Knowledge levels and attitudes of Muslim religious officials regarding organ transplantation

Abstract

Introduction: The leadership and attitudes of religious officials in organ transplantation can be an effective communication tool in changing the public's attitude towards organ donation.  Objective: To determine the knowledge level and attitudes of Muslim religious officials working in a city center regarding organ transplantation. Material and Methods: This descriptive research was carried out to determine the knowledge and attitudes of 127 Muslim religious officials working in a province of Turkey regarding organ donation and transplantation. Results: The mean age of the religious officials participating in the research was 42.2±8.8 years, and 85.0% were male. 92.9% of religious officials did not donate organs, and 89.0% said they would recommend organ donation. 74.0% answered "yes" to the question "Would you like an organ transplant if you needed it?" Organ-Tissue Donation and Transplantation Knowledge Scale (ODTKS) were used. The mean ODTKS score was 11.07±3.78. The scale's donor characteristics sub-dimension mean score was 3.37±1.11, and the sub-dimension score average of legal, ethical, and medical process related to organ donation and transplantation was 7.69±3.01. There was a difference between the groups according to educational status (p=.042), considering donating their organs(p=.043), and having an organ transplant in case of need (p=.027). Conclusion: The participant's knowledge was at a medium level, and the level of knowledge increased as the educational status increased.