ABSTRACT
In order to maintain the donation of the human bodies required for medical education and research, we investigated social characteristics of those who have signed up to the donation program. The data registered in Chungbuk National University were analyzed and then compared to those registered in 9 of other universities in Korea. In addition, a telephone survey was performed for 128 registrants of Chungbuk National University. The number of registrants was rapidly increased after 1999 and the donation of body was sufficient for medical education and research after 2005. The number of registrants of Chungbuk after 2005 shows gradual increase whereas 10 other schools shows slight decrease. The age of registrants at signing up to the program showed the largest proportion in seventies (33.9%), followed by sixties (28.9%) and fifties (22%). Multiple registration which means two or more registrants from one family represented 40.9%. After the use of cadaver and cremation, most of the bereaved family preferred to keep and visit the cremains in the charnel house of medical school more than to carry out the school. By the telephone survey, 71% of the registrants answered they are in middle or upper middle class of living, and 77% responded that the motivation was voluntary for the society without any reward. Based on the present results we could expect the body donations will reasonably maintaine. Most of dornors have pure motivation without any reward from the school. Keeping their cremains at charnel house of the medical school were strongly favored so it is important to make enough facilities and management system as well.
Subject(s)
Humans , Cadaver , Cremation , Education, Medical , Human Body , Korea , Motivation , Reward , Schools, Medical , Sociology , TelephoneABSTRACT
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.