Awareness and Willingness towards Organ Donation among Riyadh Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Transplantation Medicine
• Sociology

Background:

• Rising chronic diseases in Saudi Arabia necessitate increased organ transplantation.
• A significant gap exists between the demand for organs and the available donor pool.
• Understanding public attitudes is crucial for improving organ donation rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess organ donation awareness and willingness among adults in Riyadh.
• To identify sociodemographic factors influencing attitudes towards organ donation.
• To explore the discrepancy between willingness to donate and actual donor registration.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey design utilizing convenience sampling in Riyadh.
• Data collection included demographic information, awareness levels, and willingness to donate.
• Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify influencing factors.

Main Results:

• Over half (56.4%) of respondents expressed willingness to donate organs, with females more inclined than males.
• Awareness of organ donation centers correlated positively with willingness to donate.
• Higher education levels were strongly associated with donor registration, yet only 9.5% were registered.

Conclusions:

• Significant willingness for organ donation exists in Riyadh, influenced by gender, education, and awareness.
• Low registration rates point to potential barriers like religious beliefs and insufficient information.
• Recommendations include targeted educational campaigns and policy reviews, possibly an opt-out system, to boost donor registration.