ERIC Number: EJ1131866
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-9772
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Cultural Acceptability and Personal Willingness of Iranian Students toward Cadaveric Donation
Abbasi Asl, Jamal; Nikzad, Hossein; Taherian, Aliakbar; Atlasi, Mohammad Ali; Naderian, Homayoun; Mousavi, Gholamabbas; Kashani, Milad Motalebi; Omidi, Abdollah
Anatomical Sciences Education, v10 n2 p120-126 Mar-Apr 2017
Cadaver dissection stands as a crucial component in medical curricula around the world, although computer-based multimedia programs have been introduced in order to replace the need for cadaver donations. Due to a decrease in the number of unclaimed bodies and rather few donations, there is an insufficient number of cadavers for anatomical studies in Iran. This study was carried out to evaluate medical students' awareness and willingness regarding body donation in Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. In this study, a questionnaire was designed to focus on the cultural acceptability and personal willingness to donate one's body after death. Students from the university's anatomy classes (n = 331) participated in this study. Seventy-seven percent of the students expressed their agreement toward the idea of utilizing body donation services, though only 25.4% of participants were willing to donate their own bodies. None of the demographic factors were associated with cultural acceptability or personal willingness towards body donation. These findings indicated that besides "payment", other factors were associated with students' willingness to become donors. All factors of awareness except "previous awareness of organization" were associated with cultural acceptability. In this study, students suggested that encouraging people to register for body donation using mass media (25.6%) and teaching students to respect cadavers in the dissection environment (24.8%) were the best solutions for addressing the lack of cadavers. These findings indicated that a lack of awareness about body donation might be the main factor responsible for unwillingness towards body donation; therefore, improving the public's awareness and addressing the willingness of students regarding body donation may help overcome the current lack of donated cadavers.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Surgery, Anatomy, Human Body, Medical Students, Questionnaires, Cultural Influences, Student Attitudes, Donors, Mass Media
Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A