SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF BLOOD DONORS IN BRAZIL FROM 2007 TO 2016

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the sociodemographic profile of donors from four large Brazilian blood collection organizations (BCOs) from 2007 to 2016, providing key information to understand the characteristics of the blood donor population, and to support strategies to maintain and improve the sufficiency of the blood supply. Material and methods: Data were collected from BCOs participating in the REDS Brazil Study in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Pernambuco between 2007 and 2016, and in Rio de Janeiro from 2012 to 2016. We included all eligible blood donation candidates who passed through clinical and laboratory routine screenings. Results are presented in terms of frequencies and percentages, analyzed by demographic characteristics, donor type: first time (FTD) and repeat donors (RD), and donation type (community or replacement). Results: During the study period, 3,246,516 whole blood and 61,169 platelet apheresis donations were collected. The percentage of men (67%) was twice as high as the number of women but varied by BCO, and the predominant age group was 26-35 years (34%). In the assessment of self-reported race/skin color, we found a predominance of mixed race (44%), followed by white (43%). For education level, most donors reported having finished high school (50%). Among the donors, 67% were RD and 33% were FTD. Over the 10-year period, the overall demographic profile of blood donors remained relatively stable with a predominance of males (62-69% range by site), whites (40-47%) and/or mixed race (35-46%), donors with a higher level of education (39-54%) with high school-level), aged between 26-35 years (32-35%), community donors (60-66%) and RD (63-69%).Male donors between 26-35 years old with ≥high school education were most common in all BCOs. In São Paulo and Pernambuco, replacement donations were 57% and 55%, respectively. In Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro, community donations were 86% and 71%, respectively. Discussion: Our results describe a predominance of male and young blood donors, as well as a predominance of community and RD. Campaigns conducted by the blood centers have increased the relative percentages of donations from female donors, but the efforts to attract community donors have seen limited success, with an overall increase of 5% in the percentage of female donors and an overall increase of 2% in community donors between 2007 and 2016. The greatest increase in the percentage of female donors was observed in São Paulo (10%) and Pernambuco (10%); the greatest increase in the percentage of community donors was observed in Minas Gerais (10%). The modest increases in female and community donors suggest that targeted strategies are needed to align with WHO recommendations, which emphasize that an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood is best assured by a stable base of regular and voluntary blood donors. Conclusion: This analysis provides information to understand the sociodemographic characteristics of Brazilian blood donors over time. With this analysis, we intend to support the Ministry of Health and other responsible bodies in creating effective strategies to increase blood donations. We are currently analyzing data up to 2023 to further assess these trends during and after the COVID pandemic.