University of Isfahan Journal of Applied Sociology 2008-5745 37 4 2026 12 22 A Study of the Social and Cultural Factors Affecting Attitudes toward Organ Donation (Case of Study: Citizens of Yasuj City) A Study of the Social and Cultural Factors Affecting Attitudes toward Organ Donation (Case of Study: Citizens of Yasuj City) 1 24 30393 10.22108/jas.2026.146160.2683 FA Seyed Samad Beheshti Associate professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Yasouj, Yasouj, Iran Maryam Mokhtari Associate professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Yasouj, Yasouj, Iran Farzaneh Atashfaraz M.A. in Sociology, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran Journal Article 2025 07 29 Introduction Organ transplantation is a modern therapeutic approach involving the removal of organs from one individual and their donation to another person in need. This treatment method is not solely a medical or clinical issue; rather, it is shaped by a range of legal, organizational, social, and cultural factors. Available statistics indicate a global increase in organ donation. For instance, a 2023 study covering 89 countries reported that organ donation from both living and deceased donors rose by 9% compared to 2022. In the same year, Spain (49.38 per million population), the United States (48.04), and Portugal (36.93) recorded the highest organ donation rates. In Iran, the highest rate in recent years was 14.3 per million population achieved in 2019. Despite a substantial number of brain-dead patients—particularly due to the high rate of traffic accidents—only about 10% of families express willingness to donate organs. Consequently, many patients in need die without receiving the required organs. Given this context, the primary objective of the present study was to examine the influence of several social and cultural factors—including religiosity, traditionalism, awareness, social trust, and especially institutional trust—on attitudes toward organ donation among citizens of Yasuj. Materials & Methods This study employed a survey research method. The statistical population consisted of all citizens aged 15 years and older in Yasuj, totaling 134,532 individuals. From this population, 400 participants were selected by using multistage random sampling and data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by using face validity, as well as convergent validity, at both the indicator and construct levels. Its reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and composite Cronbach’s alpha. The research data were analyzed using SPSS and PLS software. Discussion of Results & Conclusion The findings showed that positive attitudes toward organ donation and altruism were above the average level, whereas awareness of brain death, traditionalism, and trust in the medical profession were below the average level. The mean level of religiosity in the statistical population was at the average level. Collectively, these variables explained 42% of the variance in the dependent variable—attitude toward organ donation. A comparison of attitudes toward organ donation based on background characteristics revealed no differences by gender or marital status. However, individuals in the very high socioeconomic class held more positive attitudes toward organ donation compared to those in other classes. This difference was likely due to other variables not examined in this study, such as cultural capital. Additionally, mean comparisons showed that those who had acquaintances with a history of organ donation generally held more positive attitudes toward the practice. Among the statistical population, awareness of the nature of brain death and consequences of organ donation had led to changes in attitudes and willingness to donate organs. The greater a person's knowledge and understanding of brain death were—specifically that recovery was impossible for brain-dead patients—the greater their willingness to donate organs could be. Furthermore, having close acquaintances, who had donated organs and gained information through contact with them also increased willingness to donate. Regarding the effect of trust in doctors and the medical profession on organ donation, the analyses showed that this variable had a positive effect of 0.169. In other words, the greater the trust in the medical profession was, the more positive and favorable the attitude toward organ donation would be. In a context where the medical profession was trusted and physicians' diagnoses were regarded as reliable and accurate, there were greater willingness and a more positive outlook toward organ donation. Altruism with a regression effect of 0.242 influenced attitudes toward organ donation. In other words, the greater the spirit of altruism was, the more positive and favorable the attitude toward organ donation became. This variable could also be seen as mediating the effect of religiosity on organ donation since morally oriented religiosity could increase altruism and thereby lead to greater willingness to donate organs. Tradition as the opposite of modernism focused on rejecting innovation, new patterns, and new ways of life. In this study, traditionalism had a regression effect of -0.346 on attitudes toward organ donation, which was the strongest effect in the sample. Traditionalism not only had a direct negative effect on attitudes toward organ donation through its own characteristics, but also reinforced its position by shaping various beliefs. One of the issues addressed in this study was the secular-religious outlook toward organ donation. This variable had a negative effect on attitudes toward organ donation with a regression coefficient of 0.313 and was itself influenced by traditionalism, which explained 6% of its variance. In fact, this factor could create certain sacred beliefs or, in some cases, fears presented as having a religious basis and in this way might hinder the formation of a positive attitude toward organ donation. Another finding of the study showed that religiosity had an overall positive effect of 0.208 on attitudes toward organ donation. Given that the core philosophy of religion is to promote moral virtues among human beings, helping those in need—especially saving their lives—can be seen as one of the most important moral acts; therefore, its positive impact on organ donation is entirely understandable. In addition, religiosity also indirectly affects positive attitudes