Iron supplementation by blood donors: demographics, patterns of use, and motivation

BACKGROUND Iron supplements reduce the risk of iron depletion in blood donors. Recent initiatives have sought to increase use of donor iron supplementation (IS), but a baseline description of blood donor supplement practices is needed. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Presenting blood donors received a questionnaire inquiring about IS beginning in December 2015. Responses were linked to operational donor information and analyzed by multivariable statistics. RESULTS During the first 6 months, 53,989 evaluable responses were obtained from 80% of presenting donors. Overall, donors of 21.4% of units reported taking iron as a multivitamin (14.6%), in a separate iron supplement (4.1%), or both (2.6%). IS use was associated with female sex (27% vs. 16% in males), increasing age (30% of donors 60+ vs. 8% in 17- to 25-year-olds), and more frequent previous donations (33% in those with 6+ units donated vs. 7% in first-time donors). Multivariable logistic regression models stratified by sex indicated that donation frequency was most strongly associated with IS in females, and age most strongly associated with IS in males. Motivation for IS varied by type, with more than 75% of donors taking multivitamins with iron naming "General health and wellness," while donors taking a separate iron supplement predominantly listed motivations related to blood donation. CONCLUSIONS A strong majority of blood donors report not using supplemental iron. Most donors with IS used multivitamins with iron and listed support of general health rather than blood donation as their motivation for taking iron. Effective communication of the importance of iron for blood donation is needed.