This study aims to analyze public attitudes toward organ donation and several relevant factors in a current situation where, despite the 1999 legislation of Organ Transplantation Law, the number of brain-dead donors is decreasing.
This study is based on "A Survey on Public Opinion on Brain Death and Organ Transplantation" conducted in 2002 by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.
The subject group consists of 1,016 people who have been selected through systematic sampling from a group of 4,Q0Q adult men and women over the age 20 by trained telephone survey workers between July 8, 2002 to July 15, 2002.
This study utilizes SAS for data analysis and chi-square test and logistic regression analysis to understand what effects demographic and socioeconomic factors have on people’s attitudes toward organ donation.
Some of the main findings of this study are as follows. First, there were differences in people´s knowledge of the concept of brain death, acceptance of brain death, the respondent´s intention of organ donation, and the respondent´s intention of family members´ organ donation between demographic and socioeconomic groups. Second, as to the respondent´s-to have an organ transplant operation, most of those who responded as having willingness to receive an organ donation were those without the ability to pay for the cost of organ transplant operation. Third, affecting variables to the respondent´s intention of organ donation were marital status, respondent´s intention of family members´ organ donation, traditional view of human body, awareness of organ transplantation. Affecting variables to the respondent´s intention of family members´ organ donation were monthly income level, knowledge of the concept of brain death, reluctance to accept brain death, awareness of organ transplantation, and the respondent´s intention of organ donation.
There are some cultural differences between Korea and West, which may explain the reluctance to donate organs. So, it is not enough that the system and technology of organ transplantation have been imported, a cultural and ethical background transplant ins also needed in Korea.
From these results, this study draws several policy suggestions. First, as seen from the case of such developed countries as Spain and ´the US, there is a need for government -initiated publicity and education efforts to change people´s attitudes toward -brain death and organ transplantation. Second, there is a need for institutional means - to prioritize the individual´s consent to organ- donation over his or her family members refusal of it. Also, the government should make effort to reduce the patient´s cost of organ transplantation and thus to achieve national equity in the distribution of organs.
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