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Aim: This study examined whether the Theory of Planned Behavior adds significantly to the prediction of intention and actual blood donation of the general Israeli population., Background: In most developed countries and in Israel in particular there is a chronic shortage of blood for transfusions. This raises questions about methods of increasing blood donations., Design: This is a correlational quantitative study., Methods: A questionnaire was created based on a review of the literature and the Theory of Planned Behavior. The questionnaire was distributed among a convenience sample of 190 Israeli Jewish men and women, aged 17-60., Results: Israelis' perceived behavioral control of their blood donations, their subjective norms and their attitude regarding blood donation, predicted their intention to donate blood. It seems that intention predicted actual blood donations. A conspicuous finding is that members of the Ethiopian Jewish community displayed an extremely limited intention to donate blood., Conclusions: The results of this study show that a number of various educational and practical strategies may be used to encourage the population to donate blood. These include: reducing perceived barriers, directing interventions specifically at the population most likely to donate blood and forming a reserve of regular donors., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In an attempt to assess concepts of disease, we questioned 33 Ethiopian Jews (Falashas) in Ethiopia about 13 diseases: 8 western and 5 cultural syndromes (in the Amharic language): birrd (cold), wugat (stabbing chest pain), moygnbagegn (neurologic disorder), mitch (sunstroke), and attent hono kere (retained fetus becoming bone). Disease causation was often attributed to spirits and the sun. None of the interviewees understood the cause of: a) epilepsy, most attributing it to spirits and recommending smelling match smoke as treatment, b) prolonged labor, attributed by most to the evil kole spirit and is managed by traditional birth attendants; and c) abortion, believed to be caused by exposure to sun or cold. Less than 20% linked malaria to mosquitoes. Most correlated splenomegaly with malaria. Hepatitis was believed to be caused by a bird or bat flying around the affected person. Multiple factors were linked to diarrhea, including a journey in the sun. Moygnbagegn is the only condition treated by venisection from brachial veins; wugat is treated by "cupping". Modern medicine was recommended by < 30% of those questioned for epilepsy, splenomegaly, hepatitis, and Ethiopian cultural diseases. It was recommended most for malaria (52%), sexually transmitted diseases (55%), and diarrhea (69%).