Perspectives on Organ Donation and the Relationship Between Spiritual Beliefs and Willingness to Donate: a Cross-sectional Study of Nigerian Medical and Allied Health Students

Perspectives on Organ Donation and the Relationship Between Spiritual Beliefs and Willingness to Donate: a Cross-sectional Study of Nigerian Medical and Allied Health Students | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Perspectives on Organ Donation and the Relationship Between Spiritual Beliefs and Willingness to Donate: a Cross-sectional Study of Nigerian Medical and Allied Health Students Kingsley Chinemerem Ibeabuchi, Smart Ikechukwu Mbagwu, Jude Amechi Nnaka, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4578333/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction This study explored how the spiritual beliefs of medical and allied health students affect their willingness for organ donation. Materials and Methods An online questionnaire developed from interviews and Spirituality Orientation Inventory was used to survey 604 Nigerian medical and allied health students, including questions on students’ views on organ donation, spiritual beliefs, and spiritual reasons for organ donation choices. Descriptive analysis, crosstabulation, and Chi-squared tests, were used to determine proportions, and relationships between the variables, respectively. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results The majority (72.6%) of students support organ donation in principle. Yet only 38.25% are willing to donate posthumously, with 37.1% undecided, and a mere 16.89% willing to donate while alive. Predominantly, students identify as Christians (87.7%) or Muslims (11.6%). Approximately 43.05% are uncertain if their religion endorses organ donation, while 55.46% aim to follow their religious teachings and 25.99% try to do so. Belief in reincarnation (38.9%) and life after death (72.9%) are prevalent among respondents. Notably, the belief in reincarnation, life after death, and religious adherence significantly influences willingness to donate organs, whether posthumously or while alive (p < 0.05). Conclusion There is a noteworthy disparity between the theoretical support for organ donation and the actual willingness to donate, particularly while alive, among Nigerian students. The strong correlation between specific spiritual beliefs and the willingness to donate organs, emphasizes the substantial influence of spirituality on this decision-making process. There is therefore a need to consider spiritual factors when devising strategies to meet the increasing demand for donor organs. Organ donation Spirituality Religion Students Nigeria Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 INTRODUCTION Organ donation is the surgical procedure of taking out an organ from one person (donor) and permanently transferring it into another person’s body (recipient) to substitute a missing or damaged organ [ 1 , 2 ]. It is an important form of social and medical assistance that has the prospect of saving the lives of terminally sick individuals [ 3 ]. It tops the list of the most valued therapy options for patients with chronic end-stage organ failure as it is most often than not the only life-saving option for organ recipients [ 2 ]. It increases the average life span of recipients, dramatically reduces the financial burden for both individuals and the healthcare sector when compared to other alternative treatments and has the potential of improving the quality of life through the restoration of organ functionality [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]. Various organs of donation such as the liver, kidney, heart, lungs, intestines and pancreas have been described as precious gifts of life for those who would receive them with one donor being able to save the lives of about eight people [ 4 , 5 ]. The donation of organs can also be for research or educational purposes where parts or whole organs are freely donated to medical colleges or research centres [ 6 ]. Organs for donation can be obtained from two main sources, either from a living donor or a deceased donor [ 3 – 5 , 7 ]. In living organ donation, the donors who are living and healthy persons[ 4 ] consensually donate whole or part of their organs to recipients who may or may not be related to them by blood and after which the donors continue to live [ 4 , 8 , 9 ]. It is fast becoming the commonest type of organ donation throughout the world as it reduces the incidence of organ rejection while boosting the success rates of its subsequent transplantation [ 3 , 5 , 8 ]. Living organ donation has been described as an empathetic gesture because more often than not, it involves emotions or feelings of sympathy and the yearning to alleviate the sufferings of other people [ 9 ]. Deceased organ donation unlike living donation is the process of organ recovery from brain-dead persons [ 10 , 11 ] who while alive had accepted to donate a part or whole of an organ(s) communicated through a written document or an oral wish known to the relatives [ 8 ]. This type of organ donation is usually considered as part of the choices or wishes specific individuals make at the end of their lives [ 10 ]. Brain death occurs when severe or profound trauma or injury causes permanent loss of consciousness together with irreversible loss of breathing ability [ 4 ]. As crucial as organ donation is to save lives and for medical education, the willingness to bequest one’s organ is a topic shaped by multifactorial elements including the donor’s spirituality which stands out [ 7 , 12 ]. Spirituality has been defined as an “individual’s perception of life within the context of culture and value system of the society concerning the individual’s goals, expectations, standards, and concerns” [ 13 ]. Spirituality which has been regarded as the 4th dimension of health and well-being[ 13 ] is one of the core factors influencing decision-making[ 5 ] and remains a complex term that is difficult to precisely define and measure [ 14 , 15 ]. However, it is accepted that spirituality involves a relationship with a higher reality that functions as the source of one’s meaning in life experienced through certain religious traditions, culture, belief systems, mediation or nature [ 14 , 16 ]. It is a complex construct that represents man’s search for meaning in life, for a personalized relationship with transcendent realities and for interconnection with humanity that may or may not directly acknowledge the existence of God [ 15 – 17 ]. Nigerian medical schools usually comprise students from different medical and allied health specialties, including Medicine and Surgery, Anatomy, Physiology, Human Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, Environmental Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Medical Rehabilitation or Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Nursing or Midwifery, Dentistry, and Optometry [ 45 ]. Nigeria is a country well known for its diverse cultural and religious perspectives with Christianity, Islam, and Indigenous African traditional religion being the three primary religions influencing the citizens [ 46 ]. Known as one of the most religious countries in the world[ 49 ], with the influence of spirituality and religious beliefs in Nigeria extending to all facets of life, including life’s choices [ 47 ], it becomes pertinent to investigate how students’ spiritual beliefs shape their willingness for organ donation. There is a dearth of studies on the relationship between spirituality and organ donation especially among Nigerian students. Hence, this study investigated the spirituality and spiritual concerns of medical and allied health students and the influence they have on their willingness to donate their organs either while living or after death. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study design This is a cross-sectional study of undergraduate and graduate Nigerian medical and allied health students investigating the spiritual concerns that affect their willingness to donate their organs either while living or after death. Six hundred and four (604) students were randomly surveyed across the medical schools in Nigeria through different online platforms. Survey Tool This study utilized a self-administered online questionnaire ( https://forms.gle/hFGSd61i8QSCNRoH6 ) developed in English Language to collect data from the study participants. The survey has 6 sections: 1) consent, 2) screening, 3) demographics, 4) views on organ donation, 5) spiritual beliefs, 6) spiritual reasons for organ donation choices. The questionnaire contains 21 categorised questions of dichotomous, contingency and Likert types. Development of Study Questionnaire Considering the variations of regulations, implementation, and challenges of organ donation across the globe, and due to lack of context-specific survey models for this study, a new questionnaire was developed to capture the perspectives of Nigerian students on organ donation, and the effect of spirituality on these perceptions. Five students were pre-identified during a cadaver dissection session as volunteers for a phone interview on the subject. The study considered at least students from the three major religions in Nigeria and one non-religious student to ensure that all the conventional themes were generated for the questionnaire. The semi-structured interview took place at the time agreed by the interviewees and lasted for 30 minutes each. There were only leading questions for the interview including: 1) What do you know about organ donation? 2) Are you willing to donate your organ? 3) Tell me about your spiritual beliefs on organ donation? The follow-up questions were derived following the interviewee’s answer to the leading questions. The interviewer framed all the follow-up questions with the study aim in mind, and the interview session for all the interviewees were conducted by the same interviewer, to ensure homogeneity of questions. Interviews were recorded and reviewed to develop potential questions and options for the study questionnaire. Additionally, the questionnaire received reflective inputs from the Spirituality Orientation Inventor[ 18 , 19 ] - a multidimensional measure of humanistic spirituality with nine scales focusing on cognitive, experiential, and affective aspects of spirituality. A pilot survey was done with the developed questionnaire using a heterogeneous population of 15 participants, and modifications were made to the questionnaire following the outcome. The questionnaire was tested for consistency and were validated using internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.7), test-retest reliability, and inter-rater reliability (Kappa statistic, K = 0.9) before utilizing it for this study. To meet the sample size sufficient for the central limit theorem to hold, thirty participants were surveyed online and offline using the final questionnaire, before the determination of the reliability testing. Study Sampling, and Data Collection The questionnaire was designed to target only current medical and allied health students in Nigerian medical schools who have heard about organ donation and understood at least its definition. This is to exclude bias, ensure reliability and to get informed responses. This study considered a wide range of students from different medical and health specialties, including Medicine and Surgery, Anatomy, Physiology, Human Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, Environmental Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Medical Rehabilitation/Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Nursing/Midwifery, Dentistry and Optometry. These specialties reflect the different departments whose students are exposed to and understand the concept of organ donation. Although the study did not exclusively target Nigerian students, the recruitment of non-Nigerians is highly unlikely, given that less than 1% of students in Nigerian higher institutions are non-Nigerians [ 48 ]. The sample size was determined considering the population of 42 medical schools in Nigeria [ 20 ], with an estimated 14 medical departments in a school with a total population of 60,000 students each across the country. The Survey Monkey online calculator generated a minimum sample size of 385 respondents for this study, using an estimated target student population of 35,280,000 at a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%. However, 665 students accessed the questionnaire link; 639 who were up to 18 years agreed to participate, while only 604 students who have heard about organ donation and understood its definition completed the questionnaire. The self-administered questionnaire was shared on different verified student online platforms (e-mails, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter) of the medical schools reached between June and August 2023. At the end of the survey, the responses were downloaded as a csv file from the Google Form for analysis. Statistical Analysis The study data were checked for missing data using Openrefine version 3.6 and transferred to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). Descriptive analysis, crosstabulation, and Chi-squared tests, were used to determine proportions, and relationships between the variables respectively. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS Study Participant Characteristics The respondents were predominantly aged 20–24 years (59%), females (67.4%), undergraduates (98.3%), studying anatomy (34.1%) with secondary school certificate as their highest level of qualification (89.4%) and from Igbo ethnic group (78.1%) (Supplementary file). Perspectives and willingness for organ donation The students either strongly support organ donation in principle (23.8%), just support it (48.8%) or are neutral about it (25.3%). Only an insignificant number of students strongly oppose (0.8%) or just oppose (1.2%) organ donation in principle ( Fig . I - students’ support for organ donation). However, only 38.25% of the respondents ( Fig . II - students’ willingness to donate their organ after death) indicated their willingness to donate their organ after death with others undecided about this (37.1%). Some respondents (35.3%) agreed to be a deceased organ donor just for anyone while others (34.6%) can only be a deceased organ donor for their loved ones. Only a few (10.6%) of the respondents indicated that they could donate their organ only if they or their family are paid for it ( Fig. III - In-depth query on students’ willingness to donate their organ after death). The number of respondents (42.2%) who were undecided about being a living organ donor were comparable to those (40.9%) who indicated that they will not agree to be a living organ donor ( Fig. IV - students’ willingness to donate their organ while alive). A deeper inquiry on the choice of being a living organ donor showed that only a few agreed to do this just for anyone (10.3%) or never to do it at all (20.5%), while about half of the respondents (52.2%) said they will only do so for their loved ones ( Fig. V - In-depth query on students’ willingness to donate their organ while alive). Faith and spiritual beliefs of study participants Majority of the respondents believe in either Christianity (87.9%) or Islam (11.6%) (Supplementary file), and agreed that they lead their lives following their religion (55.5%) or at least try to do so (26%) ( Fig. VI - participants’ adherence to their religious teachings). Majority of the respondents (72.9%) believe in life after death ( Fig. VII - students’ belief in after life) but only 38.9% believe in reincarnation ( Fig. VIII - students’ belief in reincarnation). About half (52.7%) indicated that organ donation is not against their faith, while many respondents (43.1%) do not know the stand of their religion about the subject ( Fig. IX - students’ view on their religion’s position on organ donation). The relationship between gender and students’ choice on organ donation There is no significant relationship between gender and choice to donate one’s organ after death (p = 0.906) or while alive (p = 0.545) (Supplementary file). Effect of spiritual and religious views on choice of organ donation The respondents’ choice on organ donation after death, were significantly related to their belief in after life (p = 0.001), and reincarnation (p < 0.001) (Tables I and II). The respondents’ choice for organ donation while alive were also significantly related to their belief in life after death (p < 0.001) and reincarnation (p < 0.001) (Tables III and IV). There is a significant relationship between the view of participants’ religion and their choice for organ donation after death (p < 0.001) or while alive (p < 0.001) (Tables V and VI). Tables VII and VIII show that participants’ adherence to their religious belief is significantly related to their choice of organ donation after death (p = 0.007) or while alive (p = 0.007). Table I Relationship between belief in after life and choice for organ donation after death Will you agree to donate your organs after death? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Do you believe in after life or life after death? No 26 27 21 74 Undecided 16 49 25 90 0.001 Yes 107 148 185 440 Total 149 224 231 604 Table II Relationship between belief in reincarnation and choice for organ donation after death Will you agree to donate your organs after death? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Do you believe in reincarnation? No 63 70 112 245 Undecided 23 73 28 124 0.000 Yes 63 81 91 235 Total 149 224 231 604 Table III Relationship between belief in after life and choice for organ donation while alive Will you agree to donate your organ while alive? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Do you believe in after life or life after death? No 43 22 9 74 Undecided 33 50 7 90 Yes 171 183 86 440 0.000 Total 247 255 102 604 Table IV Relationship between belief in reincarnation and choice for organ donation while alive Will you agree to donate your organ while alive? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Do you believe in reincarnation? No 102 83 60 245 Undecided 43 74 7 124 0.000 Yes 102 98 35 235 Total 247 255 102 604 Table V Effect of the view of participants’ religion on their choice on organ donation after death Will you agree to donate your organs after death? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Is organ donation against your religion/faith? Don't know 71 123 66 260 No 66 95 157 318 0.000 Yes 12 6 8 26 Total 149 224 231 604 Table VI Effect of the view of participants’ religion on their choice on organ donation while alive Will you agree to donate your organ while alive? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Is organ donation against your religion/faith? Don't know 112 123 25 260 No 119 127 72 318 0.000 Yes 16 5 5 26 Total 247 255 102 604 Table VII Effect of adherence to religion on the choice of organ donation after death Will you agree to donate your organs after death? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Which of the following statements most applies to you? I am not religious and don’t follow any religious beliefs 2 0 0 2 I am not religious, but I follow some of the traditions and customs of any religion / faith I prefer per time 4 5 1 10 I am religious, but do not follow the teachings and customs of my religion /faith 2 2 1 5 I follow the spirit of the teachings and customs of my religion / faith, but I don’t follow them exactly 2 15 13 30 0.007 I lead my life following the teachings and customs of my religion / faith 91 117 127 335 I try to lead my life following the teaching and customs of my religion / faith but I don’t always manage to do so 26 64 67 157 I would like to follow the teachings and customs of my religion / faith more closely, but not all are applicable nowadays 10 9 16 35 None of the above 12 12 6 30 Total 149 224 231 604 ` Table VIII Effect of adherence to religion on the choice of organ donation while alive Will you agree to donate your organ while alive? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Which of the following statements most applies to you? I am not religious and don’t follow any religious beliefs 2 0 0 2 I am not religious, but I follow some of the traditions and customs of any religion / faith I prefer per time 2 6 2 10 I am religious, but do not follow the teachings and customs of my religion /faith 5 0 0 5 0.007 I follow the spirit of the teachings and customs of my religion / faith, but I don’t follow them exactly 9 19 2 30 I lead my life following the teachings and customs of my religion / faith 143 134 58 335 I try to lead my life following the teaching and customs of my religion / faith but I don’t always manage to do so 66 65 26 157 I would like to follow the teachings and customs of my religion / faith more closely, but not all are applicable nowadays 9 14 12 35 None of the above 11 17 2 30 Total 247 255 102 604 Student’s support for organ donation and its association to their choice to be a deceased or living organ donors. The students support or opposition for organ donation is significantly related to their choice of organ donation after death (p < 0.001) or while alive (p < 0.001) (Tables IX and X). Table IX Association of student’s support for organ donation and their choice to be a deceased organ donor Will you agree to donate your organs after death? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Which of these statements best describes your views on organ donation? It doesn't matter if you would donate your own organs or not, we just want to know how you feel about organ donation in principle. I neither support nor oppose organ donation in principle 77 57 19 153 I oppose organ donation in principle 3 2 0 5 0.000 I strongly oppose organ donation in principle 6 1 0 7 I strongly support organ donation in principle 15 33 96 144 I support organ donation in principle 48 131 116 295 Total 149 224 231 604 Table X Association of student’s support for organ donation and their choice to be a living organ donor Will you agree to donate your organ while alive? Total X2 No Undecided Yes Which of these statements best describes your views on organ donation? It doesn't matter if you would donate your own organs or not, we just want to know how you feel about organ donation in principle. I neither support nor oppose organ donation in principle 91 51 11 153 I oppose organ donation in principle 4 1 0 5 I strongly oppose organ donation in principle 6 1 0 7 0.000 I strongly support organ donation in principle 44 57 43 144 I support organ donation in principle 102 145 48 295 Total 247 255 102 604 DISCUSSION This study investigated the spiritual beliefs of medical and allied health students and the possible effects they have on their willingness to donate organs, both during their lifetime and in the event of their death. The study participants support organ donation in principle, with a few of them being neutral. This observed support is consistent with what has been reported in other studies involving students from India[ 21 ] and Ethiopia [ 22 ]. However, these studies show a higher percentage of support than the current study. One factor that may be attributed to this may be the level of practice of organ donation and transplantation in these countries [ 23 ]. This disparity in support may not necessarily imply a disparity in willingness to donate one's own organ [ 24 , 25 ]; rather, it signifies an overall awareness or understanding of the concept, including the understanding that organ donation involves the process of transferring organs or tissues from one individual to another with the aim of enhancing or preserving lives [ 21 ]. According to the findings of this current study, 38.25 percent of participants expressed a willingness to donate their organs posthumously which is consistent with findings from other studies that reported students’ preference to donate their organs after death [ 25 – 28 ]. However, in these studies, the percentage of participants willing to donate their organs after death was higher than in this current study. Furthermore, the data show that 35.3 percent of people expressed a willingness to donate their organs to anyone, indicating a broad altruistic inclination [ 29 ]. In contrast, 34.6 percent of participants said they would only donate to people with whom they have a strong emotional connection such as their loved ones. The variation in the choice of whom to donate to highlights the various motivations and factors that influence people's decisions about organ donation. The impact of religious beliefs on the acceptability of organ donation is a prominent issue within the field of organ transplantation[ 30 ]. Religious beliefs have a substantial role in shaping individuals' attitudes and willingness to engage in organ donation [ 7 , 12 ]. Nigeria has diverse religious affiliations, and this has previously been reported to influence the willingness to donate organs [ 31 ]. Most of the respondents in this present study identify as either Christians or Muslims, and about half of them claimed that organ donation does not contradict their religious beliefs or reported uncertainty regarding their religion's stance on the matter. A significant proportion of them reported that they actively adhere to religious beliefs in their daily lives, while a smaller proportion expressed their efforts to do so. These findings reveal that the students’ willingness for body donation may not be totally dependent on their religious beliefs since a good proportion do not know their religion’s stance. There are other reasons that affect the adherence of an individual to their religious beliefs, including cultural factors, personal experiences and upbringing, the influence of community leaders, external pressures, or societal norms [ 32 ]. Additionally, exploring the impact of modernization and globalization on religious beliefs and analysing how different interpretations and practices within a particular religion may lead to variations in adherence among individuals can offer a more comprehensive understanding. Evidence from this study shows a significant correlation between the participants' level of adherence to their religious beliefs and their decision to donate organs either after death or while they were still alive. These findings demonstrate the impact of spiritual and religious beliefs on people's decisions about organ donation. Spirituality and religious beliefs influence how individuals view life and the respective behaviours they exhibit towards certain choices [ 33 ]. A study by Şıpkın and colleagues [ 34 ] revealed that individuals who held the belief that organ donation is religiously permissible exhibited favourable sentiments towards the practice of organ donation, unlike others who do not hold such views. One common religious belief that prevents organ donation is the idea that one must be physically whole to enter the next world [ 35 ]. This current study reveals that majority of the participants in this study hold the belief in the existence of an afterlife, while a smaller percentage agree with the concept of reincarnation. These findings are consistent with other studies suggesting that people's attitudes toward organ donation are influenced by their religious beliefs [ 25 , 36 ]. Furthermore, the participants' choice of living or posthumous organ donation was found to have a significant association with their belief in life after death or reincarnation. Spirituality and religious concerns have been identified as barriers to organ donation in previous studies among different populations[ 33 , 37 – 40 ]. According to Hinduism, the belief in reincarnation which simply refers to the rebirth of an individual in an original body encourages a positive attitude towards organ donation [ 36 ]. It has been opined that individuals who do not subscribe to the concept of reincarnation tend to have anxiety towards organ donation unlike those who do. This is because they believe in the completeness of the body after death, a notion drawn from a wide range of belief systems and unfounded speculation which do not align with any single religion or worldview [ 41 ]. Although many religions seem in support of organ donation attributable to their various tenets, it is crucial to consider their significant specificities. The acquisition of knowledge regarding diverse religious perspectives on organ donations would contribute to the mitigation of religious apprehensions surrounding transplantation, as well as to the amelioration of the disparity between the demand for and the accessibility of organ donations [ 36 ]. As observed in this study, the ideas of spirituality and willingness towards organ donation are closely linked, as they both reflect the profound beliefs and values held by individuals toward the act of bestowing the gift of life through organ transplantation [ 14 ]. The spiritual or religious convictions of many persons exert a significant influence on their perspectives regarding the sanctity of life, the notion of selflessness, and the imperative to assist those in need [ 42 ]. Within the framework of these perspectives, the act of organ donation - built on the principles of empathy and altruism - needs to be encouraged by developing more educational programs involving various religious entities. Christianity and Islam, which were the main religious affiliation of the participants in this study promote the concept of compassion and helping individuals facing adversity, which is consistent with the underlying ideas of organ donation [ 43 ]. However, it is important to note that while this study included participants from various backgrounds, there was a skewed representation of participants from different religious and ethnic groups, potentially influencing the results, as spirituality is often intertwined with culture or ethnicity [ 44 ]. A more balanced and diverse sample would have allowed for a better understanding of the extent to which spirituality impacts organ donation decisions. Additionally, a larger and more varied sample size would have provided a more comprehensive and accurate representation of the study's subject matter, potentially yielding more robust and generalizable findings. STUDY LIMITATIONS This study observed the influence of spirituality and religious views on the willingness to donate organs among Nigerian medical and allied health students. However, the data and evidence relied largely on the views of undergraduate Christian students from the Igbo ethnic group, who formed the majority of the study participants. Also, the willingness to donate any organ established in this study was dependent on the self-reported views and perceptions of the students, which could be exaggerated or under reported. Additionally, the questions and responses for the survey tool used in this study appear not to be exhaustive, as a significant number of students were undecided about some of the reported views. A study utilising personal interviews may be more revealing of the exact spiritual views and willingness of the students. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the nuanced relationship between spiritual beliefs and the willingness to donate organs among Nigerian medical and allied health students. The findings reveal a noteworthy disparity between the expressed support for organ donation in principle and the actual willingness to donate. The significant association between specific spiritual beliefs—such as reincarnation, life after death, and religious adherence—and the willingness to donate organs, whether posthumously or while alive, underscores the profound influence of spirituality on this decision-making process. This study illustrates the intricate interplay between spiritual convictions and the disposition toward organ donation, highlighting the importance of considering cultural and spiritual factors in fostering a more comprehensive understanding of attitudes towards this important issue. Declarations Competing interests The authors have no competing or conflicting interests to declare concerning this work. Funding No funds was received for this work. Ethical approval This study obtained an ethical approval before conducting this study from the Faculty of Basic Medical Science Ethical Committee, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus with approval reference number: NAU/CHS/NC/FMBS/630. The research team complied with all the ethical guidelines for questionnaire and interview-based study in line with the National Health Re­search Ethics Committee of Nigeria (NHREC). Also, the study complied with the provisions of Helsinki Declara­tion. The questionnaire used for this study was anonymized and were designed in such a way that the participant can only get access to the questions after getting informed on the objectives and the benefits and risks for participating in the study. Only the data of consenting participants were utilized for the study analysis. The questionnaire also contained a screening question limiting participation to only persons who understand the concept and principles of organ donation. This is to ensure that only persons exposed to both living and deceased organ donation were exposed to deep thoughts about death and dying, as its impact on the respondents cannot be ascertained. 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Transplantation Proceedings . ;52(10):2883–2889. 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.02.165 Liu H, Peng X, Zhang S, Qiao X, Hao Y (2015) Posthumous organ donation beliefs of college students: A qualitative study. Int J Nurs Sci 2(2):173–177. 10.1016/j.ijnss.2015.04.012 de Martino RB, Guidotte DV, Waisberg DR et al (1992) Attitude and knowledge of medical students toward donation after circulatory death. Rev Assoc Med Bras () . 2021;67(4):602–606. 10.1590/1806-9282.20210012 Dopelt K, Siton L, Harrison T, Davidovitch N (2022) Revisiting the Relationship between Altruism and Organ Donation: Insights from Israel. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19(12). 10.3390/ijerph19127404 Ali NF, Qureshi A, Jilani BN, Zehra N (2013) Knowledge and ethical perception regarding organ donation among medical students. BMC Med Ethics 14(38). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6939-14-38 Oluyombo R, Fawale MB, Ojewola RW et al (2016) Knowledge Regarding Organ Donation and Willingness to Donate among Health Workers in South-West Nigeria. Int J Organ Transpl Med 7(1):19–26 Parsa P, Taheri M, Rezapur-Shahkolai F, Shirahmadi S (2019) Attitudes of Iranian students about organ donation: a qualitative study. BMC Med ethiscs 20(1):1–11 Taş F, Selçuk Tosun A, Akgül Gündoğdu N (2022) The Effect of Islamic Belief and Spiritual Well-being on Organ Donation in Turkey: A Descriptive-Relational Study. J Relig Health 61(3):2121–2140. 10.1007/s10943-021-01252-3 Şıpkın S, Şen B, Akan S, Malak AT (2010) Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, İlahiyat Fakültesi ve Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi öğretim elemanlarının organ bağışına bakış açılarının incelenmesi (Organ donation and transplantation in Onsekiz Mart Faculty of Medicine, Fine Arts and Theology: Academic Staff’s Awareness and Opinions). Adnan Menderes Universitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi 11(1):19–25 Tarabeih M, Abu-Rakia R, Bokek-Cohen YA, Azuri P, Christianity (2022) Islam, Judaism, and unwillingness to donate organs post-mortem. (2). Death Stud 46:391–398 Doerry K, Oh J, Vincent D, Fischer L, Schulz-Jürgensen S (2022) Religious and cultural aspects of organ donation: Narrowing the gap through understanding different religious beliefs. Pediatr Transpl 26(7):e14339. 10.1111/petr.14339 Cevheroğlu S, Firat Kiliç H (2023) Do the Compassion and Spirituality Levels of Turkish Nursing Students Influence their Attitudes Toward Organ Donation? J Relig Health 62(2):1019–1031. 10.1007/s10943-022-01724-0 Krupic F (2020) The Impact of Religion and Provision of Information on Increasing Knowledge and Changing Attitudes to Organ Donation: An Intervention Study. J Relig Health 59(4):2082–2095. 10.1007/s10943-019-00961-0 Melnikov S, Ashkenazi T, Amara M, Peles Bortz A (2017) Transcendental Spirituality and Acquaintance With the Activities of the Domestic National Transplant Center as Factors Shaping Attitudes Toward Organ Donation. Prog Transpl 27(2):139–145. 10.1177/1526924817699967 Üzen Cura Ş (2021) Nursing Students' Spiritual Orientations and Their Attitudes Toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity: A Sample from Turkey. J Relig Health 60(1):221–231. 10.1007/s10943-020-01029-0 Sanner MA (2006) People's attitudes and reactions to organ donation. Mortality 11:133–150 Arıburnu Ö, Gül, Arıburnu Ö, Gül Ş, Dinç L (2022) Nurses’ Perspectives and Experiences Regarding Organ Transplantation in Turkey: A Qualitative Study. J Relig Health 61:1936–1950. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01500-0 Bokek-Cohen YA, Abu-Rakia R, Azuri P, Tarabeih M (2022) The view of the three monotheistic religions toward cadaveric organ donation. OMEGA-Journal Death Dying 85(2):429–444 Edara I, Religion (2017) A Subset of Culture and an Expression of Spirituality. Adv Anthropol 7:273–288. 10.4236/aa.2017.74015 Malu AO (2010) Universities and medical education in Nigeria. Nigerian Med J 51(2):84–88 Kitause RH, Achunike HC (2013) Religion in Nigeria from 1900–2013. Res Humanit Social Sci 3(18):45 Adesina OS (2023) Exploring Religion as a Tool of Nigeria's Public Diplomacy. IJEMD-SS 2(1):1–20. 10.54938/ijemdss.2023.02.1.216 Abolade L (2019) There are only 1,856 foreign students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions—Survey. The ICIR- Latest News, Politics, Governance, Elections, Investigation, Factcheck, Covid-19. URL:https://www.icirnigeria.org/there-are-only-1856-foreign-students-in-nigerias-tertiary-institutions-survey/ [accessed 14 May 2024] McKinnon A (2021) Christians, Muslims and Traditional Worshippers in Nigeria: Estimating the Relative Proportions from Eleven Nationally Representative Social Surveys. Rev Religious Res. 10.1007/s13644-021-00450-5 Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files SUPPLEMENTARYFILE.docx Supplementary File Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4578333","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":314208374,"identity":"72c051ac-7932-4c2d-b12e-88c714915f7d","order_by":0,"name":"Kingsley Chinemerem 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File\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"SUPPLEMENTARYFILE.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4578333/v1/5219b7928d5eec457d386729.docx"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerspectives on Organ Donation and the Relationship Between Spiritual Beliefs and Willingness to Donate: a Cross-sectional Study of Nigerian Medical and Allied Health Students\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eOrgan donation is the surgical procedure of taking out an organ from one person (donor) and permanently transferring it into another person\u0026rsquo;s body (recipient) to substitute a missing or damaged organ [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. It is an important form of social and medical assistance that has the prospect of saving the lives of terminally sick individuals [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. It tops the list of the most valued therapy options for patients with chronic end-stage organ failure as it is most often than not the only life-saving option for organ recipients [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. It increases the average life span of recipients, dramatically reduces the financial burden for both individuals and the healthcare sector when compared to other alternative treatments and has the potential of improving the quality of life through the restoration of organ functionality [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. Various organs of donation such as the liver, kidney, heart, lungs, intestines and pancreas have been described as precious gifts of life for those who would receive them with one donor being able to save the lives of about eight people [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. The donation of organs can also be for research or educational purposes where parts or whole organs are freely donated to medical colleges or research centres [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOrgans for donation can be obtained from two main sources, either from a living donor or a deceased donor [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. In living organ donation, the donors who are living and healthy persons[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e] consensually donate whole or part of their organs to recipients who may or may not be related to them by blood and after which the donors continue to live [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. It is fast becoming the commonest type of organ donation throughout the world as it reduces the incidence of organ rejection while boosting the success rates of its subsequent transplantation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. Living organ donation has been described as an empathetic gesture because more often than not, it involves emotions or feelings of sympathy and the yearning to alleviate the sufferings of other people [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDeceased organ donation unlike living donation is the process of organ recovery from brain-dead persons [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e] who while alive had accepted to donate a part or whole of an organ(s) communicated through a written document or an oral wish known to the relatives [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. This type of organ donation is usually considered as part of the choices or wishes specific individuals make at the end of their lives [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. Brain death occurs when severe or profound trauma or injury causes permanent loss of consciousness together with irreversible loss of breathing ability [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs crucial as organ donation is to save lives and for medical education, the willingness to bequest one\u0026rsquo;s organ is a topic shaped by multifactorial elements including the donor\u0026rsquo;s spirituality which stands out [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Spirituality has been defined as an \u0026ldquo;individual\u0026rsquo;s perception of life within the context of culture and value system of the society concerning the individual\u0026rsquo;s goals, expectations, standards, and concerns\u0026rdquo; [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. Spirituality which has been regarded as the 4th dimension of health and well-being[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e] is one of the core factors influencing decision-making[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e] and remains a complex term that is difficult to precisely define and measure [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. However, it is accepted that spirituality involves a relationship with a higher reality that functions as the source of one\u0026rsquo;s meaning in life experienced through certain religious traditions, culture, belief systems, mediation or nature [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]. It is a complex construct that represents man\u0026rsquo;s search for meaning in life, for a personalized relationship with transcendent realities and for interconnection with humanity that may or may not directly acknowledge the existence of God [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR16\" citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNigerian medical schools usually comprise students from different medical and allied health specialties, including Medicine and Surgery, Anatomy, Physiology, Human Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, Environmental Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Medical Rehabilitation or Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Nursing or Midwifery, Dentistry, and Optometry [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNigeria is a country well known for its diverse cultural and religious perspectives with Christianity, Islam, and Indigenous African traditional religion being the three primary religions influencing the citizens [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e]. Known as one of the most religious countries in the world[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e], with the influence of spirituality and religious beliefs in Nigeria extending to all facets of life, including life\u0026rsquo;s choices [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e], it becomes pertinent to investigate how students\u0026rsquo; spiritual beliefs shape their willingness for organ donation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is a dearth of studies on the relationship between spirituality and organ donation especially among Nigerian students. Hence, this study investigated the spirituality and spiritual concerns of medical and allied health students and the influence they have on their willingness to donate their organs either while living or after death.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"MATERIALS AND METHODS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis is a cross-sectional study of undergraduate and graduate Nigerian medical and allied health students investigating the spiritual concerns that affect their willingness to donate their organs either while living or after death. Six hundred and four (604) students were randomly surveyed across the medical schools in Nigeria through different online platforms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSurvey Tool\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study utilized a self-administered online questionnaire (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://forms.gle/hFGSd61i8QSCNRoH6\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://forms.gle/hFGSd61i8QSCNRoH6\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e) developed in English Language to collect data from the study participants. The survey has 6 sections: 1) consent, 2) screening, 3) demographics, 4) views on organ donation, 5) spiritual beliefs, 6) spiritual reasons for organ donation choices. The questionnaire contains 21 categorised questions of dichotomous, contingency and Likert types.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDevelopment of Study Questionnaire\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsidering the variations of regulations, implementation, and challenges of organ donation across the globe, and due to lack of context-specific survey models for this study, a new questionnaire was developed to capture the perspectives of Nigerian students on organ donation, and the effect of spirituality on these perceptions. Five students were pre-identified during a cadaver dissection session as volunteers for a phone interview on the subject. The study considered at least students from the three major religions in Nigeria and one non-religious student to ensure that all the conventional themes were generated for the questionnaire. The semi-structured interview took place at the time agreed by the interviewees and lasted for 30 minutes each. There were only leading questions for the interview including: 1) What do you know about organ donation? 2) Are you willing to donate your organ? 3) Tell me about your spiritual beliefs on organ donation? The follow-up questions were derived following the interviewee\u0026rsquo;s answer to the leading questions. The interviewer framed all the follow-up questions with the study aim in mind, and the interview session for all the interviewees were conducted by the same interviewer, to ensure homogeneity of questions. Interviews were recorded and reviewed to develop potential questions and options for the study questionnaire.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, the questionnaire received reflective inputs from the Spirituality Orientation Inventor[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e] - a multidimensional measure of humanistic spirituality with nine scales focusing on cognitive, experiential, and affective aspects of spirituality. A pilot survey was done with the developed questionnaire using a heterogeneous population of 15 participants, and modifications were made to the questionnaire following the outcome. The questionnaire was tested for consistency and were validated using internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.7), test-retest reliability, and inter-rater reliability (Kappa statistic, K\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.9) before utilizing it for this study. To meet the sample size sufficient for the central limit theorem to hold, thirty participants were surveyed online and offline using the final questionnaire, before the determination of the reliability testing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Sampling, and Data Collection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe questionnaire was designed to target only current medical and allied health students in Nigerian medical schools who have heard about organ donation and understood at least its definition. This is to exclude bias, ensure reliability and to get informed responses. This study considered a wide range of students from different medical and health specialties, including Medicine and Surgery, Anatomy, Physiology, Human Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, Environmental Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Medical Rehabilitation/Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Nursing/Midwifery, Dentistry and Optometry. These specialties reflect the different departments whose students are exposed to and understand the concept of organ donation. Although the study did not exclusively target Nigerian students, the recruitment of non-Nigerians is highly unlikely, given that less than 1% of students in Nigerian higher institutions are non-Nigerians [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe sample size was determined considering the population of 42 medical schools in Nigeria [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e], with an estimated 14 medical departments in a school with a total population of 60,000 students each across the country. The Survey Monkey online calculator generated a minimum sample size of 385 respondents for this study, using an estimated target student population of 35,280,000 at a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%. However, 665 students accessed the questionnaire link; 639 who were up to 18 years agreed to participate, while only 604 students who have heard about organ donation and understood its definition completed the questionnaire. The self-administered questionnaire was shared on different verified student online platforms (e-mails, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter) of the medical schools reached between June and August 2023. At the end of the survey, the responses were downloaded as a csv file from the Google Form for analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study data were checked for missing data using Openrefine version 3.6 and transferred to IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). Descriptive analysis, crosstabulation, and Chi-squared tests, were used to determine proportions, and relationships between the variables respectively. Statistical significance was set at p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Participant Characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe respondents were predominantly aged 20\u0026ndash;24 years (59%), females (67.4%), undergraduates (98.3%), studying anatomy (34.1%) with secondary school certificate as their highest level of qualification (89.4%) and from Igbo ethnic group (78.1%) (Supplementary file).