Smyrna Tıp Dergisi – 16 – Smyrna Tıp Dergisi Araştırma Makalesi Knowledge , attitude and behaviors of university students on organ transplantation , in Turkey
Objective: In this study, knowledge, attitude and behaviors of university students on organ donation were investigated. Material and Method: A stratified random sample of 955 students were asked for six sociodemographic, seven personal information, nine behavior and twenty attitude questions using a Likert-type scale survey form. Results: Totally 955 students participated the study and 85.6% reported that the most significant barrier against organ transplantation was inadequate organ donation. While 363 students (38.0%) didn’t decide to donate any organs although they had positive views on organ donation, 209 students reported that they would donate all of their organs and the organ chosen as likely to be donated the most was kidney. When the reasons for negative views on organ donation were examined, the primary reasons were found to be “presence of religious barriers” and “discouragement". Also, 719 (75.3%) students had no knowledge about where the organs were donated. Conclusion: University students have insufficient information about organ donation. Informing them about the details of the organ donation will have an effect on increasing the donation rates.
Organ transplantation and donation from the point of view of medical students in Iran: Ethical aspects and knowledge.
Organ transplantation is an effective process that prolongs the lives of individuals suffering from incapacitating conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the view point of medical students in Iran regarding ethical aspects and knowledge on organ transplantation and donation. The participants included 165 medical students from different faculties of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. They were assessed using a reliable questionnaire that examined their ethical aspects and knowledge regarding organ transplantation and donation. All data analyses were performed using Chi-square and analysis of variance tests with SPSS software. Results showed that main sources of respondents’ knowledge on organ transplantation and donation were TV, 51.52 % (n = 85) and Internet, 19.39 % (n = 32). 91.51% (n = 151) of the respondents understand and 8.48% (n =14) do not understand the concept of brain death. 49.69% (n = 82) of the respondents were willing to donate their organs. A brain death donor was selected by respondents as the best option for organs transplantation (72.12%; n = 119). The respondents selected young patients as the preferred recipients of an organ (69.69%; n = 115). There was no correlation between gender, age, educational level, marital status and attitude towards organ transplantation. From the results, there is need for an organized educational planning for medical students in ethical issue and knowledge on organ and tissue transplantation.
Current knowledge and attitudes about organ donation and transplantation among Chinese university students.
Current attitudes toward organ donation among university students in mainland China and the differences in attitudes between Chinese students in mainland China versus overseas are unknown. To address these issues, we conducted a cross-sectional survey using questionnaires among 922 Chinese undergraduates from mainland China and overseas regions of the world. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Student t tests, chi-square tests, and a logistic regression analysis. We found that blood donors showed significantly better awareness of heart, liver, lung, skin, and tendon donation among commonly transplanted organs/tissues. As to the willingness for cadaveric organ donation, 61.3% of respondents consented, 8.5% objected, and 30.3% answered "not sure." The percentage holding an organ donor card was 15.7% among students from Hong Kong; 3.0%, mainland China; 2.8%, Macau; 2.6%, Taiwan, and 4.0%, other regions of the world. In a logistic regression analysis, female students (odds ratio [OR], 2.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35 to 3.72) and blood donors (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.10 to 3.32) did, but age and study specialty (medical vs nonmedical) did not show significantly more positive attitudes toward cadaveric organ donation. Compared with students from mainland China, overseas Chinese students from various regions did not show significantly different attitudes toward cadaveric organ donation. In summary, blood donors among university students have a greater knowledge of transplantation and a more positive attitude toward organ donation. Since university students are an important source of blood donors in China, they will be a potential pool of organ donors in the future.