Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers of Organ Donation in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

Organ donation is considered a life-saving treatment for end-stage organ failure worldwide. However, the severe organ shortage in Saudi Arabia creates a gap between patients in need of transplantation and the availability of organs. In Saudi Arabia, a limited number of studies have assessed knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation, especially in Jeddah City. Thus, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to organ donation and to determine the factors that may hinder or facilitate organ donation. Our findings indicated that almost half of the participants (49.2%) obtained their information from online resources. Fear of the unknown (31.2%) and a lack of knowledge (28.5%) were the main barriers to organ donation. A high percentage of the participants (73%) were unaware of any local or international legislation regarding organ donation. Half of the study participants were willing to donate their organs, with insignificant differences in age, gender, occupation, and education level. Only 5.4% of the respondents had an organ donor card. The study indicated that half of the participants were willing to donate organs, but they were unaware of local and international legislation. Therefore, an intensive education program and campaigns are recommended to increase public awareness about organ donation.