ABSTRACT
Since the beginning of anatomy education in Korea, the supply of cadavers was dependent on the dead of non-identified vagabonds, mainly. Recently, the body donation program was introduced, and it has been operating and managing. However, the management agencies of this program are numerous, medical colleges and organizations of society. Thus it is very difficult to find the demographic characteristics and the statistical data of cadaver donors. The purpose of this study is to compare the demographic characteristics such as the number of death, sex, age, the place of residence, causes of death and others between death in Jeollabuk-do of annual report of death statistics (National Statistical Office) and 110 cadaver donors at Chonbuk National University Medical School in 2000~2004. Numbers of the donated cadaver increased 1.9% from 15 donors in 2000 to 29 donors in 2004. The dead were 69,447 persons in Jeollabuk-do for 5 years (in 2000~2004), and 110 cadaver donors, 0.16% of death in Jeollabuk-do, were donated to Chonbuk National University Medical School at this times. There was a ratio of 57.3% male to 42.7% female in cadaver donors. The age of donors was sixties 26.4%, seventies 25.4% and forties 14.5%. The regional proportion of donors was highest in Jeonju city among 14 regions. The death causes of donors were the neoplasms with 35.5%, the diseases of the circulatory system with 12.7%, it was similar to the statistical result of the dead in Jeollabuk-do. The death place of donors was the highest in hospital. The christian of cadaver donors was 60%. The registrant of Chonbuk Council of Body Donors and some other organizations was 48.2% among the cadaver donors. These results may contribute to the supply of cadavers for the anatomical education and research as well as the proliferation of cadaver donation movement. We hope that the studies of the demographic characteristics to body donation will be continued with medical colleges in Korea.