Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
. 2005 Mar;97(3):339–350.

Moving beyond attitudinal barriers: understanding African Americans' support for organ and tissue donation.

Kimberly R Jacob Arriola 1, Jennie P Perryman 1, Michelle Doldren 1
PMCID: PMC2568639  PMID: 15779498

Abstract

PURPOSE: African Americans are disproportionately represented among individuals in need of an organ transplant, due in part to low donation rates in this population. The research literature has focused on attitudinal barriers to donation; however, the current study explores individual experiences and values that contribute to supportive attitudes toward organ and tissue donation. PROCEDURES: Focus group participants were 26 African-American clergymen and 42 African-American parishioners recruited from seven Christian churches in the metro Atlanta area. FINDINGS: Although a large number of participants had previous exposure to organ and tissue donation and transplantation, the majority of these experiences were negative, and participants felt a general fear and lack of knowledge about the process of donation and transplantation. Despite these negative experiences, respondents reported personal values (e.g., the desire to help others and acceptance of group responsibility) and religious values (e.g., the desire to carry out God's will and to have faith in God) that contribute to supportive attitudes toward organ and tissue donation. CONCLUSION: An understanding of supportive attitudes toward donation may help improve the development of effective culturally sensitive intervention messages targeting the African-American religious community with the ultimate goal of increasing the pool of organs available for transplantation.

Full text

PDF
341

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Boulware L. Ebony, Ratner Lloyd E., Sosa Julie Ann, Cooper Lisa A., LaVeist Thomas A., Powe Neil R. Determinants of willingness to donate living related and cadaveric organs: identifying opportunities for intervention. Transplantation. 2002 May 27;73(10):1683–1691. doi: 10.1097/00007890-200205270-00029. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Callender C. O. Organ donation in blacks: a community approach. Transplant Proc. 1987 Feb;19(1 Pt 2):1551–1554. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Callender C., Burston B., Yeager C., Miles P. A national minority transplant program for increasing donation rates. Transplant Proc. 1997 Feb-Mar;29(1-2):1482–1483. doi: 10.1016/s0041-1345(96)00697-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Davidson M. N., Devney P. Attitudinal barriers to organ donation among black Americans. Transplant Proc. 1991 Oct;23(5):2531–2532. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DeJong W., Franz H. G., Wolfe S. M., Nathan H., Payne D., Reitsma W., Beasley C. Requesting organ donation: an interview study of donor and nondonor families. Am J Crit Care. 1998 Jan;7(1):13–23. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Durand Roger, Decker Phillip J., Bruder Paul. Organ donation among African Americans: opportunities for increasing donor rates. Hosp Top. 2002 Summer;80(3):34–37. doi: 10.1080/00185860209598002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hall L. E., Callender C. O., Yeager C. L., Barber J. B., Jr, Dunston G. M., Pinn-Wiggins V. W. Organ donation in blacks: the next frontier. Transplant Proc. 1991 Oct;23(5):2500–2504. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. McNamara P., Guadagnoli E., Evanisko M. J., Beasley C., Santiago-Delpin E. A., Callender C. O., Christiansen E. Correlates of support for organ donation among three ethnic groups. Clin Transplant. 1999 Feb;13(1 Pt 1):45–50. doi: 10.1034/j.1399-0012.1999.t01-2-130107.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Park M. A. A statewide assessment of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among blacks toward donation. J Transpl Coord. 1998 Mar;8(1):25–29. doi: 10.7182/prtr.1.8.1.4742k61122312638. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rubens A. J. Racial and ethnic differences in students' attitudes and behavior toward organ donation. J Natl Med Assoc. 1996 Jul;88(7):417–421. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Schutte L., Kappel D. Barriers to donation in minority, low-income, and rural populations. Transplant Proc. 1997 Dec;29(8):3746–3747. doi: 10.1016/s0041-1345(97)01096-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sheldon K. M., King L. Why positive psychology is necessary. Am Psychol. 2001 Mar;56(3):216–217. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Siminoff Laura A., Saunders Sturm Christina M. African-American reluctance to donate: beliefs and attitudes about organ donation and implications for policy. Kennedy Inst Ethics J. 2000 Mar;10(1):59–74. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Thompson V. L. Educating the African-American community on organ donation. J Natl Med Assoc. 1993 Jan;85(1):17–19. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Townsend M. E., Rovelli M. A., Schweizer R. T. Value of discussion groups in educating blacks about organ donation and transplantation. Transplant Proc. 1990 Apr;22(2):324–325. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the National Medical Association are provided here courtesy of National Medical Association

RESOURCES