toward organ donation by positively influencing altruism. Overall, the data from this study, while confirming the findings of many previous studies in this area, showed that organ donation was by no means purely a medical phenomenon, while social and cultural factors strongly influenced whether it was carried out. Introduction Organ transplantation is a modern therapeutic approach involving the removal of organs from one individual and their donation to another person in need. This treatment method is not solely a medical or clinical issue; rather, it is shaped by a range of legal, organizational, social, and cultural factors. Available statistics indicate a global increase in organ donation. For instance, a 2023 study covering 89 countries reported that organ donation from both living and deceased donors rose by 9% compared to 2022. In the same year, Spain (49.38 per million population), the United States (48.04), and Portugal (36.93) recorded the highest organ donation rates. In Iran, the highest rate in recent years was 14.3 per million population achieved in 2019. Despite a substantial number of brain-dead patients—particularly due to the high rate of traffic accidents—only about 10% of families express willingness to donate organs. Consequently, many patients in need die without receiving the required organs. Given this context, the primary objective of the present study was to examine the influence of several social and cultural factors—including religiosity, traditionalism, awareness, social trust, and especially institutional trust—on attitudes toward organ donation among citizens of Yasuj. Materials & Methods This study employed a survey research method. The statistical population consisted of all citizens aged 15 years and older in Yasuj, totaling 134,532 individuals. From this population, 400 participants were selected by using multistage random sampling and data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by using face validity, as well as convergent validity, at both the indicator and construct levels. Its reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and composite Cronbach’s alpha. The research data were analyzed using SPSS and PLS software. Discussion of Results & Conclusion The findings showed that positive attitudes toward organ donation and altruism were above the average level, whereas awareness of brain death, traditionalism, and trust in the medical profession were below the average level. The mean level of religiosity in the statistical population was at the average level. Collectively, these variables explained 42% of the variance in the dependent variable—attitude toward organ donation. A comparison of attitudes toward organ donation based on background characteristics revealed no differences by gender or marital status. However, individuals in the very high socioeconomic class held more positive attitudes toward organ donation compared to those in other classes. This difference was likely due to other variables not examined in this study, such as cultural capital. Additionally, mean comparisons showed that those who had acquaintances with a history of organ donation generally held more positive attitudes toward the practice. Among the statistical population, awareness of the nature of brain death and consequences of organ donation had led to changes in attitudes and willingness to donate organs. The greater a person's knowledge and understanding of brain death were—specifically that recovery was impossible for brain-dead patients—the greater their willingness to donate organs could be. Furthermore, having close acquaintances, who had donated organs and gained information through contact with them also increased willingness to donate. Regarding the effect of trust in doctors and the medical profession on organ donation, the analyses showed that this variable had a positive effect of 0.169. In other words, the greater the trust in the medical profession was, the more positive and favorable the attitude toward organ donation would be. In a context where the medical profession was trusted and physicians' diagnoses were regarded as reliable and accurate, there were greater willingness and a more positive outlook toward organ donation. Altruism with a regression effect of 0.242 influenced attitudes toward organ donation. In other words, the greater the spirit of altruism was, the more positive and favorable the attitude toward organ donation became. This variable could also be seen as mediating the effect of religiosity on organ donation since morally oriented religiosity could increase altruism and thereby lead to greater willingness to donate organs. Tradition as the opposite of modernism focused on rejecting innovation, new patterns, and new ways of life. In this study, traditionalism had a regression effect of -0.346 on attitudes toward organ donation, which was the strongest effect in the sample. Traditionalism not only had a direct negative effect on attitudes toward organ donation through its own characteristics, but also reinforced its position by shaping various beliefs. One of the issues addressed in this study was the secular-religious outlook toward organ donation. This variable had a negative effect on attitudes toward organ donation with a regression coefficient of 0.313 and was itself influenced by traditionalism, which explained 6% of its variance. In fact, this factor could create certain sacred beliefs or, in some cases, fears presented as having a religious basis and in this way might hinder the formation of a positive attitude toward organ donation. Another finding of the study showed that religiosity had an overall positive effect of 0.208 on attitudes toward organ donation. Given that the core philosophy of religion is to promote moral virtues among human beings, helping those in need—especially saving their lives—can be seen as one of the most important moral acts; therefore, its positive impact on organ donation is entirely understandable. In addition, religiosity also indirectly affects positive attitudes toward organ donation by positively influencing altruism. Overall, the data from this study, while confirming the findings of many previous studies in this area, showed that organ donation was by no means purely a medical phenomenon, while social and cultural factors strongly influenced whether it was carried out.

https://jas.ui.ac.ir/article_30393_76d9cd77e46cb9b8037417a76180aa92.pdf