title: Public Perception of Cadaver Organ Donation in Hunan Province, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to (1) survey public' perception and attitudes toward organ donation and (2) analyze the relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to donate.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a questionnaire, and conducted the survey with stratified random sampling. Overall, 600 residents, aged ≥18 who resided in Hunan, and 600 undergraduates from 3 universities in Hunan were surveyed randomly. For this study, 1085 valid questionnaires were completed, with a response rate of 90.4%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1085 participants, 581 (53.5%) were students, 504 (46.5%) were residents, and 519 (47.8%) were male and 566 (52.2%) female. The mean accuracy rate was 71.96%, and the students' mean accuracy rate was slightly higher than that of the resident population (73.06% vs 70.68%, respectively). The results showed that 82.2% of public support organ donation, and 53.5% were willing to donate their organs after death. Students scored higher than the residents (88% vs 75.6% and 55.6% vs 51.2%). Nearly 1.8% felt that organ donation was against their religion, 14.9% thought it was important to ensure the integrity of the body, 71.7% agreed that organ donation allowed a positive outcome after a person's death, and 61.5% agreed that organ donation represented a continuation of life, to help families cope with grief. Age and gender were related to attitudes. Public knowledge of organ donation and their attitudes were correlated positively (r = 0.666).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Public knowledge of organ donation is poor, biased, and incomplete, and based on television, movies, and communication networks. Positive attitudes toward donation displayed in the surveys were not matched by actual organ donation.
authors: The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Laboratory of Medical Information Research (Central South University), College of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Luo
authors: The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Laboratory of Medical Information Research (Central South University), College of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China. Electronic address: xie_wenzhao@126.com.
authors: W Z
authors: WZ
authors: Xie
authors: The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Laboratory of Medical Information Research (Central South University), College of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Luo
authors: The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Laboratory of Medical Information Research (Central South University), College of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Ouyang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002102:Cadaver; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult