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Why do young adults in the United States have such low rates of organ donation registration?

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2022Author
Wotring, Amy J.Jordan, Timothy R.
Saltzman, Barbara
Glassman, Tavis
Holloway, Jennifer
Khubchandani, Jagdish
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Wotring, A. J., Jordan, T. R., Saltzman, B., Glassman, T., Holloway, J. ve Khubchandani, J. (2022). Why do young adults in the United States have such low rates of organ donation registration?. Challenges, 13, 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010021Abstract
The demand for transplantable organs has outpaced the supply. Thus, 20 Americans die
every day while waiting for an organ. Although most adults support organ donation, 42% are not
registered. The rate is even lower among young adults who are not enrolled in/never graduated
from college. The aim of this study was to use the Integrated Behavior Model (IBM) to identify factors
that predicted organ donation registration among a racially diverse sample of non-student young
adults. The study was observational and cross-sectional. Proportional allocation was used to identify
a racially diverse sample of 550 non-student, young adults from ten states in the U.S. with the lowest
registration rates. A valid and reliable survey was designed, pilot-tested, and administered. A total
of 407 young adults completed the survey (74%). Only 19% were registered donors. Caucasians were
more likely to be registered donors than racial minorities, χ
2
(3, N = 407) = 15.19, p = 0.002. Those
with more positive direct attitudes toward registration were 1.5 times more likely to be registered
than those who had negative direct attitudes. Among non-registrants, indirect descriptive norm and
direct attitude were statistically significant predictors of behavioral intention. Moreover, those who
knew someone who donated an organ and knew someone who needed a transplant were nearly three
times more likely to intend to register in the next year. The IBM proved useful in elucidating factors
that predicted intention to register among non-student young adults. The IBM should be used by
those who desire to increase registration rates.