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePerspectives and willingness for organ donation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe students either strongly support organ donation in principle (23.8%), just support it (48.8%) or are neutral about it (25.3%). Only an insignificant number of students strongly oppose (0.8%) or just oppose (1.2%) organ donation in principle (\u003cb\u003eFig\u003c/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eI -\u003c/b\u003e students\u0026rsquo; support for organ donation). However, only 38.25% of the respondents (\u003cb\u003eFig\u003c/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eII\u003c/b\u003e - students\u0026rsquo; willingness to donate their organ after death) indicated their willingness to donate their organ after death with others undecided about this (37.1%). Some respondents (35.3%) agreed to be a deceased organ donor just for anyone while others (34.6%) can only be a deceased organ donor for their loved ones. Only a few (10.6%) of the respondents indicated that they could donate their organ only if they or their family are paid for it (\u003cb\u003eFig. III -\u003c/b\u003e In-depth query on students\u0026rsquo; willingness to donate their organ after death). The number of respondents (42.2%) who were undecided about being a living organ donor were comparable to those (40.9%) who indicated that they will not agree to be a living organ donor (\u003cb\u003eFig. IV\u003c/b\u003e - students\u0026rsquo; willingness to donate their organ while alive). A deeper inquiry on the choice of being a living organ donor showed that only a few agreed to do this just for anyone (10.3%) or never to do it at all (20.5%), while about half of the respondents (52.2%) said they will only do so for their loved ones (\u003cb\u003eFig. V\u003c/b\u003e - In-depth query on students\u0026rsquo; willingness to donate their organ while alive).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eFaith and spiritual beliefs of study participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eMajority of the respondents believe in either Christianity (87.9%) or Islam (11.6%) (Supplementary file), and agreed that they lead their lives following their religion (55.5%) or at least try to do so (26%) (\u003cb\u003eFig. VI -\u003c/b\u003e participants\u0026rsquo; adherence to their religious teachings). Majority of the respondents (72.9%) believe in life after death (\u003cb\u003eFig. VII -\u003c/b\u003e students\u0026rsquo; belief in after life) but only 38.9% believe in reincarnation (\u003cb\u003eFig. VIII -\u003c/b\u003e students\u0026rsquo; belief in reincarnation). About half (52.7%) indicated that organ donation is not against their faith, while many respondents (43.1%) do not know the stand of their religion about the subject (\u003cb\u003eFig. IX -\u003c/b\u003e students\u0026rsquo; view on their religion\u0026rsquo;s position on organ donation).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe relationship between gender and students\u0026rsquo; choice on organ donation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is no significant relationship between gender and choice to donate one\u0026rsquo;s organ after death (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.906) or while alive (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.545) (Supplementary file).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEffect of spiritual and religious views on choice of organ donation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe respondents\u0026rsquo; choice on organ donation after death, were significantly related to their belief in after life (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.001), and reincarnation (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) (Tables I and II). The respondents\u0026rsquo; choice for organ donation while alive were also significantly related to their belief in life after death (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) and reincarnation (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) (Tables III and IV). There is a significant relationship between the view of participants\u0026rsquo; religion and their choice for organ donation after death (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) or while alive (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) (Tables V and VI). Tables VII and VIII show that participants\u0026rsquo; adherence to their religious belief is significantly related to their choice of organ donation after death (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.007) or while alive (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.007).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable I\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelationship between belief in after life and choice for organ donation after death\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Taba\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organs after death?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you believe in after life or life after death?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e107\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e148\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e185\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e440\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e149\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e224\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable II\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelationship between belief in reincarnation and choice for organ donation after death\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabb\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organs after death?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you believe in reincarnation?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e245\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e124\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e235\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e149\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e224\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable III\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelationship between belief in after life and choice for organ donation while alive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabc\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organ while alive?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you believe in after life or life after death?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e171\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e183\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e440\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e247\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e255\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable IV\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelationship between belief in reincarnation and choice for organ donation while alive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabd\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organ while alive?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you believe in reincarnation?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e245\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e124\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e235\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e247\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e255\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable V\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffect of the view of participants\u0026rsquo; religion on their choice on organ donation after death\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabe\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organs after death?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs organ donation against your religion/faith?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDon't know\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e123\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e260\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e157\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e318\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e149\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e224\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable VI\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffect of the view of participants\u0026rsquo; religion on their choice on organ donation while alive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabf\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organ while alive?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIs organ donation against your religion/faith?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDon't know\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e123\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e260\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e318\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e247\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e255\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable VII\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffect of adherence to religion on the choice of organ donation after death\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabg\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organs after death?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"7\" rowspan=\"8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhich of the following statements most applies to you?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am not religious and don\u0026rsquo;t follow any religious beliefs\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am not religious, but I follow some of the traditions and customs of any religion / faith I prefer per time\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am religious, but do not follow the teachings and customs of my religion /faith\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI follow the spirit of the teachings and customs of my religion / faith, but I don\u0026rsquo;t follow them exactly\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI lead my life following the teachings and customs of my religion / faith\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e117\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e335\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI try to lead my life following the teaching and customs of my religion / faith but I don\u0026rsquo;t always manage to do so\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e157\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like to follow the teachings and customs of my religion / faith more closely, but not all are applicable nowadays\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNone of the above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e149\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e224\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e`\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable VIII\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffect of adherence to religion on the choice of organ donation while alive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabh\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organ while alive?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"7\" rowspan=\"8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhich of the following statements most applies to you?