Motivation and barriers influence blood donation in different age in Australia

This research explores the motivation and barriers that influence blood donation among different age groups in Australia. It examines the research background, rationale, literature review, and conclusions. The study highlights the importance of blood donation and the negative factors that prevent people from donating. It also discusses the demographic composition of blood donors in Australia and the motivators and barriers to blood donation. The research aims to provide insights into improving blood donation rates in Australia.

Running head: MARKET RESEARCH
Market Research
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Table of Contents
Motivation and barriers influence blood donation in different age in Australia.....................................2
Section one: Introduction.......................................................................................................................2
Research background.........................................................................................................................2
Research rationale.............................................................................................................................2
Section two: Literature review...............................................................................................................2
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................7

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Motivation and barriers influence blood donation in different age in Australia
Section one: Introduction
Research background
The research background highlights the importance or significance of donating blood
and even encourage more people to become a part of the blood donation among the targeted
population. There are good motives behind blood donation as well as negative things that are
associated with barriers preventing people to donate blood. It is though a natural phenomenon
to donate blood, which not only improves health and wellbeing of the donor due to reaction
of new blood in the body, still some of the people are more concerned about the negative
health impacts that may cause severe impacts on their health condition (Bednall et al., 2013).
Research rationale
The rationale of research demonstrates the problem of the research associated with the
motivation and barriers that influence the blood donations by different age groups of people
in Australia. The problem illustrates the major barriers which can be negative mind sets
among people regarding loss of blood through donation, which often prevents them to donate
blood (Franco et al., 2015). There are other barriers too such as lack of awareness among the
people regarding the need of blood at the present time, concerns about safety of blood supply,
etc.
Section two: Literature review
Age group donations in Australia
Based on various evidences, the demographic composition of the population has
changed from time to time and the baby boomers, i.e., the people aged between 50 to 70
years of age constitute large percentage of the blood donations. As stated by Charbonneau,
Cloutier & Carrier (2015), with the ageing population, the transfusion of blood increased and

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higher percentage of people have been at risks of malignancies and chronic illnesses, which
required surgical interventions and increased need for the transfusion of blood. The young
individuals, especially the Generation Y have though been influenced, still have remained far
away from donating blood when compared with the elder individuals and thus they are lesser
active than the older ones (Charbonneau, Cloutier & Carrier, 2015). Based on various
evidences and statistical data and information, it has been found that the age bracket of 50 to
70 are the most active while the Generation Y has been more associated with the moral issues
and work life balance. The generation X, i.e., the people aged between 35 to 50 years have
been more associated with the donations of blood because of their awareness about their
health and the positive effects of donating blood. Based on the opinions presented by Tran,
Charbonneau & Valderrama-Benitez (2013), because of their middle ages, the generation X
people have been more associated with their health impacts and thus they know that donating
blood enables formation of new blood and improving their health as well. The average aged
people are also indulged in smoking habits and drinking, which has also made them
understand the efficiency of donating blood and ensuring that the people in need are allowed
to live a better and healthy life (Tran, Charbonneau & Valderrama-Benitez, 2013). Franco et
al. (2015), on the other hand, argued that the Generation Y are the young individuals, who are
energetic and often try new things, which can make them popular and make them gain
reputation within the society too. Thus, the young generation individuals are also associated
with the donation of blood, though they might not possess enough knowledge and
information about the importance of donating blood and make sure to manage constant blood
supply too for meeting the demands of blood in Australia (Franco et al., 2015). The
Australian Red Cross must also facilitate the college campus blood drives to ensure making
people smarter and manage philosophy of providing others with the management of self-
centred images.

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Motivators of blood donation
To maintain consistent supply of blood for a diverse population, it has become
important to expand the campaigns for collecting blood from donors, thereby, ensure keeping
the supply consistent and meet the diversified demands and expectations with ease and
effectiveness. Teah, Lwin & Cheah (2014) believed that the Generation X individuals are
flexible and sceptic, which has allowed them to show their strengths and contribute
something to the community for its betterment while the Baby Boomers followed the values
of advancement, materialism and innovativeness, which has enabled them to do something
good for the society and at the same time, influence others, especially, the young individuals
to make the environment and community a better place where people are free from blood
related diseases (Teah, Lwin & Cheah, 2014). According to Hamid, Basiruddin & Hassan
(2013), the streamlining of ways for signing up and getting notified for the blood drives via
mobile technologies are also effective ways of creating difference, because the Generation Y-
ers are mostly involved with technology usage and engaged in online networks (Hamid,
Basiruddin & Hassan, 2013). With the streamlining of operations and processes, it would
create convenience for the individuals to sign up for a blood drive and furthermore undertake
an action that has been believed by them.
The advertisement and recruitment campaigns have though helped in spreading
awareness about the significance of blood donations related to health conditions and how new
blood grows over time after the blood donation. This has spread awareness among the young
individuals too, who wanted to try something new and facilitated creation of scopes and
opportunities for enhancing the supply of blood. Based on the opinions presented by Poon,
Koehler & Buehler (2014), the paid blood donations could also attract new individuals,
especially the Generation X to donate blood and get a handsome among of money. The young
generation Y possessed positivity and creativity and attained good values and ethics, which

