Exploring College Students' Family Discussions about Organ and Tissue Donation

Abstract

One hundred fifty-four (154) undergraduate students were asked to discuss organ and tissue donation (OTD) with their families and then report on the conversations. Ninety-four percent of the students discussed OTD with family members during the study. Students more often reported speaking to their mothers (67%) compared to their fathers (26%) about OTD. Family members typically reacted either positively (60%) or neutrally (27%) to the topic of organ and tissue donation. Students reported initiating the conversation by mentioning their participation in this project (39%) or by asking their family member's intentions (34%). Family conversations lasted a median of 12 minutes, and 33% of students reported the family conversation positively affected their attitudes toward OTD. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of students reported the conversation had a positive impact on family's attitudes toward OTD.