Moderating Role of Religiosity and the Determinants to Attitude, Willingness to Donate and Willingness to Communicate Posthumous Organ Donation Decisions among University Students in Pakistan

Organ transplantation is considered an alternative treatment to save lives or to improve the quality of life and is a successful method for the treatment of patients with end-stage organ diseases. The main objective of the current study was to explore the determinants of the attitudes and willingness to communicate the posthumous organ donation decisions to the families. Questionnaires were used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results confirmed altruism, knowledge, empathy, and self-identity as the antecedents to attitude. We also found perceived behavioral control, moral norms, and attitude as significant antecedents to the willingness to donate organs after death. The results of the study also indicated that those who were willing to sign the donor card were also willing to communicate their decision to their families. Religiosity moderated the relationship between willingness to donate and signing the donor card, and it strengthened the relationship. The findings of this study would provide insight into the factors which can influence posthumous organ donation among university students in Pakistan.

Socio-Cultural Factors Contributing to Being an Organ Donor in Iranian Employees

Aims The purpose of this study was to use a culturally modified Organ Donation Model (ODM) to explore the significant factors and ways in which these factors could influence signing the donor card. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 600 employees from 57 offices in Hamadan, Iran, in 2018. Participants were selected randomly and surveyed on being a donor and their perceptions regarding signing the donor card. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to determine the inter-relationship between the studied variables. Results Participants’ mean age was 39.5 (SD = 7.0). 20% of participants had a signed donor card. Descriptive norms (β = 0.53, p < 0.001), non-cognitive beliefs (β=−0.33, p < 0.001), anticipated regret (β = 0.28, p < 0.001) and subjective norms (β=−0.17, p < 0.01) had significant direct effects on signing the donor card. Conclusion This study provides socio-culturally informed evidence on individuals' signing donor card. These factors could provide a guide to policymakers to develop the community-based interventions.

ORQAN BANKININ YARADILMASININ ƏHƏMİYYƏTİ

Key words: human organs and tissue, transplantation, donor card, donor, recipient, health, donor bank, brain death, organ bank

Socio-cultural factors contributing to being an organ donor in a religious context

Background Shortage of organs for transplantation is still considered to be a global concern, especially in developing countries such as Iran. Identifying factors contributing to the individual's decision to be a donor in a given society is critical to address the shortage of organ donors. The purpose of this study was to use a culturally modified Organ Donation Model (ODM) to explore the significant factors and ways in which these factors could influence signing the donor card.Methods This study was a cross-sectional design conducted among 600 employees from 57 offices in Hamadan, in the west of Iran, in 2018. Participants were selected randomly and surveyed on being a donor and as well on their perceptions regarding signing the donor card. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to determine the inter-relationship between the studied variables.Results: The mean age of participants was 39.5 (SD=7.0). Twenty percent of participants (n=120) had a signed donor card. Overall structural model provided a good fit with the data[χ2= 1172.964 (df=643, p<0.001), CFI=0.910, TLI= 0.902, RMSEA=0.037 (90% CI, 0.034 - 0.040). descriptive norms (β= 0.53, p<0.001), non-cognitive beliefs (i.e; Jinx factor, Ick factor, mistrust to medical system and body integrity (β= -0.33, p<0.001), anticipated regret (β= 0.28, p<0.001) and subjective norms (β= -0.17, p<0.01) had significant direct effects on signing the donor card.Conclusions This study provides socio-culturally informed evidence on individuals' signing donor card. To combat the shortage of organs for transplantation, these factors could provide a guide to policymakers in developing the community- based interventions.