Even with the UK’s shift to an opt-out system in 2020, there’s still a big gap between the number of people needing organ donations and the number available. Research shows that things like age, gender, ethnicity, education, and attitudes can shape how people feel about donating organs. Notably, the Muslim community tends to have lower rates of organ donation. However, some efforts focusing on religious approval have shown promise.
What was our study about?
We’re diving into how different types of stories—comics and written narratives—can influence organ donation decisions among Muslims. Our goal is to see if these stories can encourage more people to register as organ donors and feel comfortable sharing their decision with others. Plus, we’re checking if these narratives can boost understanding of organ donation.
Who joined?
We recruited adults (18 and older) from the Islamic faith, living anywhere in Scotland, Wales, England, or Northern Ireland, and who can read English. The study was conducted online through the Prolific platform.
What did they do?
Participants were randomly placed in one of three groups. Each group will get different organ donation information:
- Standard info from the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) website.
- NHSBT info plus a comic-style narrative.
- NHSBT info plus a written narrative.
We gathered data at three points: before participants read the material, right after, and one month later to see the lasting impact.
Sharing Our Findings
We’ve been sharing our research at key conferences to spread the word and gather feedback. In 2024, we presented our study at the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine’s 19th Annual Scientific Meeting in Scotland, showcasing our findings through a poster presentation. We also presented at the Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference in Scotland, further discussing how comic and written narratives can impact organ donation decisions among the Muslim adult population in the UK.