The influence of beliefs on organ donation intention

Factors influencing consumers' intention to donate blood: A South African perspective

The objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing consumer intention to donate blood in an emerging market setting. A quantitative research design was followed that entailed the collection of data from 308 non-donor respondents, using a self-administered online questionnaire. The conceptual model and hypotheses were analysed statistically, using SPSS to conduct reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and personal norms had a positive and significant influence on consumers' intention to donate blood. Ascription of responsibility was the largest influencer of personal norms towards blood donation.

Moderating Role of Religiosity and the Determinants to Attitude, Willingness to Donate and Willingness to Communicate Posthumous Organ Donation Decisions among University Students in Pakistan

Organ transplantation is considered an alternative treatment to save lives or to improve the quality of life and is a successful method for the treatment of patients with end-stage organ diseases. The main objective of the current study was to explore the determinants of the attitudes and willingness to communicate the posthumous organ donation decisions to the families. Questionnaires were used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results confirmed altruism, knowledge, empathy, and self-identity as the antecedents to attitude. We also found perceived behavioral control, moral norms, and attitude as significant antecedents to the willingness to donate organs after death. The results of the study also indicated that those who were willing to sign the donor card were also willing to communicate their decision to their families. Religiosity moderated the relationship between willingness to donate and signing the donor card, and it strengthened the relationship. The findings of this study would provide insight into the factors which can influence posthumous organ donation among university students in Pakistan.

Beliefs and Intention to Organ Donation in Saudi Arabia: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey

OBJECTIVE

Despite concerted and directed efforts to increase organ donation, the gap between the need for organs for transplantation and the lack of donors has been increasing globally. Studies have shown that donor rates in countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, are particularly low despite a relatively advanced healthcare system and supportive government policies. There are multiple psychosocial, cultural, religious, and structural factors, that influence the increase in the organ donation rate, and some of them may be unique to a country such as Saudi Arabia. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is an important theory utilised to study how various types of attitudes, beliefs, and norms, influence organ donation intention and practice. In this study, we aimed to explore the normative, behavioural, and control beliefs, among residents of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

The current study was a cross-sectional online survey performed from 6 June 2021 to 31 December 2021, using a questionnaire prepared in GoogleTM form among the residents of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire asked demographic factors and questions to explore the normative, behavioural, and control beliefs, regarding organ donation.

RESULTS

This study received 1245 valid responses. Among the study participants, only 19.6% were willing to register as an Organ/Tissue donors. The intention for organ donation showed a statistically significant positive association with beliefs that organ donation is a good thing (123.51, df 4, p < 0.001), could save somebody's life (81.38, df 4, p < 0.001), could have a positive impact on life after death (114, df 4, p < 0.001), and provision of better social support to family (of the deceased) can increase organ donation (68.43, df 4, p < 0.001). Those who expressed normative beliefs that their intention to donate organs strongly depend upon their family's lack of objection to allowing the donation of organs at the time of death (190.76, df 4, p < 0.001), their knowledge about the organ transplantation process (179.35, df 4, p < 0.001), their knowledge about the viewpoint of their religion regarding organ donation (120.345, df 4, p < 0.001), and their knowledge about the registration facilities (241.64, df 4, p < 0.001), were more willing for donating their organs. Perception of worry about the likelihood of getting lesser care from doctors in an emergency if registered as an organ donor (OR = 4.25, 95% CI 1.57-11.51), beliefs that provision of better social support to family (of the deceased) can increase organ donation (OR = 10.49, 95% CI 1.56-70.43), and concern for the emotions of their family members while organ are being taken (OR = 4.37, CI 1.57-12.23), were the strongest predictors influencing a definite intention for organ donation.

CONCLUSION

This study found that most of the components under normative and behavioural beliefs showed positive correlation with a definite intention for organ donation, whereas most of the components under control beliefs showed negative correlation with a definite intention for organ donation, among Saudi population. Based on the study results, there is a need to promote awareness regarding the organ donation process, especially the religious permissibility of organ donation, among general public in order to promote organ donation.

Effects of humorous interventions on the willingness to donate organs: a quasi-experimental study in the context of medical cabaret

Background

It has been shown that fears and misconceptions negatively affect the willingness to donate organs. Empirical studies have examined health communication strategies that serve to debunk these fears. There are promising indications that humor has the potential to influence health-related attitudes and behaviors. This study examines empirically whether medical cabaret, as a specific format for delivering health-related information in a humorous way, affects the willingness to donate organs.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study was conducted among the audience of a medical cabaret live show. Participants in two intervention groups and one control group were interviewed just before the start of the live show (t₀) and about 6 weeks later (t₁). Intervention group 1 (I₁) witnessed a ten-minute sequence by the cabaret artist about organ donation. Participants in I₂ witnessed the sequence and, in addition, received an organ donor card. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to investigate changes in attitudes and the willingness to donate organs from t₀ to t₁.

Results

A significant increase in the willingness to donate organs and an improvement in general attitude was observed in the intervention groups. Moreover, significantly more participants in I₂ carried an organ donor card after the intervention. Some fears could be reduced, while understanding of the reasons for organ donation could be increased via the intervention.

Conclusions

The study confirms that medical cabaret is able to affect respondents’ attitudes and behaviors even in the context of organ donation. Medical cabaret can enhance the willingness to donate organs and dispel negative concerns.