Barriers in knowledge and attitudes regarding organ donation among Urban Jordanian population

Abstract

Low organ donation rates are a major obstacle to the expansion of transplant opportunities in the Middle East. Awareness and opinion about organ donation affect willingness to donate. This study aims to evaluate public attitudes and knowledge about deceased organ donation (DOD) in Jordan in support of larger efforts to increase donor rates. A mixed qualitative and quantitative approach was used. Qualitative, one-on-one interviews were used to create a quantitative survey, which was administered to randomly-selected individuals over a 5-month period. The questionnaire used series of statements to evaluate knowledge and attitude about DOD on a scaling system and converted to scores (0–4). A total of 15 qualitative interviews and 500 quantitative surveys (78.4% response rate) were completed. Only 78 (15.6%) knew they could donate their organs after death. Only 49 (9.8%) were registered as donors, although 373 (74.6%) knew about the registration process. Internet (52.2%) and social media (51.0%) were the most common sources of information. The overall knowledge score was moderately high at 68.8% (2.75 ± 1.31). Misconceptions persisted about body disfigurement, diagnostic accuracy of brain-death, and waiting list equity. The total attitude score was moderately positive at 65.8% (2.63 ± 0.02). Public awareness campaigns (85.3%, 3.42 ± 0.95) and regulatory legislation (78.8%, 3.15 ± 0.99) were considered especially positive, while negative attitudes about religious approval and paid donation were present. Female respondents had significantly higher scores on organ donation significance (P = 0.007) and overall attitude (P = 0.035) than males. The results of this study demonstrate knowledge gaps, misconceptions, and negative opinions on topics related to organ donation in Jordan. However, participants recognized the importance of educational campaigns and regulatory legislation and would likely benefit from information from health-care providers and religious leaders.