Attitudes of Middle Eastern Societies towards Organ Donation: The Effect of Demographic Factors among Jordanian Adults

Abstract

Background: Organ donation gives thousands of patients a renewed chance at living full and active lives. Unfortunately, the need for organs does not match their availability. This study aims to analyze the effect of demographic factors on the knowledge and awareness of the Jordanian society towards organ donation.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online questionnaire. We included 1041 adult Jordanians from all the governorates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Results: Of the 1041 participants, only 124 (11.9%) had previously singed organ donation card. Overall, 827 (79.4%) were fully accepting organ donation. Among 782 participants in the medical field, 639 (81.7%) fully accepted organ donation, compared to 188 out of 259 (72.6%) in the non-medical field (p= 0.002), with no significant effect of any demographic factor on the willingness to sign organ donation card. There was significant difference in the acceptance of donation from brain dead donors (p< 0.001), with participants from medical field and male participants having higher acceptance rates when compared with non-medical and female participants, respectively. The main barrier for organ donation was found to be the desire to be buried as a whole (58.2%), followed by traditional beliefs (47.4%), and family refusal (42.2%).

Conclusions: In conclusion, an educational strategy can improve organ donation awareness from an early age by spreading actionable information through social media and conducting nationwide public campaigns.