ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of students from different universities towards organ donation and the probable factors affecting these attitudes. This descriptive study was performed on 394 university students residing in Ankara Mehmet Akif Female Student Dormitory between March and April 2009. Demographic characteristics and data towards organ donation were collected through a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. Among the participants, 91.1% (n=359) declared that they would donate their organs, whereas only 3.8% (n=15) had formally completed the procedure for donation at the time of the study. Seventy one point six per cent of participants (n=257) declared that they could donate their organs to anybody, 25.3% (n=91) declared that they could donate all of their organs, and 17.5% (n=63) declared that they could donate only one organ. The rate of the participants who had a positive attitude towards organ donation was significantly higher in those who defined organ donation as religiously appropriate (p<0.001). Compared to similar studies, it was determined that the willingness of the participants for organ donation was higher whereas the rate of those who actually accepted to donate their organs was low.