Blood donation as a public service: young citizens’ prosocial behaviour

Abstract

Young citizens play a key role in providing a continuous blood supply for public health system. This paper examines the prosocial behavior of young non-blood donors and analyses motivations, barriers, anticipated emotions (AEs), and intention to donate of a sample of 1,626 Spanish non-donors belonging to Generation Z and millennials. Among the main conclusions, motivations and barriers are antecedents of the AEs. Particularly, motivations (external and internal) positively influence AEs that enhance blood donation and deter AEs of not donating. Barriers (external and/or external) positively influence AEs that deter blood donation and deter AEs that enhance blood donation. Findings also demonstrate the influence of AEs in predicting intention to donate, and thus in prosocial behavior. As different clusters of young non-donors coexist according to their motivations and barriers, the paper identifies the cluster that would reduce free-riders. Public policy may change citizens’ behavior by changing AEs that deter blood donation.