Prevalence of blood donation and associated factors in Florianopolis, Southern Brazil: a population-based study

The main objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of blood donation and to identify associated factors. A populated-based cross-sectional study was carried out (n = 1,720) including subjects 20 to 59 years of age in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Blood donation any time in life and in the previous year was reported by 30.6% and 6.2% of respondents, respectively. Among the latter, 31.8% reported repeat donation (at least twice in the previous year), 80.4% reported voluntary donation, and 15.9% replacement donation. Multivariate Poisson regression (p < 0.05) showed that male gender, black or brown self-reported skin color, higher age group, higher educational level, and living with other blood donors were all associated with ever donating blood, whereas younger age, single marital status, and higher educational level were associated with donating in the previous year. We found higher prevalence of blood donation in the previous year and higher percentage of young donors in this group, as well as lower percentage of replacement donors than previously reported in Brazil.