Organ Donation Literacy Among University Stakeholders: A Cross-Sectional Study in the UAE

Introduction University students, faculty, and staff in the UAE represent a diverse and educated community that can play a vital role in promoting awareness and acceptance of organ donation. Assessing their knowledge is essential to addressing misconceptions and fostering a culture supportive of organ donation. Objective The present study aimed to assess knowledge to determine the prevalence of personal or family history of organ donation; examine the association between socio-demographic factors and knowledge of organ donation; and identify predictors of knowledge among university populations in the UAE. Methods A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling was conducted among university students, faculty, and staff at the three major universities in Ajman, UAE. A validated self-administered questionnaire comprising 11 items with a scoring system was used to assess the knowledge. Participants who scored ≤50% of the total knowledge scores were considered to have poor knowledge. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 29. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis to explore associations and predictors of knowledge. Results A total of 607 participants were included in the study. Among them, 70.8% had adequate knowledge about organ donation. Significant differences were found in the percentage of adequate knowledge across students, faculty, and staff (p