The influence of beliefs on organ donation intention

Abstract

Purpose Recent technological developments in healthcare have enabled an increased number of organ transplantation surgeries. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of people awaiting organ transplant, coupled with the difficulty in donation. To bridge this gap, this study aims to propose to evaluate the effect of three types of beliefs (clinical beliefs, financial incentive beliefs and beliefs on the social benefits of altruism and solidarity) on the intention to donate organs. Moreover, this paper uses the attitudes in relation to donation to explain the effect of these beliefs on the intention to donate organs. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted using a survey of 422 Brazilian participants and a mediation analysis to test the mediation hypotheses. Findings The results suggest that the effect of three types of beliefs (clinical, economic order and social solidarity) influence the intention to donate organs indirectly through the formation of attitudes concerning organ donation. Research limitations/implications This article contributes to the understanding of the formation of organ donation intentions and the role of different types of beliefs in the formation of such intentions. Originality/value The findings extend the discussions regarding the role of beliefs in the formation of attitudes and intentions of organ donation and have significant value in creating public policies that further promote organ donation.