Can Incentives Ensure the Social Sustainability of Blood Donation? Insights from a Romanian Higher Education Institution

Education plays an essential role in ensuring the social sustainability of blood donation. As altruism may be insufficient to support donor engagement, this study assesses the effectiveness of incentives on ensuring the social sustainability of blood donation. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 319 medical students about socio-demographic variables, donation frequency, altruism dimensions (impure, self-regarding, reluctant, egalitarian warm glow, and kinship), the perceived importance of monetary (travel compensation, meal vouchers) and non-monetary incentives (free blood screening, paid leave, refreshments, recognition gifts), and willingness to donate during a blood donation social marketing campaign in November 2021 and November 2022. Data were analyzed in SPSS 20 using chi-square, ANOVA tests, and multiple regression models. The key findings indicate no significant associations between donor categories and incentives, but meal vouchers, free medical testing, refreshments, and recognition gifts were linked to self-regarding altruism. Additionally, neither incentives, altruism dimensions, nor their interaction predicted willingness to donate blood. These findings highlight the need for education-driven approaches to ensure a long-term commitment of blood donors, by integrating educational, sustainable curricular or extracurricular activities. Integrating blood donation awareness into formal education may cultivate a culture of civic responsibility, expanding the donor pool and strengthening the social sustainability of blood donation.