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am not religious and don\u0026rsquo;t follow any religious beliefs\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am not religious, but I follow some of the traditions and customs of any religion / faith I prefer per time\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am religious, but do not follow the teachings and customs of my religion /faith\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI follow the spirit of the teachings and customs of my religion / faith, but I don\u0026rsquo;t follow them exactly\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI lead my life following the teachings and customs of my religion / faith\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e143\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e134\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e335\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI try to lead my life following the teaching and customs of my religion / faith but I don\u0026rsquo;t always manage to do so\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e157\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like to follow the teachings and customs of my religion / faith more closely, but not all are applicable nowadays\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNone of the above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e247\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e255\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eStudent\u0026rsquo;s support for organ donation and its association to their choice to be a deceased or living organ donors.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe students support or opposition for organ donation is significantly related to their choice of organ donation after death (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) or while alive (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) (Tables IX and X).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable IX\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssociation of student\u0026rsquo;s support for organ donation and their choice to be a deceased organ donor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabi\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organs after death?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhich of these statements best describes your views on organ donation? It doesn't matter if you would donate your own organs or not, we just want to know how you feel about organ donation in principle.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI neither support nor oppose organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e153\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI oppose organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI strongly oppose organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI strongly support organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e144\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI support organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e116\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e295\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e149\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e224\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e231\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTable X\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssociation of student\u0026rsquo;s support for organ donation and their choice to be a living organ donor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabj\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you agree to donate your organ while alive?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUndecided\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhich of these statements best describes your views on organ donation? It doesn't matter if you would donate your own organs or not, we just want to know how you feel about organ donation in principle.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI neither support nor oppose organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e153\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI oppose organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI strongly oppose organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI strongly support organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e144\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI support organ donation in principle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e145\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e295\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e247\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e255\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated the spiritual beliefs of medical and allied health students and the possible effects they have on their willingness to donate organs, both during their lifetime and in the event of their death. The study participants support organ donation in principle, with a few of them being neutral. This observed support is consistent with what has been reported in other studies involving students from India[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e] and Ethiopia [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]. However, these studies show a higher percentage of support than the current study. One factor that may be attributed to this may be the level of practice of organ donation and transplantation in these countries [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. This disparity in support may not necessarily imply a disparity in willingness to donate one's own organ [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]; rather, it signifies an overall awareness or understanding of the concept, including the understanding that organ donation involves the process of transferring organs or tissues from one individual to another with the aim of enhancing or preserving lives [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the findings of this current study, 38.25 percent of participants expressed a willingness to donate their organs posthumously which is consistent with findings from other studies that reported students\u0026rsquo; preference to donate their organs after death [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR26 CR27\" citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]. However, in these studies, the percentage of participants willing to donate their organs after death was higher than in this current study. Furthermore, the data show that 35.3 percent of people expressed a willingness to donate their organs to anyone, indicating a broad altruistic inclination [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e]. In contrast, 34.6 percent of participants said they would only donate to people with whom they have a strong emotional connection such as their loved ones. The variation in the choice of whom to donate to highlights the various motivations and factors that influence people's decisions about organ donation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe impact of religious beliefs on the acceptability of organ donation is a prominent issue within the field of organ transplantation[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. Religious beliefs have a substantial role in shaping individuals' attitudes and willingness to engage in organ donation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Nigeria has diverse religious affiliations, and this has previously been reported to influence the willingness to donate organs [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. Most of the respondents in this present study identify as either Christians or Muslims, and about half of them claimed that organ donation does not contradict their religious beliefs or reported uncertainty regarding their religion's stance on the matter. A significant proportion of them reported that they actively adhere to religious beliefs in their daily lives, while a smaller proportion expressed their efforts to do so. These findings reveal that the students\u0026rsquo; willingness for body donation may not be totally dependent on their religious beliefs since a good proportion do not know their religion\u0026rsquo;s stance. There are other reasons that affect the adherence of an individual to their religious beliefs, including cultural factors, personal experiences and upbringing, the influence of community leaders, external pressures, or societal norms [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. Additionally, exploring the impact of modernization and globalization on religious beliefs and analysing how different interpretations and practices within a particular religion may lead to variations in adherence among individuals can offer a more comprehensive understanding.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvidence from this study shows a significant correlation between the participants' level of adherence to their religious beliefs and their decision to donate organs either after death or while they were still alive. These findings demonstrate the impact of spiritual and religious beliefs on people's decisions about organ donation. Spirituality and religious beliefs influence how individuals view life and the respective behaviours they exhibit towards certain choices [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. A study by Şıpkın and colleagues [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e] revealed that individuals who held the belief that organ donation is religiously permissible exhibited favourable sentiments towards the practice of organ donation, unlike others who do not hold such views. One common religious belief that prevents organ donation is the idea that one must be physically whole to enter the next world [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. This current study reveals that majority of the participants in this study hold the belief in the existence of an afterlife, while a smaller percentage agree with the concept of reincarnation. These findings are consistent with other studies suggesting that people's attitudes toward organ donation are influenced by their religious beliefs [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]. Furthermore, the participants' choice of living or posthumous organ donation was found to have a significant association with their belief in life after death or reincarnation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpirituality