Organ Donation Beliefs of African American Women Residing in a Small Southern Community

Abstract

There is a widening gap between the supply of available human organs and the critical number needed for transplants in the United States. For African Americans, the waiting period is about twice that of non-African Americans. Contributing to this situation is that organ donation among African Americans is less frequent than that among the general population. The purpose of this study was to discover the culture care beliefs, meanings, and practices of selected African American women regarding organ donation. Using the ethnonursing research method, data were collected through lengthy community visits and in-depth interviews. Two cultural and social structure dimensions, kinship ties and religion, were discovered to be most influential for these African American women. This study focused on the significance these dimensions play in the decision to donate an organ. Cultural care modalities for the provision of culturally congruent care were developed based on these findings.