%0 Journal Article %T Evaluation of the return rate of volunteer blood donors %A Louren£żon %A Adriana de F¨˘tima %A Almeida %A Rodrigo Guimar£żes dos Santos %A Ferreira %A Oranice %A Martinez %A Edson Zangiacomi %J Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia %D 2011 %I Sociedade Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia %R 10.5581/1516-8484.20110052 %X background: to convert first-time blood donors into regular volunteer donors is a challenge to transfusion services. objectives: this study aims to estimate the return rate of first time donors of the ribeir£żo preto blood center and of other blood centers in its coverage region. methods: the histories of 115,553 volunteer donors between 1996 and 2005 were analyzed. statistical analysis was based on a parametric long-term survival model that allows an estimation of the proportion of donors who never return for further donations. results: only 40% of individuals return within one year after the first donation and 53% return within two years. it is estimated that 30% never return to donate. higher return rates were observed among black donors. no significant difference was found in non-return rates regarding gender, blood type, rh blood group and blood collection unit. conclusions: the low percentage of first-time donors who return for further blood donation reinforces the need for marketing actions and strategies aimed at increasing the return rates. %K blood donors [psychology] %K attitude to health %K altruism %K hemotherapy service %K motivation %K blood banks. %U http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1516-84842011000300010&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en