Knowledge and Attitude of Chinese Non-Medical University Students Toward Living Organ Donation: A Narrative Analysis

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to explore Chinese non-medical university students’ knowledge and attitudes toward living organ donation.

Methods

In this study, sixteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted at a Chinese university. Data collection lasted from April 2020 to May 2020. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The method of content analysis was used to analyze non-medical university students’ knowledge and attitudes toward living organ donation.

Results

Qualitative content analysis of the collected data yielded five themes. Themes involve (1) benefits of living organ donation; (2) disincentives to living organ donation; (3) ways to understand living organ donation; (4) ways to promote the dissemination of living organ donation; and (5) traditional Chinese culture as incentives to living organ donation.

Conclusion

This study suggests that almost all participants have positive attitudes toward living organ donation on condition that recipients are their lineal relatives including their parents, children, and siblings. What concerns participants most is the adverse impact of living organ donation on their health. These findings could shed some insight into how to strengthen the knowledge of non-medical university students regarding living organ donation.

Keywords:

• content analysis
• living organ donation
• Chinese non-medical university students

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Shandong Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project (2021CYJ08).