Socio-economic determinants of health literacy among blood donors: A cross-sectional study in Italy

Blood donation is a crucial service for healthcare systems and contributes to saving and improving lives. As a humanitarian act, it also symbolises social solidarity and individual responsibility. Health literacy (HL) is the ability to access, understand and use health information. This study aimed to assess HL levels among blood donors and compare them with those of the general population, thereby establishing whether individuals with higher HL are more likely to donate blood. It focused on 471 donors aged 18 or older and affiliated with AVIS (Italian Blood Donors Association) within a local health authority in the Marche Region. The HLS-EU-Q16 tool was administered via a web-based interview method, and its 16 items were aggregated into a General HL Index standardised on a scale from 0 to 50. Statistical analysis, including independent t-tests and multinomial logistic regression, was conducted to explore associations with sociodemographic factors. The results revealed a mean HL score for blood donors of 30.29 ± 7.11. Notably, 38% of donors demonstrated adequate HL, significantly higher than the 25% observed in the general Italian population. Higher HL levels were significantly associated with higher education, economic status, and better self-perceived health, while inadequate HL was more prevalent among those with chronic diseases. The potential reasons for this latter situation were explored. That HL scores for blood donors were higher than those for the general Italian population suggests that improving HL could serve as a strategic lever to enhance the donor base and the impact of increased blood donations.