Do Age and Religion Have an Impact on the Attitude to Organ Transplantation?

• Religious issues may be an important reason for the lack of organs for transplantation.
• The families of deceased donors often do not agree to have organs removed from their relatives, justifying it with religious reasons.
• We determined whether age and religion affect organ donation and transplantation by using a diagnostic poll study that included 1,273 people living in the northeastern part of Poland.
• Age (>60 and ≤60 years) and religious affiliation (Catholic, Baptist, and Muslim) have a considerable influence on the positive attitude to transplantation.
• The majority of younger people, as well as Catholic subjects, approve of the removal of organs from living donors and from dead donors.

BackgroundReligious issues may be a significant reason for the lack of organs for transplantation. Younger people have a more enthusiastic attitude toward organ donation. The goal of the present study was to determine whether age and religion affect people's attitudes to organ transplantation.MethodsThis trial was a diagnostic poll study using an original survey questionnaire involving 1273 people living in Podlaskie Voivodeship.ResultsTreatment with the use of organs from dead donors was approved by 88.3% of the respondents aged ≤60 years and 70.5% of those aged >60 years; the highest number of those who opposed this procedure occurred in the group aged >60 years (22.3%). Baptists approved of the method more often than persons of other religions; Muslims disapproved of it more often than others (25%). Approximately 96% of the participants, regardless of religion, had a positive attitude toward organ transplantation, but only 81% aged >60 years had a positive attitude toward organ donation; there were significantly more Catholics in this group (P < .026). In the group aged >60 years, 63.8% expressed their consent; 66.7% of them were Muslims and Baptists. Approximately 86% of persons aged ≤60 years were willing to donate their own organs after death. These people were significantly more often Catholic (P < .045).ConclusionsAge and religion have a considerable influence on positive attitudes toward transplantation. The majority of younger people, as well as Catholics, approve of the removal of organs from living donors and from dead donors.