Body Donation Willingness: Evidence from a Survey of University Students
17th International Symposium of Clinical and Applied Anatomy, Vienna, Avusturya, 3 - 05 Eylül 2026, cilt.267, ss.89-90, (Özet Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
- Cilt numarası: 267
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.aanat.2026.153050
- Basıldığı Şehir: Vienna
- Basıldığı Ülke: Avusturya
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.89-90
- Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: Body donation is an essential component of anatomy education and medical training. However, knowledge, attitudes, educational experiences, and perceptions related to body donation and cadaver-based anatomy education may vary among university students. This study aimed to evaluate these factors and their association with willingness to donate.
Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 178 first-year university students who were actively taking anatomy courses at a healthcare-focused university in Istanbul, Türkiye. The questionnaire evaluated participants’ knowledge and attitudes toward body donation, previous educational exposure, and cadaver-related experiences. Factors associated with willingness to donate were evaluated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, and results were expressed as marginal effects on the predicted probability of willingness to donate.
Results: In multivariable analysis, nursing students demonstrated a more favorable attitude toward body donation compared with students from other departments. Familiarity with a body donor was associated with greater willingness to donate, whereas higher religious sensitivity and concerns regarding infection risk from cadavers were associated with lower willingness to donate.
Conclusion: These results indicate that increasing educational exposure and raising awareness about body donation can affect students’ willingness to donate and their attitudes toward cadaver-based anatomy education. Enhancing educational initiatives and awareness programs could encourage more favorable views of body donation among healthcare students.
Keywords: anatomy, body donation, university students.