Sacred choices and willing hearts: exploring spiritual beliefs in body donation - a cross-sectional study of Nigerian medical and allied health students

BACKGROUND: The link between spirituality and body donation is an important consideration, especially in Nigeria, where there is currently no formal body bequest program for medical education and research purposes. This study delved into students' spiritual perspectives, gauging their impact on their willingness to donate their bodies for educational or research purposes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed 1158 Nigerian medical and allied health students who have been exposed to cadaver dissection via an online questionnaire developed from interviews and the Spirituality Orientation Inventory, which included questions on spiritual beliefs, willingness, and reasons for body donation. Descriptive analysis and chi-squared tests were used to decide proportions and relationships between the study variables, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: About students' familiarity and attitudes towards body donation, 15.2% were unfamiliar with the concept. In terms of their stance, 35.23% expressed support for body donation, while nearly half, 49.49%, remained neutral on the subject. Most students (63.65%) refused to consider body donation after death. Only a few respondents (17.62%) were open to donating for education or research or if they would benefit from it (10.49%). More than half (56.24%) agreed that they followed their religion's teachings. 76.37% believed in life after death, 40% were uncertain about reincarnation while 54.28% were unaware of their religion's stance on body donation. However, belief in reincarnation is significantly associated with students' willingness to donate their bodies (p = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Awareness of body donation among Nigerian medical students is low, with many expressing neutral attitudes and limited understanding of their religion's stance. Willingness to donate is generally poor, and while spirituality plays a role, specific beliefs such as reincarnation appear more influential than overall religiosity. These findings highlight the need for targeted education and culturally sensitive awareness initiatives.