Knowledge and Opinions of Deceased Organ Donation Among Middle and High School Students in Korea

•Knowledge and opinion of deceased organ donation among Korean teens were studied.•The level of knowledge did not affect Korean adolescents' decision.•Family discussion was a strong predictor of the willingness to become an organ donor.

BackgroundAdolescents are an important target group for organ donation education. As yet, little is known about the attitude of Korean adolescents toward deceased organ donation, or the factors related to their decision. In this study, we explored the knowledge and opinions of deceased organ donation among middle and high school students in Korea.MethodsA self-reported survey was conducted among middle and high school students in Seoul, Korea. The questionnaire assessed knowledge, personal experience, and opinions of organ donation. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine significant factors associated with willingness to become an organ donor.ResultsOf the 323 students, 161 (49.8%) were willing to be a deceased donor, and the other 162 (50.2%) were unwilling or unsure. Neither level of knowledge nor experience of recent public information on organ donation affected students' decisions. Instead, a cohesive family environment and family discussion were strong predictors of the willingness of Korean middle and high school students to be an organ donor.ConclusionsA donation education program that promotes family communication and discussion about organ donation could increase willingness to be an organ donor among Korean adolescents.