Youth More Likely to Donate Blood

Some say youth is wasted on the young, but a Canadian study reveals that when it comes to donating blood, young adults are not only making use of their youth, but sharing the fruits of it with those in need, reports Science Daily.

Researchers at McMaster University investigating the implications of Canada’s aging population found that those in the 15-24 age range were most likely to donate blood, while those of working age (25-54) were the least likely to be donors. (The information was gleaned from Canadian Blood Services records.)

The downside, however, is that with a top-heavy population, more Canadians are likely to need blood in the near future than there will be to donate it.

“Like other countries, Canada's population is aging, and the implications of this demographic change need to be better understood from the perspective of blood supply,” said Antonio Páez, who carried out the research with a team from McMaster University in Canada. "So while younger people are more likely to donate, they are also a declining share of Canada's population."

The research, published in BioMed Central's open access International Journal of Health Geographics, looked at what factors had an impact on donating blood. In addition to young age, the study also found that donors were more likely to be English speakers living in smaller cities and towns, while immigrants, the wealthy and big city dwellers were less likely to donate.

Interestingly, those with more advanced education were more likely to donate as well. According to Paez, 25 percent of Canadians still believe there are negative health risks associated with donating blood.

And while almost everyone will need to use donor blood at some point in their life, less than 4 percent of eligible donors give blood.

"Blood products are an essential component of modern medicine and necessary to support many life-saving and life-prolonging procedures,” Páez told Science Daily.

Photo courtesy of makelessnoise via Flickr.