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are responsible for influencing their mind sets and focus on making the world a better place
for people to live in (Poon, Koehler & Buehler, 2014). Masser, White & Terry (2013) argued
that the Generation Y are opportunistic and they do not either harm people or are even
concerned about caring others whatever the consequences might be. With the lack of
guaranteed jobs, their survival is dependent on the capabilities and skills they possessed,
which support the altruistic act of blood donation and thus has empowered them to donate
blood for gaining opportunities of growth and also gain good reputation within the society
(Masser, White & Terry, 2013). Other motivators include knowledge acqusitions by the
people, which has been possible through blood donation campaigns while the motivation by
elders have also influenced Generation Y individual to donate blood. The intrinsic motivation
has been possible through rewards, monetary or non-monetary to keep them encouraged and
motivated for donating blood.
Barriers and obstacles
According to Pule et al. (2014), there are multiple problems associated with the
motivation and barriers that influence the blood donations by different age groups of people
in Australia. The problems were mostly considered as the major barriers which created
negative mind sets among people regarding loss of blood through donation, and even
prevented them to donate blood. There are other barriers too such as lack of awareness among
the people regarding the need of blood at the present time, concerns about safety of blood
supply, etc., which have also prevented them to donate blood (Pule et al., 2014). Therefore,
these major issues constituted the problem of the research, which further has affected the
acqusitions of sufficient information and data required by the authorities to make decisions
and to influence people to donate blood for the benefit of the society. Considering the
statements made by White, Poulsen & Hyde (2017), the barriers that have hindered the
donation of blood among the different age groups are recorded as fear and anxiety to donate,

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perceived medical disqualification, apathy or lack of awareness about the significance of
blood donation along with inconvenience and lack of knowledge or information about
donating blood for benefiting the community comprising of people (White, Poulsen & Hyde,
2017). The barriers have also affected the ability to donate blood, which has also created
inconvenience while the differences across races and creed have also been associated with the
ability to affect strategies related to donor recruitment, selection and retention too. The age
group preference for blood donation is between the aged between 18 and 65 and thus
individuals below the specified age are often prevented to donate blood.
Hamid, Basiruddin & Hassan (2013) also argued that often people become concerned
about the safety of blood supply and transmission, which infused fear among the individuals
and created negative mind sets among them to donate blood, furthermore affected their ability
to become socially involved, furthermore prevented them to donate blood. The safety issues
related to the supply of blood have also discouraged them to donate blood. The people, also
known as the baby boomers are aged between 50 to 70 years old (Hamid, Basiruddin &
Hassan, 2013). Due to their ages, their health condition is a critical factor, which can be bad
with the increased age and thus have made them disqualified to meet the criteria for donating
blood across different places in Australia. Poon, Koehler & Buehler (2014) stated that
another major barrier had been the lack of augmentation of blood collection efforts, which
resulted in failing to meet the potential demands for blood, furthermore, leading to shortage
of blood. The differences in ethnicities has also affected the transfusion to alloimmunised
people and acted as barriers to blood donations (Poon, Koehler & Buehler, 2014).
Issues related to media communications
Bell (2016) demonstrated that the major issues associated with the media
communications are high investments required for media communications, lack of knowledge

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to prepare the right content to be delivered to the clients, poor recruitment and selection
processes to find the right quality talents and miscommunication between the clients and
media agencies (Bell, 2016). The other major issue has been the limitation of scopes, which
has hindered acquiring good growth scopes and opportunities as well.
As the Generation Y individuals are mostly associated with the online technologies
and social networks, so with the streamlining of ways for signing up the blood drives, there
has been convenience of getting notified about the date. Considering the statements of
Stieglitz & Dang-Xuan (2013), this has also created difference and made the individuals
connected, which has further been reflected across the culture of the individuals addicted to
the use of smartphones and mobile technologies. It has created convenience for them to
donate blood and even made them gain reputation and positive image within the society and
the places where they might have studied too (Stieglitz & Dang-Xuan, 2013).
Conclusion
The proposal was designed to demonstrate about the various motivators and barriers
impacting the blood donations among different age groups of people in Australia. The
research objectives and aims were demonstrated considering the various aspects of research
and with the development of a literature review that demonstrated about how the Generation
X, Y and Baby Boomers managed to get influenced and even the aspects that prevented them
to donate blood such as poor knowledge, health issues and not being able to cope up with the
safety issues too, which hindered their blood donations. The methods of research including
collection of data and analysis along with designs and philosophies managed had also been
integral for the accomplishment of research goals and objectives with ease.

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