title: Attitudes and behaviours of Greeks concerning blood donation: recruitment and retention campaigns should be focused on need rather than altruism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood supplies in Greece are insufficient to meet the high transfusion needs arising from car accidents and treatment of thalassaemia. This study was designed to determine Greeks' opinions about blood donation, in order to identify the reasons for the lack of motivation to donate and allow experts to establish better recruitment campaigns for the enrichment of the donor pool, based on our findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  The opinions of randomly selected Greek citizens (n=800) about volunteer blood donation were assessed by means of a standardised, anonymous questionnaire. The results were analysed using the χ(2) test and Spearman's correlation coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With regards to attitudes towards intention to donate, only 7.1% were indifferent, while 88.0% of the individuals believed that donating blood was an "offer". Reasons for not donating mainly involved safety (36.0%) and fear (24.0%), whereas need (77.9%) was the most fundamental positive motivation. Of the people enrolled in the present study, 10.0% were active donors, 31.3% occasional donors, 15.0% rare donors and 36.6% non-donors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The considerable percentages of occasional and rare donors in comparison with the low proportion of active donors in the Greek donor pool indicates that "need" is a more important motivation for blood donation than altruism in Greece. These results could be useful for establishing advertising campaigns on blood donation and for a more direct approach to the population, aiming for a change in mentality in favour of active blood donation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Medical Laboratories, Technological and Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Aikaterini A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kalargirou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Laboratories, Technological and Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Apostolos I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Beloukas
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Laboratories, Technological and Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Alexandra G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kosma
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Caring Professions, Technological and Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Nanou
authors.affiliation: General Hospital of Korinthos, Korinthos, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Saridi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Medical Laboratories, Technological and Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasios G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kriebardis
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000628:therapy