To Donate or to Waste It: Understanding Posthumous Organ Donation Attitude

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to improve knowledge and foster a deeper understanding of various aspects of influencing posthumous organ donation. Extending the Theory of Reasoned Action this study integrates four external explanatory belief factors, altruism, perceived benefit, perceived risk and familial subjective norm to more fully explain organ donation intentions to sign a donor card. The data was gathered from a convenience sample of 423 via an online survey. The relationships between the constructs of the proposed conceptual model were tested using structural equation modelling and bias correct bootstrapping techniques. Several alternative models were compared to confirm the mediation effects. This study derives a number of practical implications for government policy-makers, social marketing practitioners and educationalists, which could be used to increase registration rate, thus bridging the gap between organ supply and demand.