Beliefs that influence adolescents in organ donations

Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating knowledge, behavior and normative beliefs of students concerning transplant and organs donations, based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), in two public schools of the city of São Paulo. The sample was comprised of 94 students who answered a questionnaire, whose answers were submitted to statistical analysis. The results showed that the group had little knowledge about organ donation because 45.8% were not familiar with the concept of encephalic death, 37.2% do not know when death occurs and 70.3% do not know when a person becomes a potential organ donor. Eight positive and five negative beliefs about organ donations were detected. The conclusion is that it is necessary to develop studies and to implement education programs to clarify the population about this topic.