Correlation between demographic factors and deferral rate of voluntary blood donors in Mashad

Background and Objectives General health of blood donors, prevalence rate of transfusion transmitted infections in blood donors, sensitivity of screening tests, and most importantly appropriate selection of blood donors through counselling and physical examination are important factors for blood safety to be ensured. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between demographic factors and deferral rate of potential blood donors. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 1047 voluntary blood donors in 2008 in which frequency distribution of age, gender, education, occupation, and social status were studied. The correlation between demographic factors and the results of medical counseling and screening tests was evaluated. Results Out of 1047 blood donors under study, 88.3% were found to be eligible in medical counseling and examination. There were significant differences between deferral rate of volunteers and gender (p<0.01), marital status (p<0.01), frequency rate of blood donation (p<0.001), and occupation status (p<0.01). Conclusions Appropriate medical counseling and examination is very important in blood donor selection. It is also necessary to be more careful in screening process of donors who have a single status and those who have private jobs.