First-time blood donors: demographic trends

BACKGROUND: With changing demographics of the United States population and the continuous need to recruit new donors, it is important to monitor the d emographic profile of first-time donors and to evaluate changes in the dono r pool to improve recruitment targeting. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: First-time whole blood (n = 901,862) donors at fi ve United States blood centers between 1991 and 1996 were analyzed. RESULTS: The total number of first-time donors appears to be decreasing. Ov er the 6-year period, there was an overall increase in the proportion of Hi spanic and other minority first-time donors and a concurrent decrease in th e proportion of white donors at Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study centers . Other variables, including age, sex, and education, did not show a consis tent trend. CONCLUSION: The demographic profile of first-time donors is changing. These data highlight the importance for blood centers to continuously monitor th e donor population. A better understanding of the donor population may help blood centers adjust their donor outreach, recruitment, and retention prog rams. New recruitment efforts appear needed to counter general apathy towar d donating blood, and minority groups appear to be receptive to becoming bl ood donors.