The COVID-19 Pandemic Changes the Nudging Effect of Social Information on Individuals' Blood Donation Intention

Does the Power of Social Example Fade? Nudge Effect of Social Information on Individual's Donation Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model with Three-Wave Cross-Sectional Data

Purpose

This study assesses how various social information influence individuals' money donation behaviors towards charitable funds against the COVID-19 pandemic at different stages of the pandemic. It also explores the mediating role of social anxiety and the moderating role of self-control.

Materials and Methods

This three-wave study was conducted with online survey experiments using convenience sampling at the pandemic's outbreak stage (April-June 2020), trough stage (February-March 2021), and resurgence stage (May 2022) in China. The nudge power of social information was measured by whether participants changed their initial money donation decisions after informed positive or negative social information. Self-report scales were used to measure levels of social anxiety (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale) and self-control (Self-Control Scale). The final data set included 1371 participants from 26 provinces of mainland China. Stata medeff package and SPSS PROCESS were used to analyze the data.

Results

Individuals' initial donation behaviors did not fluctuate along with the pandemic status, but the nudge effect of social information did. From outbreak stage to trough stage, the nudge power of positive social information significantly declined, but did not significantly change again at the resurgence stage. By contrast, the nudge power of negative social information did not significantly differ between outbreak and trough stage but did significantly increase at the resurgence stage. Social anxiety played a significant mediating role in the relationship between COVID-19 status and power of social information. Moreover, self-control moderated the direct effect of COVID-19 status on power of social information and the indirect effect via social anxiety.

Conclusion

Our findings enrich research on the nudge power variation of social information on individuals' donation behaviors along with the pandemic status and its potential psychological influence factors. This study also helps guide organizations to better design and carry out social information nudge mechanism.

Impact of promoting blood donation in general practice: Prospective study among blood donors in France

Introduction

Waiting rooms in general practitioners' (GP) surgeries are a potentially useful site for spreading educational messages about health behaviors. We aimed to evaluate the impact of posters displayed in GPs' waiting rooms on the number of donors attending the blood donation drives in the Aube Department of France. The secondary objective was to identify self-reported factors that incited people to give blood among donors who did and donors who did not see the posters.

Methods

Observational, multicenter, prospective study, from 1 June to 31 December 2021. Six blood donation centers in the Aube Department were selected. All GPs located within a 15 km radius around each center were invited to participate by hanging posters advertising blood drives in their waiting rooms. The number of blood donations per hour was measured before and during the campaign. Factors prompting people to give blood were evaluated by questionnaires completed by persons attending the blood drives.

Results

33 GPs participated. The number of donations per hour was lower in the year in which the posters were displayed (2021) compared to the previous year (12 vs. 15). A total of 1,469 questionnaires were completed by blood donors: 729 reported having seen the posters, and 740 reported not having seen the posters. Those who claimed to have seen the posters were more likely than those who claimed not to have seen the posters to respond that in parallel, they had been prompted to give blood via online publicity (7.5 vs. 3.9%, adjusted Odds ratio [aOR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-2.82, p = 0.02). They also more often reported that they had been prompted to donate by television advertisements (8.0 vs. 4.2%, aOR 1.74, 95%CI 1.10-2.76, p = 0.02). Overall, 68% of all respondents indicated that posters in the GP's waiting room would incite them to give blood more often.

Conclusion

The number of blood donations per hour was lower during the year in which posters were displayed. Questionnaire data from donors suggests that promoting blood donation via posters in GPs' waiting rooms could have a positive effect: 68% of donors claimed that posters would incite them to give blood.

Exploring Blood Donation Challenges and Mobilization Mechanisms in North China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Purpose

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted the supply of blood globally, resulting in numerous studies focusing on the challenges in maintaining blood supply, and the responses to it, in countries with a mixed blood donation model. This study explored blood donation challenges and mobilization mechanisms in North China, which employs a non-remunerative donation model, during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave.

Materials and Methods

A qualitative approach was adopted to investigate blood donation practices in Chengde from April to June 2020. Data were collected from eight blood donors, six potential donors, three blood donation station leaders, and two government officials, through semi-structured interviews.

Results

The major challenge for blood supply was decreased blood donations, owing to lockdown restrictions, and individual and familial apprehensions. Mobilization mechanisms included bureaucratic and ideological mobilization. However, although group blood donation alleviates the pressure on supply chains during emergencies, it is detrimental to the cultivation of civic engagement in the long run.

Conclusion

This study contributes to the understanding of how countries with uncompensated blood donation models respond to public health emergencies. It suggests that striking a balance between the society’s and the state’s perception of blood donation would allow the state to incorporate the different “voices” of society, and devise an inclusive blood donation policy.