Knowledge and attitudes of university staff toward organ donation: a cross-sectional study in Oman

Organ donation remains low when it is not accompanied by a good knowledge and positive attitude. Most published articles have evaluated organ donation knowledge and attitudes within single categories such as healthcare workers, students, or patients. Few studies have assessed these factors across various job categories. Therefore, this study aimed to fill that gap by evaluating knowledge and attitudes about organ donation among university staff from various job categories.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among university staff between June 2023 and January 2024 using an online validated self-designed questionnaire. University employees were divided into academic, medical, technical and administrative staff. The survey instrument included five distinct sections: study information, informed consent, demographic data, knowledge about organ donation, and attitudes toward organ donation. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression.

The study included 385 staff. 64.4% were females, and 52.2% were in the age group between 30-41 years old. The majority of participants demonstrated good knowledge about organ donation (67.5%) and brain death (63.9%), while a significant proportion (67.5%) exhibited a negative attitude toward organ donation. Medical staff have the highest knowledge and attitude with 94.7% and 60.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that medical and academic staff were more likely than administrative staff to have good knowledge (AOR 9.244, 95% CI [2.143-39.871]; AOR 2.300, 95% CI [1.126-4.696], respectively) and a positive attitude (AOR 3.444, 95% CI [1.633-7.262]; AOR 2.636, 95% CI [1.266-5.491], respectively), while females were 2.026 times more likely (95% CI [1.246-3.295]) to have good knowledge compared to males. The most cited organ for organ donation was kidneys (94.5%). The most common reason for supporting donating organs among university students was to save a life (67.3%) and the most common reason for refusing organs was hesitation (45.7%).

The study revealed moderate knowledge about organ donation among university staff, with medical and academic staff showing higher levels. However, overall attitudes were less positive, and there was significant reliance on the internet for information. These findings emphasize the need for targeted awareness campaigns and educational programs to improve knowledge and attitudes, promoting a cultural shift towards increased organ donation.