Organ Donation Willingness Among Asian Americans: Results from a National Study

Gerard P. Alolod, Heather M. Gardiner, Ryan Blunt, Recai M. Yucel, Laura A. Siminoff

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the USA, but their health disparities are often overlooked. Although their needs for transplantable organs are substantial, they have the lowest rates of organ donation per million compared to other Americans by race. To better understand Asian Americans’ disposition toward organ donation, a self-administered survey was developed based on formative data collection and guidance from a Community Advisory Board composed of Asian American stakeholders. The instrument was deployed online, and quota sampling based on the 2017 American Community Survey was used to achieve a sample representative (N = 899) of the Asian American population. Bivariate tests using logistic regression and the chi-square test of independence were performed. Over half (58.1%) of respondents were willing to be organ donors. A majority (81.8%) expressed a willingness to donate a family member’s organs, but enthusiasm depended on the family member’s donor wishes. Only 9.5% of respondents indicated that the decision to donate their organs was theirs alone to make; the remainder would involve at least one other family member. Other key sociodemographic associations were found. This study demonstrates both the diversity of Asian Americans but also the centrality of the family’s role in making decisions about organ donation. Practice and research considerations for the field are also presented.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1478-1491
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of racial and ethnic health disparities
Volume10
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2023

Keywords

  • Asian Americans
  • Decision-making
  • Organ donation
  • Organ transplantation
  • Survey methods
  • Asian/psychology
  • Humans
  • Family
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Tissue Donors
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement/statistics & numerical data

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