摘要：The blood shortage situation is a perennial concern in Malaysia. This studyexamines the sociodemographic and lifestyle related factors associated with blooddonation status of non-donors, occasional donors, and regular donors. Discerningthe donation status of blood donors is important as studies have noted that it ismore cost-effective to reactivate occasional (consisting of existing or former)donors than to recruit new donors. Based on stratified random sampling measures,primary data were obtained from 550 Malaysian adults aged 18–60 years fromPulau Pinang, Malaysia. Ordered probit analysis was conducted and marginaleffects of various factors on blood donation status calculated. Results indicate thatsociodemographic factors associated with donor status include gender, maritalstatus, education level, and income level. Lifestyle related factors affecting donorstatus comprise working hours, family history, and fear of the donation process.It is concluded that donor awareness and education programs should be focusedon females, singles, and individuals in the lower socioeconomic echelons. Donorretention strategies should be aimed at those with previous family history of bloodrecipients. Measures should be implemented to accommodate busy people andthose fearful of the donation process. These strategies could be undertaken notonly in Malaysia but also in other countries with comparable sociodemographicand health care settings.
关键词：blood donation; Malaysia; non-donor; occasional donor; regular donor;ordered probit model
