Assessment of Public Perception and Attitude Toward Skin Donation in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BackgroundThe skin is the largest organ of the body. Burns are important health issues that significantly affect a variety of population groups. Skin grafting is still regarded as the gold standard in surgical burn treatment. The availability of skin for grafting is one of the main challenges in burn surgical therapies. Thus, this study aimed to assess the public perception and attitude regarding skin donation in Saudi Arabia. MethodThe study was a cross-sectional study that included the general population in Saudi Arabia (≥ 18 years old). A self-administered survey was distributed online. Statistical analysis was carried out using RStudio (R version 4.1.1). Categorical data were presented as frequencies and percentages, while continuous data were expressed as the median and interquartile range (IQR). ResultsA total of 8515 were included in the study. Most participants (71.5%) were females. Among the respondents, 64.9% were between the ages of 18 and 30. Females had a higher knowledge level of skin graft donation compared to males. Participants aged >30 years had lower knowledge levels compared to younger participants. Lower knowledge scores were also observed among married, widows, as well as uneducated participants. Five thousand two hundred and seven (61.1%) participants support skin donation. The most reported barrier to skin donation was religious reasons (52.4%), while the main motives for supporting skin donation were humane-related factors (73.2%). The influence of close relatives on participants' decisions to donate was evident in 52.6% of the instances. ConclusionIt was found that most participants support skin donation in Saudi Arabia. Religious reasons were the most common hindering factors against skin donation. Females and young-aged groups were found to have a higher knowledge level. Further studies are recommended to shed light on this subject allowing for appropriate solutions implantation.

The effect of social appearance anxiety and body perception on the quality of life in burn patients

“…Burns can be caused by heat, friction, cold, radiation, electricity or chemicals and are a global health problem with a high rate of disability and death 1,2 . The severity of some burns requires medical attention, and depending on the degree of burn, the patient's hospital stay may be longer, negatively affecting their quality of life and financial situation and leading to social isolation and embarrassment 3 . A severe burn can lead to various complications such as hypovolemic shock, sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and can even threaten life 1 …”

“…1,2 The severity of some burns requires medical attention, and depending on the degree of burn, the patient's hospital stay may be longer, negatively affecting their quality of life and financial situation and leading to social isolation and embarrassment. 3 A severe burn can lead to various complications such as hypovolemic shock, sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and can even threaten life. 1 People care about appearance in interactions and even strive to leave a positive image on the other person as the first impression, which can create social appearance anxiety.…”