regions and flow to a relatively small number of candidates. Second, deeper geographic trends explain most of the change in aggregate donation patterns. Third, inventors do not strategically donate to candidates outside their own district and, since 2006, inventors increasingly contribute to relatively centrist employer PACs with weak ties to the Democratic Party. These findings suggest that the interaction between market-oriented policy and American electoral institutions may inhibit the formation of broad cross-regional coalitions to support the knowledge economy.

Comparison of Breastfeeding and Pumping Experiences of Milk Bank Donors in the United States and United Kingdom.

Background/Objective: As human milk banking services expand, information about lifestyle characteristics and infant feeding experiences of milk bank donors is relatively limited. Our goal was to describe and compare milk bank donors' demographic, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics, and breastfeeding experiences in a variety of geographic settings. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from August 2022 to December 2022 with approved donors from three milk banks in the United States (n = 369), and one milk bank in United Kingdom (n = 187). Results: Donors in all settings were predominantly in their early 30s, White, married, educated, and identified as female. U.K. donors reported more frequently being on maternity leave (33% versus 5%, p < 0.001), predominantly feeding directly at the breast in the first 3 months postpartum (51% versus 28%, p < 0.001), and breastfeeding a single child longer (21.2 versus 13.3 months, p < 0.001) than U.S. donors. Significantly more U.S. donors reported pumping due to work (34% versus 11%, p < 0.001) and pumping multiple times per day (57% versus 36%, p < 0.001). Most donors reported receiving information about breastfeeding from a health care provider (94% United States and 88% United Kingdom, p = 0.022), while the internet was the most popular source of information about pumping (65% United States and 64% United Kingdom, p = 0.751). Conclusion: Factors not directly related to milk banking (e.g., maternity leave, sources of breastfeeding/pumping assistance) may have an impact on how donors feed their children and ultimately on their milk donation pattern. The impact of donor characteristics and feeding practices on donation patterns warrants further investigation.

Union donations to community organisations and the dampening effect of government legislation: the case of Bill 32 in Alberta, Canada

ABSTRACT Unions in North America have a long history of financial support for charities, non-profits and other community-based organisations. However, very little research has been conducted into how much, to whom and why this financial support is provided. This article reports on a survey examining the financial donation patterns of unions in the Canadian province of Alberta. Alberta is chosen as the jurisdiction for the study as the provincial government recently enacted legislation (commonly referred to as Bill 32) that may force unions to reduce community-based donations, which would negatively impact those organisations and interfere with a core union function. The survey also examines how union financial support changes due to the implementation of this legislation. The study finds that a small but not insignificant percentage of union expenditures are devoted to community giving and that unions tend to donate to a narrow range of causes and organisations. It also finds that union responses to donation-dampening legislation were mixed, in part due to the politically controversial nature of the legislation.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Blood Donation Patterns: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Blood centers, which are arguably the backbone of every hospital, depend on blood donors for a constant and regular supply of blood. Like many other fields, the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected blood donations. In this article, we aim to systematically search the studies done on blood donation during the COVID-19 pandemic period, analyze the pandemic's effect on blood donation, and examine the methodology used to overcome the problem. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood donation. Two independent reviewers searched different databases, such as PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for overall study characteristics. We included a total of 15 studies. There was an overall decrease in blood donation of 25%, with some regions showing a decrease of as much as 71%. However, some regions were able to experience a 2-10% increase in blood donation after taking stringent and early measures to prevent such decreases. The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown greatly affected blood transfusion services, resulting in a progressive decline in blood donations that threatened the lives of many patients who were fully dependent on blood transfusion. However, by making appropriate and early decisions and taking action, policymakers and the rest of society can prevent such shortages, potentially saving millions of lives.

A non-clustered approach to platelet collection routing problem

One of the blood components that can be extracted from whole blood is the platelet, which has a wide range of uses in medical fields. Due to the perishable nature of platelets, it is recommended that the separation occurs within six hours after the donation. Moreover, platelets constitute less than one percent of the whole blood volume, yet they are highly demanded. Given the importance of platelets in healthcare, their perishability, and their limited supply, an effective platelet supply chain leans on well-managed whole blood collection operations. In this study, we consider a blood collection problem (BCP) focusing on the collection of whole blood donations from the blood donation sites (BDSs). Different from the basic form of BCP, we consider the processing time limit (PTL) of blood and arbitrary donation patterns of donors as well as relaxing the assumption of assigning each blood collection vehicle (BCV) to a set of BDSs. Therefore, we define the non-clustered maximum blood collection problem (NCMBCP) as a variant of BCP. In this study, we examine routing decisions for platelet collections while relaxing the clustering requirement from the BDSs, which results in a significant increase in the complexity of the problem. In order to solve the problem, we propose a hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) and an invasive weed optimization (IWO) algorithm that provide considerable improvements over the best solution in the literature for the clustered variant of the problem and outperform it (on average) by 8.68% and 8.16%, respectively.

