Organ Donation-Reaching the Next Generation: To and Through High School

Current transplant rates meet only 10% of the global demand, and the quintessential reason is the lack of donors. The same holds for blood donations, with the number of younger donors increasingly declining.

This project tested the hypothesis that awareness, knowledge, and comfort levels of blood, organ, and bone marrow (BM) donation are low among high school students but can be raised through education.

A pre-/post-comparative cohort study was conducted using a 59-item electronic questionnaire administered to students in grades 9, 10, and 11 in a single high school between November 2025 and January 2026 before and after a 10-minute presentation in high school classrooms.

A total of 112 students participated (59% females, age 14-17). Awareness level (5-point scale from 1 (very aware) to 5 (not aware)) was moderate-high for organ and blood donation and moderate for BM (median (IQR) 2 (1-3), 2 (1-2) and 3 (2-4), respectively). Notable increases in knowledge pertained to the number of patients on the transplant list (from 55% pre to 83% post, P < .01), the number of organs that can be donated (from 14% to 22%, P < .01), and the volume of blood per blood donation (from 17% to 24%, P < .01). Comfort level (from 1 (very) to 5 (not at all)) was higher for deceased organ donation than for living organ donation and blood donation (median (IQR) 2 (1-3) vs. 3 (2-4) and 3 (3-4), P < .05) and increased for deceased organ and blood donation after the presentation (median (IQR) 1 (1-3) and 2 (1-3), respectively, P < .001 vs. pre).

Dedicated peer-to-peer initiatives can raise awareness, knowledge, and comfort levels for blood, organ, and BM donation among high schoolers.