The effect of religious belief and altruism on organ donation attitude in Turkey

Altruism and religious beliefs are important motivational and belief-based factors that can influence individuals’ attitudes toward organ donation. This study aimed to determine the relationship between organ donation attitudes, religious beliefs, and altruism. In this descriptive, correlational study, data were collected from 643 participants using a Questionnaire Form, the OK-Religious Attitude Scale, the Altruism Scale, and the Organ Donation Attitude Scale. The data collection tools were prepared online using Google Forms and sent to the participants’ mobile phones as links. The mean age of the patients was 30.83 ± 11.31. Analysis of participants’ characteristics regarding organ donation revealed that 59.9% wished to donate their organs, 94.6% did not have an organ donation card, 78.2% requested information about organ donation, 70.8% did not receive information about organ donation, and 69.8% were unaware of the organ donation system in the country. A weak positive correlation was found between the mean scores of the behavioral, emotional, and relational subscales of the OK-Religious Attitude Scale and the mean total scores of the physical injury subscale of the Organ Donation Attitude Scale. Linear regression analysis showed that religious attitudes predicted the bodily injury subscale of organ donation attitudes. The results of this study indicate a relationship between religious attitudes and attitudes towards organ transplantation. Despite the high percentage of individuals willing to donate organs, the low percentage of organ donor cardholders suggests a problem in translating individuals’ willingness into action.