# Awareness and Willingness for Body Donation in a Semi-urban Area of India: A Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study explores awareness and willingness for body donation in a semi-urban Indian area, finding low awareness and significant cultural and religious barriers.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into body donation attitudes in a semi-urban Indian context, identifying key barriers and potential solutions.

## Key findings

- 66.2% of participants had never heard of body donation.
- Religious beliefs were the top barrier, cited by 39.8% of participants.
- 83.2% of respondents trusted healthcare professionals as credible information sources.

## Abstract

Background

The rising number of medical colleges in India has increased the demand for cadavers to support education on the subject of anatomy, which is a core component of medical training. However, societal, cultural, and religious barriers often limit body donation, resulting in an inadequate availability of cadavers.

Aim

This observational study aimed to assess awareness and willingness towards body donation among residents of Dhauj, a semi-urban area in the Faridabad district, and to identify key barriers to body donation.

Materials and methods

A pre-validated questionnaire was distributed to 524 participants and data were collected on their awareness, willingness, and misconceptions about body donation.

Results

Results indicate that 66.2% of participants had never heard of body donation, with only 26.3% expressing personal willingness to donate. Major barriers to donation included religious beliefs (39.8%), cultural norms (23.4%), and a lack of information (28.44%). Notably, family dynamics also impacted willingness, with 66.4% of participants uncertain about their families' support. A majority, 83.2% of respondents, placed trust in healthcare professionals as credible sources of information, emphasising the role of medical professionals in advocacy of dead body donation.

Conclusion

Results of the present study revealed a significant gap in awareness and willingness to participate in dead body donation within semi-urban communities. This study highlights the urgent need for targeted awareness campaigns, involvement of trusted health care professionals, community leaders and educational initiatives to address misconceptions about body donation and improve acceptance of body donation programs among residents of semi-urban areas of India.