Attitudes and perceptions towards organ donation in Riyadh

Context: Organ donation is an optimal solution for patients with certain conditions who benefit from transplantation such as liver cirrhosis. The organs come from living and brain-dead donors, who opt to donate parts of their bodies to treat others. This serves to treat and improve the outcome to those in need; however, the awareness in this regard is unclear. Aims: This study aimed to assess the attitude and perceptions towards organ donation and the concept of brain death in the population of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional quantitative design was used. The study was conducted at four large malls in different geographical areas. Data collection was done at random times during the day. Subjects and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was designed to examine the sociodemographic data. A 4-item questionnaire was developed to assess the attitude and perception of organ donation and brain death. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were entered and analysed using SPSS v21. Descriptive statistics are presented as frequencies and percentages for the categorical variables and mean ± standard deviation for numerical variables. Results: The study included 409 participants from different sociodemographic backgrounds. Over 60% were able to identify the correct definition of brain death and 68.1% stated that they would like to donate their organs in case of brain death. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the population has an acceptable understanding of the concept of brain death and that they are willing to donate in cases of brain death. It also shows an excellent understanding of the religious aspect, but with poor family and friends' communication regarding the subject.