(P-BC-46) Impact of COVID-19 on High School Blood Donations: Does Population Density Matter?

Background/Case Studies: The COVID-19 pandemic affected high school participation in blood donation activities across the nation, especially South Texas. This study examines the differential impact of COVID-19 on high school blood donation programs in urban versus rural settings. Schools were categorized according to four recovery statuses: Healthy (75th-100th percentile), Diminished (50th to 75th percentile), Very Diminished (0th to 50th percentile), and No Data. The aim was to compare the overall profiles of urban and rural high schools based on these categories to better understand how the pandemic has influenced their donation efforts.

Study

Design/Methods: Data for the number of collections per school were compiled from the central database for the years 2019–2024, where the school’s 2024 data was compared to its 2019-2024 data. Schools were then categorized according to the defined percentiles for the 2024 year. An operational definition for location was applied: urban areas were those with a zip code housing 10,000 or more people, while rural areas had fewer than 10,000 residents. Initially, the number of schools in each recovery category was compared between urban and rural settings. Then, percentages of urban and rural schools in each category were calculated.

Results/Findings: The analysis revealed that the percentages of Healthy schools and those with No Data were relatively consistent between urban and rural areas. However, a notable difference was observed in the Diminished and Very Diminished categories. In rural high schools, there was an approximate 8% increase in the proportion classified as Very Diminished and an 8% decrease in the proportion classified as Diminished compared to urban high schools.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that while overall recovery profiles appear similar in terms of having healthy programs, rural schools tend to have a higher rate of programs significantly affected by primarily COVID and may require more intensive support to enhance their recovery. To address these disparities, targeted interventions such as giving one NHS hour per donation and scholarship programs should be implemented. These initiatives, similar to the successful Honors Cord Program, can help target and motivate high school students, ultimately strengthening the sustainability of blood donations.