Abstract

Background: Despite the large number of transplant surgeries performed in Saudi Arabia, there remains a significant gap between the number of donors and the number of patients who need transplants. This study aimed at measuring the general Saudi public’s knowledge and preparedness concerning organs and identify the barriers to becoming an organ donor.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to March 2022 among 820 members of the general Saudi population. The data collection tool was a self-administered online questionnaire that gathered sociodemographic data and included questions about organ donation (OD).
Results: A total of 820 participants were involved in this study. Although nearly all the participants were aware that they could donate organs while still alive, only 15% had a postmortem OD card. This low rate may be due to religious beliefs, as 43% of the participants believed that OD is prohibited in Islam. The most common factor that prevented the participants from agreeing to donate organs alive was fear of the associated operation and its complications. Yet, the participants’ willingness to donate their organs to their parents (78.5%), partners (60.1%), and children (63.7%) were high, especially in life-threatening situations. Moreover, 42.1% agreed they would donate their organs after they died.
Conclusion: The results showed a high level of knowledge regarding OD among the general Saudi population, especially younger people. However, the participant’s attitudes toward living OD were unsatisfactory. These findings can help to guide the development of appropriate educational methods to increase the number of Saudis who donate the organ.

Key words: Cultural perspective, donation, organ donation, living organ donation.