Misconceptions hold back willingness to donate organs, finds study

CHENNAI: At least 78.1 percent people are aware of organ donation in the city, of which about 41.2 percent are willing to donate their organs, a recent study done at Stanley Medical College and Hospital revealed. The study highlights that the awareness regarding organ donation has increased, while the willingness to donate organs needs further boost. Several misconceptions surrounding organ donation were also revealed by the participants.

The study published in the Tamil Nadu journal of Public Health and Medical Research was led by Dr P Sreenivasan of the Department of Community Medicine at Stanley Medical College and Hospital.

The study was aimed at understanding the knowledge, attitude and practices of organ donation among the general population and a total number of 369 people participated in the study.

Direct interviews were performed as part of the study and out of the 369 people under study, 78.6 percent were aware that organs can be donated to save the lives of other people but 21.4 percent individuals were not aware of the term "organ donation". Out of the 290 people aware, people belonging to the age groups ranging from 26-45 years were found to be increasingly aware of the organ donation process. Out of the 199 males under the study, 82.4 percent were aware, while 74.1 percent females were aware of the same.

The study brought out interesting points such that only 38.8 percent were aware of all the organs that can be donated, while 71.5 percent knew of kidney donation and only 39.8 percent were aware of pancreas donation. However, 3.3 percent of the population believed that only eyes can be donated.

Dr Sreenivasan discusses that the socio economic factors also seem to play a major role in the awareness as there were no unaware people in the upper class whereas the percentage of people unaware in the upper middle was 5.8 percent, 26.2 percent in lower middle class, 36 percent in upper lower class and about 75 percent in the lower class.

Bringing several misconceptions to light, about 74 percent considered that organ donation is done to save someone's life whereas 3.3 percent assumed that organ donation is done for acquiring money. Though, 46.6 percent of the people believe that donated organs will not be misused, around 31.7 percent doubted that organs donated are being misused or abused.

Thus, out of 78.6 percent who were aware of organ donation, only 41.2 percent were definitely willing to donate organs, whereas 29.3 percent had second thoughts and 8.1 percent people said that they will never consider donating. Of the willing participants, 76.3 percent people wanted to give the organs to anyone regardless of their religion.