AUTHOR=Pradeep Agimol , Augustine Titus , Randhawa Gurch , Ormandy Paula 

TITLE=Examining the Role of the Health Belief Model Framework in Achieving Diversity and Equity in Organ Donation Among South Asians in the United Kingdom

JOURNAL=Transplant International

VOLUME=Volume 36 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/transplant-international/articles/10.3389/ti.2023.11243

DOI=10.3389/ti.2023.11243

ISSN=1432-2277

ABSTRACT=Organ donation continues to be low among ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom (UK), especially within the South Asian community, with a disproportionate number of patients of South Asian ethnicity awaiting organ transplants.  In 2020/21, Minority Ethnic (ME) patients comprised almost a third of the national transplant waiting list, highlighting the continued imbalance between the need for transplants in South Asian communities and the availability of suitable organs. Median waiting times to transplant show that, generally, white patients wait less time than ME patients; Only 39.5% of ME families agreed to consent to proceed with deceased organ donation when approached compared to 69% of white families. How to increase awareness among the South Asian community on the scarcity of organ donors continues to be a growing challenge facing the health care system in the UK and globally. This article reflects on the education strategy implemented using the Health Belief Model. It provides a detailed framework with which to consider the rationale that led to a specific behaviour, in this case organ donation among the three major ethnicities (i.e. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) within the South Asian community as part of single study.