The gift of life: Knowledge and attitude toward organ donation among medical students in Malaysia

Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth

关键词: attitude;    awareness;    medical students;    organ donation;   

DOI  :  10.4103/mjdrdypu.mjdrdypu_36_20

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background: In Malaysia, there is a large gap between the number of organ donors and recipients. Aim and Objectives: This study was done to determine the knowledge and attitude toward organ donation among medical students in a private medical institution in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June, 2019, among 122 randomly selected participants from MBBS students of a private medical university, Malaysia. Data were collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Results:The mean age of the study participants was 23.23 years (standard deviation ± 0.58 years). The male-to-female ratio was almost equal (49.2: 50.8%). All the participants (100%) had correct knowledge regarding brain death and the place of registration for organ donation. However, only 54 (44.3% students [95% confidence interval (CI): 35.49–53.11]) had adequate knowledge about organ donation and 59 (48.4%) students (95% CI: 39.53–57.27) had a positive attitude toward it. Younger respondents (odds ratio [OR] = 0.3685, P = 0.02) were more likely to have higher knowledge about organ donation. Positive attitude was more among male respondents (OR = 0.8788, P = 0.72) and those aged <24 years (OR = 0.5535, P = 0.19) but were not statistically significant. The study showed that there was no statistically significant relationship between knowledge of organ donation and attitude. Conclusion: Almost half of the study population had adequate knowledge of organ donation, but most of them had a negative attitude toward it. It is crucial to address the misconceptions and sociocultural beliefs regarding organ donation through various awareness campaigns. Further study is required to explore the factors hindering willingness to organ transplantation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown