Public knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation: a cross-cultural study

The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and determinants of organ donation and transplantation in a Qatari population.

This is a cross-sectional study to determine the knowledge and attitude toward organ donation in a Peninsula Arabian Gulf country.

The setting was Primary Health Care (PHC) Centers and community-based study in Qatar.

A multistage sampling design was used in a representative sample of 1600 Qataris and non-Qataris, including males and females of at least 17 years of age, from October 2003 to May 2004. In this study a 1305 (81.5%) subjects participated, each giving consent for the study.

Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and awareness for organ donation.

Of 1305 samples, 637 (48.8%) males and 668 females (51.2%) living in urban and semiurban areas agreed to participate and complete the questionnaire. Of these, 762 (58.4%) were Qataris. There was a significant difference between Qataris and non-Qataris with respect to their age, educational level, monthly income, and occupation. In this study, 31.6% of Qataris and 29.8% of non-Qataris had no idea about the organ donation; 37.8% of Qataris and 32.8% of non-Qataris were willing to donate their organs. The majority of subjects preferred donating organs to their close relatives and friends. However, 83.8% of the studied subjects did not agree with an incentive-based approach for donating organs.

This study showed that people should not be blamed for not being willing to participate in organ donation, but the health system and health education providers are responsible. A more effective approach should be tried regarding health education.