A cross-sectional study to assess concerns and commitment for organ donation among students of arts, science and commerce streams in degree colleges in a metropolitan city

BACKGROUND: Organ donation has been one of the greatest advances of modern science that has resulted in many patients getting a renewed lease of life. Organs can be donated by a living person, after natural death, and many more organs can be donated after brain stem death (BSD) as “cadaver transplant” or “deceased donor transplant”. It is believed that youths are the leading decision-makers in families. So identifying their concerns regarding organ donation, creating awareness in them and changing their beliefs may increase the number of consents for organ donation in the long run. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective interventional study was done among 206 students of nine degree colleges (arts, science and commerce streams) using random sampling during the study duration of 18 months. RESULTS: One hundred two (48.57%) participants were willing to donate their organs after their BSD, while after the session in post test, the number increased significantly to 163 (77.61%). And when this increase was compared within streams, it was found that there was no significant difference in knowledge of students of arts, science and commerce streams. (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Willingness to donate their own organs or that of the relative’s in case of brain stem death had increased significantly after session in the post test. And there was no significant difference found in the increase in knowledge when compared with all the three streams, religion, and gender, which indicates that the level of increase in knowledge amongst arts and commerce students is comparable to that of science students.