title: Enhancing blood donation intentions using multimedia donor education materials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prior research has shown that education materials that directly address prospective donor concerns and provide specific coping suggestions are particularly effective at enhancing donation attitudes and intentions to give blood. This study compared the effect of donor coping materials, provided in written and audiovisual formats, as potential tools to enhance recruitment of prospective blood donors. The role of initial attitudes toward blood donation on responses to these materials was also considered.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young adults (62% female; mean [SD] age=19.1 [1.4]; mean [range] prior blood donations=1.32 [0-13]) were randomly assigned to 1) read a brochure addressing common blood donor concerns and suggesting specific coping strategies, 2) view a video addressing blood donor concerns and illustrating coping techniques, 3) read the brochure and view the video, or 4) read a control brochure on healthy eating and exercise. Measures of blood donation attitudes, anxiety, confidence, and intentions to give blood were completed before and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relative to the control brochure, all the intervention groups showed larger reductions in anxiety, more positive changes in attitude, and greater increases in donation confidence and intentions. The combination of the brochure and video outperformed either intervention alone in further improving donation attitudes among participants with high initial donation attitudes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood donation coping materials, presented in either written or audiovisual formats, significantly enhance willingness to donate blood among young adults regardless of their initial attitudes toward blood donation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; and American Red Cross Blood Services, Central Ohio Region, Columbus, OH 45701, USA. France@ohio.edu
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: France
authors.forename: Janis L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: France
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wissel
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kowalsky
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bolinger
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Huckins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D019212:Multimedia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013664:Teaching Materials; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult