What is it about?
Why do some people return to donate blood while others do not? In this study, we followed blood donors over time to understand how their experiences, thoughts, and confidence shape their decision to donate again. We found that donors are more likely to return when they have positive experiences, believe that donating blood has good outcomes, and feel confident that they can handle things like fear, or time constraints. Seeing or hearing about others donating blood can also encourage people to donate again. In contrast, negative experiences—such as discomfort, anxiety, or worry—can discourage donors and reduce their willingness to return. Our findings suggest that blood donation programs can increase repeat donation by improving donors’ positive outcome expectations, reducing negative feelings, helping donors feel confident and form a clear intention to donate again. This approach can help build a more stable and reliable blood supply.
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Why is it important?
Blood shortages remain a global challenge, and encouraging donors to return is more effective than constantly recruiting new ones. This study shows how repeat blood donation happens by tracing the path from donors’ experiences and observations to their confidence, intentions, and actual return behavior. Using real donation records, it reveals that positive experiences and confidence matter more than knowledge alone, while negative experiences can directly discourage donors from coming back. These insights offer clear, practical guidance for improving donor retention and building a more reliable blood supply.
Perspectives
This study grew out of a simple question: why do so many people donate once, but only some come back again? While blood donation is often discussed as a rational decision, I repeatedly saw that donors’ experiences, emotions, and confidence played a much larger role than information alone. By following donors over time and linking their survey responses with real donation records, this study allowed us to look beyond intentions and examine what actually leads to repeat donation. What surprised me most was how powerful negative experiences were—sometimes directly discouraging donors from returning—while knowledge about blood donation mattered far less than expected. This finding challenged common assumptions and highlighted the importance of how donors feel during and after donation. I hope this work encourages researchers, blood services, and policymakers to look beyond recruitment numbers and focus more on the donor experience. Small improvements in comfort, support, and confidence may make a meaningful difference in helping donors return. Ultimately, understanding the human side of blood donation is essential for building a stable blood supply and supporting patients who depend on it.
Huahua Hu
Blood Center of Zhejiang Province
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Testing a social cognitive process model for predicting redonation behavior among blood donors: A longitudinal study., Health Psychology, February 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/hea0001572.
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