Exploring the Intentional Gap Between Signing an Organ Donor Card and Actual Behavior

Abstract

The majority of people express willingness to be organ donors, yet many do not obtain organ donor cards. The card is important because organ donation is typically obtained only after family members' consent is attained, and families are more likely to offer their consent when the deceased signed the card. Thus, it is important to identify who is more likely to actually sign the card among those who expressed an intention to obtain. This study aimed to examine actual behavior compared to intentions. In addition, given the pivotal role of religiosity on donation intentions and behavior, comparisons were also performed with Italy, using secondary data. Results show that those who expressed a strong level of commitment to organ donation in general were more likely to actually obtain the card than those who expressed a more moderate commitment. Many who had agreed to sign the card changed their mind for reasons that can be characterized as situational or “cold feet” because of some religious beliefs. Interventions to increase the number of those who sign organ donor cards should disseminate messages according to level of commitment; identify those who are strongly committed and ensure they have easy access to obtain it.

Key Words:

• Organ donation
• donor card
• religiosity
• intentional behavior