Patterns of pharmaceutical supplies and medicines donations received during a natural disaster

BackgroundIn response to emergencies, such as wildfires, donations of pharmaceuticals often occur. These donations can be given directly by governments, to non-governmental organizations as corporate donations, or by private entities that donate to individual health institutions. ObjectiveThis paper aimed to collect, review and analyze pharmaceutical product donations received during the natural disaster caused by wildfires in the San Luis province, Argentina, in September and October 2020. MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study was performed. An introductory approach to good donation practices was also carried out. Medicines were classified and in the case of products that were not suitable for administration, these were discarded. ResultsA total of 15,593 units were segregated, of which 52.8% were over-the-counter products and 47.2% were prescription drugs. 86.3% (13,467 units) were accepted, while 13.7% (2126 units) had to be destroyed. The value of donations totaled USD 16,544. The analysis of the results showed that an important part of the donations was irrelevant in the emergency context. Donations were also received in incorrect amounts, which generated a large stock of medicines that couldn’t be used. In emergencies, inappropriate donations create additional work during sorting, storage, and distribution, increasing the time professionals need to complete tasks. This extra work can easily overwhelm limited human and logistical resources. ConclusionsIt is important to previously evaluate the real need for donations. In addition, the distribution of donations must be done through pre-established systems and policies. Otherwise, unsolicited and unnecessary drug donations become wasteful and should therefore be avoided.

Sour Grapes? Party Donors and Canadian Leadership Primaries

AbstractPolitical parties around the world are adopting primaries to select leaders and legislative candidates. While a large, though inconclusive, literature has emerged in the American context to explore the consequences of primaries, little attention has been devoted to other national contexts. Exploring patterns of financial donation, this study examines whether individuals who supported a losing leadership candidate are less likely to exhibit subsequent financial commitment to the party compared to those donors whose preferred candidate won the internal election. Drawing upon a novel dataset that includes tens of thousands of donors to recent leadership elections in Canada, we demonstrate that intra-party winners (i.e. those who supported the winning leadership candidate) are more likely to be financially committed to the party in the year after the election than those who supported losers. Results suggest that open and inclusive elections, while participatory in nature, may come at a cost for political parties as losers withdraw from the party in the wake of their loss.

Organ Donation and Transplantation among Non-US Citizens: Opportunities to Improve Global Equity in Heart Transplantation

BackgroundNon-US citizens/non-US residents (NCNR) are a unique and growing population. Patterns of heart donation and heart transplantation (HT) within this subgroup have not been described fully. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of organs from NCNR donors and the characteristics and outcomes of NCNR HT recipients. MethodsAll adult donors whose hearts were recovered for HT and all primary adult HT recipients from 2013 to 2020 were identified using the United Network for Organ Sharing. Donors and recipients were categorized as citizens, residents, or NCNR. NCNR were further categorized by reason for travel to the United States. Outcomes included mortality, infection, and rejection at 1-year after transplantation. ResultsNCNR accounted for 0.4% (n = 77) of heart donors. Most NCNR donors identified as Hispanic (61%), were predominately recovered from the South and Southwest United States, and were less likely to express written documentation to be a donor compared with citizens and residents. NCNR accounted for 0.7% (n = 147) of all HT recipients. The majority identified as non-Hispanic White individuals (57.1%). Compared with citizens and residents, NCNR recipients seemed to be sicker, as evidenced by higher intra-aortic balloon pump use before HT and higher priority United Network for Organ Sharing status. Of NCNR recipients, 63% traveled to the United States for HT, predominately from Kuwait (29.9%) and Saudi Arabia (20%). At 1-year after transplant, there were no differences in mortality, infection, or rejection between the groups. ConclusionsA growing subgroup of NCNR travel from countries with low HT rates to the United States for HT. This finding highlights the need for strategies to improve equitable access to HT domestically and abroad.

