Knowledge and Attitude of Chinese Non-Medical University Students Toward Living Organ Donation: A Narrative Analysis

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore Chinese non-medical university students’ knowledge and attitudes toward living organ donation. METHODS: In this study, sixteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted at a Chinese university. Data collection lasted from April 2020 to May 2020. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The method of content analysis was used to analyze non-medical university students’ knowledge and attitudes toward living organ donation. RESULTS: Qualitative content analysis of the collected data yielded five themes. Themes involve (1) benefits of living organ donation; (2) disincentives to living organ donation; (3) ways to understand living organ donation; (4) ways to promote the dissemination of living organ donation; and (5) traditional Chinese culture as incentives to living organ donation. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that almost all participants have positive attitudes toward living organ donation on condition that recipients are their lineal relatives including their parents, children, and siblings. What concerns participants most is the adverse impact of living organ donation on their health. These findings could shed some insight into how to strengthen the knowledge of non-medical university students regarding living organ donation.