Psychosocial determinants of organ donation among Chilean university students

Background: Organ donation (OD) is a complex process that among other factors, depends on the consent of the potential donor's family. Previous evidences have shown that the intention of a behavior predicts that behavior in the future. Aim: To study the effect of believes, worries, knowledge and attitudes on the intention of OD after own death as well as OD of a deceased relative. Material and Methods: A total of 3,297 Chilean university students responded to a survey about the intention to donate organs through a web link. We conducted a path analysis and a structural equation technique was used. The model explained more than 50% of the variance of the dependent variables. Results: The intention of respondents to donate their own organs or those of family members after death were predicted by attitude toward OD, social influences and family discussion. Attitude was the main predictor of the model, which is determined by the negative effect of bodily apprehensions and the positive effect of knowledge about brain death. Conclusions: Attitude, knowledge and concerns are the main determinants of donation intention. The results prove the validity of the Theory of Reasoned Action as a theoretical model to explain the intentions of OD.