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

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 for transplants show that, generally, white patients wait less time than ME patients; Only 39.5% of ME families consented 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 healthcare 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 a single study.

Keywords: South Asian; education; health belief model framework; knowledge; organ donation and transplantation.