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.
Cadaver ; Cremation ; Education, Medical ; Human Body ; Humans ; Korea ; Motivation ; Reward ; Schools, Medical ; Sociology ; Telephone