Abstract:

Aims: This study evaluated health science students’ knowledge of stem cell donation, their willingness to become potential stem cell donors, and their perceived incentives and barriers to becoming potential stem cell donors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the faculty of health sciences of a university in Turkey. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered to health science students enrolled in the department(s) of child development, health management, midwifery, nursing, nutrition and dietetics, and physiotherapy and rehabilitation in October 2019. Results: The sample included 541 students (80.8% women) with a mean age of 19.70±1.52 years. Most (80.8%) of the students stated that they did not know what stem cell donation is. Of those who knew what stem cell donation is (n=104), 5.8% reported that they were registered as potential stem cell donors, and 68.3% stated that they would like to be a potential stem cell donor. The most common reason for wanting to be a potential stem cell donor was the belief that the donation saves lives (n=71, 83.1%), and the most common reason for unwillingness or indecision about being a stem cell donor was the belief that there may be side effects (n=33, 57.6%). Conclusions: We determined that most health science students did not know what stem cell donation is. Moreover, a large proportion of the students who knew about the stem cell donation expressed willingness to become potential stem cell donors, but very few of them were registered with the stem cell bank.

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