TY - JOUR
T1 - The healthy donor effect and survey participation, becoming a donor and donor career
AU - Brodersen, Thorsten
AU - Rostgaard, Klaus
AU - Lau, Cathrine Juel
AU - Juel, Knud
AU - Erikstrup, Christian
AU - Nielsen, Kasper Rene
AU - Ostrowski, Sisse Rye
AU - Titlestad, Kjell
AU - Sækmose, Susanne G.
AU - Pedersen, Ole B.V.
AU - Hjalgrim, Henrik
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a grant from Helsefonden (grant‐number 21‐B‐0432 to HHJ).
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Background: The healthy donor effect (HDE) is a selection bias caused by the health criteria blood donors must meet. It obscures investigations of beneficial/adverse health effects of blood donation and complicates the generalizability of findings from blood donor cohorts. To further characterize the HDE we investigated how self-reported health and lifestyle are associated with becoming a blood donor, lapsing, and donation intensity. Furthermore, we examined differences in mortality based on donor status. Study Design and Methods: The Danish National Health Survey was linked to the Scandinavian Donations and Transfusions (SCANDAT) database and Danish register data. Logistic- and normal regression was used to compare baseline characteristics and participation. Poisson regression was used to investigate future donation choices. Donation intensity was explored by the Anderson-Gill model and Poisson regression. Mortality was investigated using Poisson regression. Results: Blood donors were more likely to participate in the surveys, OR = 2.45 95% confidence interval (2.40–2.49) than non-donors. Among survey participants, better self-reported health and healthier lifestyle were associated with being or becoming a blood donor, donor retention, and to some extent donation intensity, for example, current smoking conveyed lower likelihood of becoming a donor, OR = 0.70 (0.66–0.75). We observed lower mortality for donors and survey participants, respectively, compared with non-participating non-donors. Conclusion: We provide evidence that blood donation is associated with increased likelihood to participate in health surveys, possibly a manifestation of the HDE. Furthermore, becoming a blood donor, donor retention, and donation intensity was associated with better self-reported health and healthier lifestyles.
AB - Background: The healthy donor effect (HDE) is a selection bias caused by the health criteria blood donors must meet. It obscures investigations of beneficial/adverse health effects of blood donation and complicates the generalizability of findings from blood donor cohorts. To further characterize the HDE we investigated how self-reported health and lifestyle are associated with becoming a blood donor, lapsing, and donation intensity. Furthermore, we examined differences in mortality based on donor status. Study Design and Methods: The Danish National Health Survey was linked to the Scandinavian Donations and Transfusions (SCANDAT) database and Danish register data. Logistic- and normal regression was used to compare baseline characteristics and participation. Poisson regression was used to investigate future donation choices. Donation intensity was explored by the Anderson-Gill model and Poisson regression. Mortality was investigated using Poisson regression. Results: Blood donors were more likely to participate in the surveys, OR = 2.45 95% confidence interval (2.40–2.49) than non-donors. Among survey participants, better self-reported health and healthier lifestyle were associated with being or becoming a blood donor, donor retention, and to some extent donation intensity, for example, current smoking conveyed lower likelihood of becoming a donor, OR = 0.70 (0.66–0.75). We observed lower mortality for donors and survey participants, respectively, compared with non-participating non-donors. Conclusion: We provide evidence that blood donation is associated with increased likelihood to participate in health surveys, possibly a manifestation of the HDE. Furthermore, becoming a blood donor, donor retention, and donation intensity was associated with better self-reported health and healthier lifestyles.
KW - blood donors
KW - donation behavior
KW - donor health
KW - healthy donor effect
KW - survey participation
KW - blood donors
KW - donation behavior
KW - donor health
KW - healthy donor effect
KW - survey participation
U2 - 10.1111/trf.17190
DO - 10.1111/trf.17190
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36479702
AN - SCOPUS:85144043741
SN - 0041-1132
VL - 63
SP - 143
EP - 155
JO - Transfusion
JF - Transfusion
IS - 1
ER -