Understanding public attitudes toward body donation in South Korea: A cross-sectional survey study

The shortage of body donors remains a challenge for anatomy education in South Korea, despite growing public awareness. This study investigated sociodemographic, attitudinal, and experiential factors associated with willingness to donate among Korean adults. A total of 204 individuals aged 19 years or older completed a structured questionnaire on knowledge, perceptions, and willingness regarding body donation. Overall, 44.8% expressed willingness to donate, while 55.2% reported no willingness, with the most common motivation being contributions to medical advancement (83.9%). Logistic regression revealed a significant association with religious affiliation (overall p = 0.047), as individuals reporting no religion demonstrated markedly lower willingness than Protestants. Lower income and lower educational attainment were also associated with higher willingness to donate. No significant associations were found for sex, age, marital status, occupation, or self-rated health. Willingness to support a family member's donation was strongly associated with personal willingness (p < 0.001), whereas concerns about family grief or bodily integrity were not significant. Only one-third of participants had encountered publicity on body donation, and 69.6% perceived current promotional efforts as insufficient. These findings suggest that psychological and cultural factors-particularly religion, socioeconomic position, and familial attitudes-may exert greater influence on willingness than demographic characteristics alone. Targeted education and outreach addressing these factors may be essential to increase donation rates and ensure a sustainable supply of donated bodies for medical and healthcare education.