Evaluation of attitudes towards blood and organ donation among caregivers of oncology patients

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the attitudes of individuals providing care to oncology patients towards blood donation and post-mortem organ donation, and to identify sociodemographic and other associated factors that may influence these attitudes. Thus, it was aimed to determine potential intervention areas for increasing donation rates in this specific group. Materials and Methods: The research was designed as a cross-sectional study. It was conducted with caregivers of 392 oncology patients, aged 18 and over, who presented to the Medical Oncology outpatient clinics of Samsun Training and Research Hospital between January 1, 2025, and April 1, 2025. To collect data from participants, a 57-item questionnaire, including an information form for sociodemographic characteristics, the Post-mortem Organ Donation Attitude Scale, and the Blood Donation Attitude Scale, was administered face-to-face to the caregivers. Non-parametric tests, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis-H, were used to determine significant differences between scale scores and participants' categorical data. In case of significant differences between groups, Bonferroni correction was applied, and a post-hoc test was performed to identify which groups differed significantly. Due to non-homogeneous variance and unequal sample sizes, the Games-Howell test was chosen for post-hoc analysis. The Pearson Chi-Square test was used to determine the significance of relationships between categorical variables. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study was conducted with 392 caregivers of oncology patients. The mean age of the participants was 41.2±12.3 years. Of the participants, 66.3% (n=260) were female, 73.5% (n=288) were married, and 34.2% (n=134) were university graduates. The mean score for the Post-mortem Organ Donation Attitude Scale was 4.0±0.6, while the mean score for the Blood Donation Attitude Scale was 3.9±0.5. However, despite this generally positive attitude, 60.7% (n=238) of participants stated they did not consider donating organs, and 58.7% (n=230) reported never having donated blood in their lifetime. No significant relationship was found between organ donation attitudes and age, gender, marital status, education level, or the presence of religious belief. However, the intention to donate organs was found to be significantly more positive among younger individuals (p=0.008), single individuals (p=0.009), university graduates (p<0.001), and those with experience of organ donation in their close circle (p=0.013). The organ donation attitudes of those who considered donating organs were found to be statistically significantly more positive (p<0.001). Attitudes towards blood donation were statistically more positive in individuals aged 55 and over (p<0.001), males (p=0.015), married individuals (p<0.015), those with religious beliefs (p=0.002), and those with previous blood donation experience (p<0.001). A statistically significant positive attitude was observed in those with a smoking history of more than 20 pack-years (p<0.001). Actual blood donation was statistically higher among males (p<0.001), smokers (p=0.047), and those with a smoking history of more than 20 pack-years (p=0.007). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the overall attitude scores of both scales (p<0.001, r=0.41). Conclusion: The study concluded that caregivers of oncology patients possess a positive attitude towards blood and organ donation. However, significant barriers were identified that prevent the translation of these positive attitudes into actual donation behavior. Lack of knowledge, particularly insufficient information on topics such as brain death and the donation process, along with various personal and societal concerns regarding donation, are primary among these barriers. Accurate information can be provided to individuals closely involved with the healthcare system, such as caregivers of oncology patients. Concerns that hinder the donation process for individuals can be addressed. Keywords: Oncology, Caregivers, Organ Donation, Blood Donation, Attitude.