and religious concerns have been identified as barriers to organ donation in previous studies among different populations[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR38 CR39\" citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]. According to Hinduism, the belief in reincarnation which simply refers to the rebirth of an individual in an original body encourages a positive attitude towards organ donation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]. It has been opined that individuals who do not subscribe to the concept of reincarnation tend to have anxiety towards organ donation unlike those who do. This is because they believe in the completeness of the body after death, a notion drawn from a wide range of belief systems and unfounded speculation which do not align with any single religion or worldview [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e]. Although many religions seem in support of organ donation attributable to their various tenets, it is crucial to consider their significant specificities. The acquisition of knowledge regarding diverse religious perspectives on organ donations would contribute to the mitigation of religious apprehensions surrounding transplantation, as well as to the amelioration of the disparity between the demand for and the accessibility of organ donations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs observed in this study, the ideas of spirituality and willingness towards organ donation are closely linked, as they both reflect the profound beliefs and values held by individuals toward the act of bestowing the gift of life through organ transplantation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. The spiritual or religious convictions of many persons exert a significant influence on their perspectives regarding the sanctity of life, the notion of selflessness, and the imperative to assist those in need [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e]. Within the framework of these perspectives, the act of organ donation - built on the principles of empathy and altruism - needs to be encouraged by developing more educational programs involving various religious entities. Christianity and Islam, which were the main religious affiliation of the participants in this study promote the concept of compassion and helping individuals facing adversity, which is consistent with the underlying ideas of organ donation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e]. However, it is important to note that while this study included participants from various backgrounds, there was a skewed representation of participants from different religious and ethnic groups, potentially influencing the results, as spirituality is often intertwined with culture or ethnicity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e]. A more balanced and diverse sample would have allowed for a better understanding of the extent to which spirituality impacts organ donation decisions. Additionally, a larger and more varied sample size would have provided a more comprehensive and accurate representation of the study's subject matter, potentially yielding more robust and generalizable findings.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSTUDY LIMITATIONS\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study observed the influence of spirituality and religious views on the willingness to donate organs among Nigerian medical and allied health students. However, the data and evidence relied largely on the views of undergraduate Christian students from the Igbo ethnic group, who formed the majority of the study participants. Also, the willingness to donate any organ established in this study was dependent on the self-reported views and perceptions of the students, which could be exaggerated or under reported. Additionally, the questions and responses for the survey tool used in this study appear not to be exhaustive, as a significant number of students were undecided about some of the reported views. A study utilising personal interviews may be more revealing of the exact spiritual views and willingness of the students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"CONCLUSIONS","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study highlights the nuanced relationship between spiritual beliefs and the willingness to donate organs among Nigerian medical and allied health students. The findings reveal a noteworthy disparity between the expressed support for organ donation in principle and the actual willingness to donate. The significant association between specific spiritual beliefs\u0026mdash;such as reincarnation, life after death, and religious adherence\u0026mdash;and the willingness to donate organs, whether posthumously or while alive, underscores the profound influence of spirituality on this decision-making process. This study illustrates the intricate interplay between spiritual convictions and the disposition toward organ donation, highlighting the importance of considering cultural and spiritual factors in fostering a more comprehensive understanding of attitudes towards this important issue.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors have no competing or conflicting interests to declare concerning this work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo funds was received for this work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study obtained an ethical approval before conducting this study from the Faculty of Basic Medical Science Ethical Committee, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus with approval reference number: NAU/CHS/NC/FMBS/630. The research team complied with all the ethical guidelines for questionnaire and interview-based study in line with the National Health Re\u0026shy;search Ethics Committee of Nigeria (NHREC). Also, the study complied with the provisions of Helsinki Declara\u0026shy;tion. The questionnaire used for this study was anonymized and were designed in such a way that the participant can only get access to the questions after getting informed on the objectives and the benefits and risks for participating in the study. Only the data of consenting participants were utilized for the study analysis. The questionnaire also contained a screening question limiting participation to only persons who understand the concept and principles of organ donation. This is to ensure that only persons exposed to both living and deceased organ donation were exposed to deep thoughts about death and dying, as its impact on the respondents cannot be ascertained.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contribution statements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors contributed significantly to the project\u0026apos;s conception, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript drafting.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMuoneke V, Obu D, Uwaezuoke S, Asiegbu U, Anya A, Una A (2020) Perspectives of clinical students toward organ donation and transplantation: A cross-sectional descriptive study in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. 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Rev Religious Res. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1007/s13644-021-00450-5\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s13644-021-00450-5\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Nnamdi Azikiwe University","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Organ donation, Spirituality, Religion, Students, Nigeria","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4578333/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4578333/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eIntroduction\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study explored how the spiritual beliefs of medical and allied health students affect their willingness for organ donation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMaterials and Methods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn online questionnaire developed from interviews and Spirituality Orientation Inventory was used to survey 604 Nigerian medical and allied health students, including questions on students\u0026rsquo; views on organ donation, spiritual beliefs, and spiritual reasons for organ donation choices. Descriptive analysis, crosstabulation, and Chi-squared tests, were used to determine proportions, and relationships between the variables, respectively. Statistical significance was set at p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe majority (72.6%) of students support organ donation in principle. Yet only 38.25% are willing to donate posthumously, with 37.1% undecided, and a mere 16.89% willing to donate while alive. Predominantly, students identify as Christians (87.7%) or Muslims (11.6%). Approximately 43.05% are uncertain if their religion endorses organ donation, while 55.46% aim to follow their religious teachings and 25.99% try to do so. Belief in reincarnation (38.9%) and life after death (72.9%) are prevalent among respondents. Notably, the belief in reincarnation, life after death, and religious adherence significantly influences willingness to donate organs, whether posthumously or while alive (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is a noteworthy disparity between the theoretical support for organ donation and the actual willingness to donate, particularly while alive, among Nigerian students. The strong correlation between specific spiritual beliefs and the willingness to donate organs, emphasizes the substantial influence of spirituality on this decision-making process. There is therefore a need to consider spiritual factors when devising strategies to meet the increasing demand for donor organs.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Perspectives on Organ Donation and the Relationship Between Spiritual Beliefs and Willingness to Donate: a Cross-sectional Study of Nigerian Medical and Allied Health Students","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-06-14 06:34:35","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4578333/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"189b2dc7-4f8d-4f0a-968e-9e2861b5013e","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 14th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-06-14T06:34:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-06-14 06:34:35","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4578333","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4578333","identity":"rs-4578333","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}