Public Attitudes and Beliefs About Organ Donation: Development and Validation of a New Instrument.

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The number of patients in need of lifesaving organ transplants continues to exceed the number of available. One of the most critical factors influencing peoples' practices and rates of organ donation is their attitude and beliefs. This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument that evaluates peoples' attitudes and beliefs about organ donation. Methods: A cross-sectional methodological study was used to guide the development of a questionnaire after reviewing the literature. Results: The initial items (n = 45) were evaluated by 15 nonexperts pilot to verify face validity; then, content validity was established by three experts, and exploratory factorial analysis established construct validity. Afterward, internal consistency was checked using Cronbach's α analysis. Eventually, 31 items were included in the questionnaire, comprising four subscales. Conclusion: According to the results, we found that the "Public Attitudes and Beliefs about Organ Donation" questionnaire has adequate validity and reliability to assess peoples' attitudes and beliefs about organ donation.