The power of arts‐based film interventions to encourage Black blood donors

Mills, Richard; Okubanjo, Abiola; Acheampong, Natasha; Croucher, Mark; Eaton, Nadine; Kazi, Altaf; Di Angelantonio, Emanuele; Wood, Angela; Barbara, Masser; Ferguson, Eamonn

Abstract

Background: Blood services must consider innovative ways to encourage more Black people to donate to enhance the efficacy of treatments. We evaluate how two innovative arts-based approaches (co-designed and locally produced films and a large-scale Marvel Studios’/NHSBT collaboration) can achieve this by generalising to a wider audience from their target audiences.
Study design and methods: Four co-designed short community films were produced in the UK: Comedy, Reciprocity, Donor-Recipient, and Sliding Doors. In Study 1 (N=44: Black people), these films were evaluated in the target community in which they were produced. In Study 2 (N=1,237: Black = 599, White = 638), the community and Marvel Black-Panther/NHSBT films were evaluated in a non-target general population sample. Evaluations were in terms of campaign behavioural efficacy (e.g., willingness to donate, encourage others to donate) and affect. These analyses were segmented by donor status, age, and gender.
Results: Study 1 shows that the community groups rated the films very positively, with over 90% stating that they would be convinced to donate blood. Study 2 shows the results from the community films generalise to the general population, with the Black Panther film also rated positively in the general population. Three community films and the Black Panther film were rated equally positively. There were notable differences across generations and by donor status.
Discussion: The results highlight the power of arts-based approaches (both locally co-produced community films and franchise collaborations) in encouraging donors within their target audiences and, importantly, on the broader population.

Citation

Mills, R., Okubanjo, A., Acheampong, N., Croucher, M., Eaton, N., Kazi, A., Di Angelantonio, E., Wood, A., Barbara, M., & Ferguson, E. (2024). The power of arts‐based film interventions to encourage Black blood donors. Transfusion, https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.17963

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 6, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 23, 2024
• Publication Date: Sep 23, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 9, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 24, 2025
• Journal: Transfusion
• Print ISSN: 0041-1132
• Electronic ISSN: 1537-2995
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.17963
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/37146870
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/trf.17963