A study on awareness and attitudes toward organ donation among adults in India

Abstract Background: Organ donation is a life-saving practice; however, its rate in India remains low, largely due to limited awareness and persistent misconceptions. Assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to organ donation is essential for developing effective awareness and intervention programs. Aims and Objectives: (1) To assess the level of awareness regarding organ donation among adults in India. (2) To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices toward organ donation among the study participants. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2024 using a structured questionnaire distributed via Google Forms across various social media platforms. A total of 301 adults aged 18 years and above participated through snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 7.5.2. Results: Among the 301 participants, 65.78% were females and 34.22% were males. Overall, 79.4% demonstrated good knowledge, and 85.71% expressed a positive attitude toward organ donation. Willingness to donate organs was notably higher among females (83.81%) than among males (60.19%) and among Hindus (79.12%) than among Muslims (40.63%), with these differences statistically significant. Conclusion: Despite satisfactory levels of knowledge, positive attitudes, and willingness to donate organs, a considerable gap persists between expressed willingness and actual organ donation behavior. Efforts to bridge this gap through targeted education and awareness initiatives are essential.