Public knowledge about and attitudes toward organ donation, and public barriers to donate in Jordan: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Organ donation is a critical issue that is receiving greater attention worldwide. In Jordan, the public's knowledge about and attitudes toward organ donation play a significant role in the availability of organs for transplantation.

AIM

To assess the public knowledge about and attitudes toward organ donation in Jordan.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 396 Jordanian citizens an online self-reported questionnaire.

RESULTS

Overall, 396 participants were recruited. Of the entire sample, 93.9% of the participants had heard about and had sufficient knowledge about organ donation but they had limited knowledge about brain death. The most common source of information about organ donation was social media networks. Females were found to score significantly higher than males for attitude. Those who had thought about organ donation or registered their names to donate scored significantly higher in terms of attitudes to donation than their counterparts who had not. The most common reasons for limited organ donation practices in Jordan were a lack of awareness programs and insufficient knowledge in society.

CONCLUSION

Greater public understanding of organ donation appears to be associated with more positive attitudes toward organ donation. Most participants responded positively regarding their attitude toward organ donation as they believed that this action could give another person a chance to live. Moreover, most agreed that they would donate their organs after their death. Otherwise, the participants had limited general knowledge about brain death, and most had not registered their names to donate their organs. These findings indicate the need for public awareness campaigns and educational programs to encourage more people to become organ donors.