Enhancing Donor Agency to Improve Charitable Giving: Strategies and Heterogeneity

This research investigates whether charities can enhance fundraising effectiveness by increasing donors’ sense of agency. This article introduces two strategies that allow donors to target individual charitable projects, either via the choice options (targeting-via-options) or via the suggested donation amounts (targeting-via-amounts). A large-scale field experiment involving more than 40,000 prospective donors manipulates the ability to control the allocation of the charity's resources and finds that enhancing donor agency boosts fundraising revenue by 42%. A causal forest analysis indicates significant donor heterogeneity, with a subset of donors being three times more responsive to the opportunity to target their gift than the average donor. Inactive donors, “clumpy” donors (who exhibit uneven donation patterns), and donors who concentrate their gifts during the popular giving periods are less responsive to interventions, whereas frequent, generous, and long-tenured donors are more responsive to them. Three experiments offer stronger internal validity regarding the manipulations and process evidence that agency—and not emotion—is responsible for the increased donation effects. An optimization analysis provides implications for how charities can leverage these insights to manage their fundraising campaigns to greater success.

In‐Group Favoritism as Legal Strategy: Evidence from FCPA Settlements

Anti‐corruption laws aim to bolster public integrity by punishing attempts to illegitimately curry favor with government decision‐makers. These laws, however, can generate integrity risks of their own. This article examines one such risk: that firms subject to scrutiny under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) may attempt to influence prosecutors by exploiting shared political leanings or related socio‐cultural ties. Drawing on social psychology, we theorize that FCPA defendants retain defense attorneys who are aligned with government officials. This behavior is consistent with a strategy of marshaling in‐group favoritism—i.e., the psychological tendency for individuals to view more favorably those that they perceive as members of the same group—to defendants' advantage. This strategy may be particularly auspicious in FCPA matters, in which prosecutors engage in subjective, trust‐based assessments of defendants' self‐investigatory efforts, typically with minimal judicial oversight. We test this theory by matching attorneys listed on court filings for all FCPA matters over eighteen years with a database of individuals' political views based on their patterns of political donations. This analysis reveals that defendants tend to hire more liberal attorneys to represent them on these filings when prosecutors lean left and during Democratic administrations, and more conservative attorneys when prosecutors lean right and during Republican presidencies. In light of these findings, we offer policy prescriptions aimed at increasing transparency and judicial oversight of FCPA matters to mitigate integrity risks.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BLOOD DONATION PRACTICES AMONG STUDENTS AT NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

There is a huge deficit in the proportion of voluntary non-remunerated blood donors (VNRD) in Nigeria as most of the donations are from paid donors. Young adults, most especially students from higher institutions, constitute the majority of blood donors worldwide. The aim of this study, therefore, is to determine the factors that are associated with blood donation between the students from the main campus and the college of medicine (COM) campus of a Nigerian University. This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted among VNRD at the main and COM campuses of a Nigerian University. Pre-donation questionnaires were used to obtain data from the students. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) IBM version 25. All tests were two-sided, and statistical significance was considered to be at a probability value of p&lt;0.05. A total of 203 students showed up for VNRD on the two campuses on two separate days. About 59% were from the COM campus, and the mean age of the donors was 22.2 (2.4) years. There was no significant difference in the mean age, gender distribution, haemoglobin concentration, and eligibility to donate between the two groups of donors. Only two donors tested positive for HCV and HBV and both were from the COM. This study did not find any difference in the factors that influence the pattern of voluntary blood donation between two groups of university students who study medical-related courses and those that are not.

A Qualitative Study in Family Units on Organ Donation: Attitude, Influencing Factors and Communication Patterns.

This study aimed to analyze the attitude, influencing factors and communication patterns of organ donation in Chinses families. We conducted in-depth interviews with 97 participants from 26 families in China from August 2018 to October 2020. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed by the researchers. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and Nvivo 12 was used to catalog coded data. Thirty-eight participants indicated that they would like to be a donor while the majority were unlikely to donate. Among those who were willing to donate, some disagreed with family members to donate organs. Themes found included attitude, the timing of thinking, taboo and fear, traditional beliefs, ethics and family communication patterns. Lack of knowledge, fear, taboo, some traditional beliefs and mistrust may discourage donation. Altruism and policy which is good for the family seem to encourage donation. We also constructed three family communication patterns to provide a deeper understanding of the family in China. This is the first qualitative study that analyzed attitude, influencing factors and communication patterns based on family units in China mainland. Our findings showed that family comes first in Chinese. We suggest that family-based consent and incentives are more suitable for the Chinese social context.