Differences in attitudes toward body donation between young university students of health sciences and adults in the Spanish population

The number of body donors in Spain varies widely among universities, although it has increased in recent decades. Spain has the highest rate of organ donation for transplants in the world, but the same is not true for whole bodies. Unlike small towns, universities in large cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, and Malaga receive more donations. In addition to a greater population, large cities have a younger population and a higher number of foreigners, which favors more donations. Our study intended to contribute, together with other studies, to the knowledge of the predisposition to body donation to science in certain population groups. A total of 324 people of both sexes, aged between 18 and 93, were studied, all from the city of Valladolid (Spain), which has a population of approximately 300,000 inhabitants. Through personalized and anonymous surveys, age, sex, origin, education, religious beliefs, motivations for donation, and preferences regarding the use of the body and its final destination were considered. Young people were compared with adults, and university students were compared with the general population. There are differences between men and women, as well as between age groups and educational backgrounds. Raising awareness about body donation for teaching and research requires well-targeted programs, with information on the intended use of bodies and answers to questions raised by prospective donors. Added to all this is the availability of specialized personnel and well-equipped facilities adapted to regulations on handling chemical and biological materials, as dictated by occupational risk prevention protocols.