Donating blood and organs: using an extended theory of planned behavior perspective to identify similarities and differences in individual motivations to donate

Due to the critical shortage and continued need of blood and organ donations (ODs), research exploring similarities and differences in the motivational determinants of these behaviors is needed. In a sample of 258 university students, we used a cross-sectional design to test the utility of an extend...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education research 2013-12, Vol.28 (6), p.1092-1104
Main Authors: Hyde, Melissa K., Knowles, Simon R., White, Katherine M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Altruism
Attitude
Australia
Behavior
Biological organs
Blood
Blood Donors - psychology
Close friends
Decision Making
Female
Health technology assessment
Humans
Ingroups
Intention
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Theoretical
Motivation
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Planned behaviour theory
Self Efficacy
Tissue Donors - psychology
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Summary:Due to the critical shortage and continued need of blood and organ donations (ODs), research exploring similarities and differences in the motivational determinants of these behaviors is needed. In a sample of 258 university students, we used a cross-sectional design to test the utility of an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) including moral norm, self-identity and in-group altruism (family/close friends and ethnic group), to predict people's blood and OD intentions. Overall, the extended TPB explained 77.0% and 74.6% of variance in blood and OD intentions, respectively. In regression analyses, common contributors to intentions across donation contexts were attitude, self-efficacy and self-identity. Normative influences varied with subjective norm as a significant predictor related to OD intentions but not blood donation intentions at the final step of regression analyses. Moral norm did not contribute significantly to blood or OD intentions. In-group altruism (family/close friends) was significantly related to OD intentions only in regressions. Future donation strategies should increase confidence to donate, foster a perception of self as the type of person who donates blood and/or organs, and address preferences to donate organs to in-group members only.
ISSN:0268-1153
1465-3648
DOI:10.1093/her/cyt078