Organ Donation: Knowledge and Factors Associated With Refusal Among First-Year Medical Students and Their Parents
Keywords:
Brain death, Medical education, Health communication, Organ transplantationAbstract
Objectives: To evaluate and compare the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of first-year medical students and their parents regarding organ donation. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study conducted with 89 students and 70 parents using electronic questionnaires (Google Forms), administered separately. The instruments addressed sociodemographic data, self-reported knowledge of Brazilian Law No. 9,434/1997, understanding and acceptance of brain death (BD), attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation, as well as factors associated with refusal to donate. Analyses included absolute and relative frequencies, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and comparison between proportions using Pearson’s chi-square test (p < 0.05). Results: Approval of organ donation was high, reaching 100% among students and 95.7% among parents (p = 0.049). A significant dissociation between attitude and practice was observed, with low willingness to donate in cases of BD (11.2% vs. 15.7%; p = 0.416). Acceptance of BD was lower among students (10.1%) than among parents (92.9%; p < 0.001). Family communication was limited (49.4% vs. 45.7%). Most students (84.3%) and parents (97.1%) believed that the other group was favorable toward donation. Among students, the main factors were fear (57.3%) and lack of information (22.5%), whereas among parents, the primary factor was lack of prior reflection on the topic (77.1%). Conclusion: Despite the high level of acceptance, relevant gaps remain in knowledge, particularly in the understanding and acceptance of BD, in addition to limited family communication. Longitudinal educational strategies and the promotion of family dialogue are essential to reduce refusal rates for organ donation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Silvia Fernandes Ribeiro da Silva, Luís Couto Callou Lóssio de Macêdo, Paulo Gondim Gonçalves, Júlia Machado Maia, Maria Clara Silva de Oliveira Lousada, Ana Luíza Rangel Montenegro, Mariana Meneses de Lima Banhos Pinheiro, Isabella Siqueira Oliveira, Sônia Leite da Silva
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