Attitudes Toward Organ Donation: A Survey on Iranian Teachers

Assessment of the Desire and Readiness of Taif Residents for Heart Donation After Death

Background/aim Heart transplantation is often the only preferable treatment for end-stage heart failure (HF); however, there are insufficient organ donors in Saudi Arabia. In this study, we aimed to understand the desire and readiness of Taif populations for heart donation after death. Methods We carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study among Taif residents in November 2022. A questionnaire designed from a previous survey was distributed among the participants. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data and questions assessing their desire for heart donation. Results The study included 405 subjects who have accepted to participate in the study. About half of the participants were aged 18 to 32 years (43.5%), most were females, were non-employed, and had a university degree. Of them, 86.2% accepted the concept of organ transplantation, 81% accepted the concept of heart transplantation, and one-third of the participants desired to donate their hearts. The participants with a university degree reported significantly less acceptance of the concept of heart transplantation (p-value=0.026), and those employed showed a significantly stronger desire for organ donation to a relative after death (p-value=0.049). In addition, younger participants showed a significantly higher willingness for organ donation to a relative or non-relative after death (p-value=0.017 and 0.009, respectively). Employed participants were significantly more willing to undergo heart transplantation surgery if needed (p-value=0.044). Conclusion Awareness campaigns could be established in the community and popularized during contact with the health system to build trust in the organ donation system, stress the importance of heart donation in saving the lives of more patients, and reduce the shortage of organ transplantation.

Attitudes Toward Organ Transplantation

BACKGROUND

The purpose of transplantation is to improve the health or save the life of the recipient. Although organ transplantation is a method generally accepted by society, there are still people who, referring to moral and ethical aspects, reject its validity. A great threat to transplantology is also the lack of knowledge of the society resulting from insufficient education.

AIM

The aim of this study was to find out attitudes and opinions about organ transplantation and to determine the level of acceptance of organ and tissue transplantation.

METHODS

The tool chosen for the study was a survey questionnaire. The research group consisted of 200 people. Approval from the Bioethics Committee was obtained to conduct the study.

RESULTS

The studies showed that more than half of the respondents (57%) would agree to organ donation for transplantation after the death of a loved one. Age was found to be statistically significant (P = .001). Older people showed more doubts about transplantation than people under 30. Over 80% of respondents agreed that initiatives to educate the public about transplantation are needed.

CONCLUSIONS

The respondents refer to transplantation positively as a method of treating and saving life, and more than half of respondents would agree to donate their organs for transplant after the death of a loved one. The majority of respondents described their attitude toward transplantation as positive, admitting that the objection to donating is due to the ignorance and too little awareness on the subject.

Strategies to Improvise Organ Donor Pool: A Study on the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Performance of Higher Secondary School Teachers Towards the Organ Donation

Introduction

This study aimed to assess higher secondary school teachers' knowledge, attitude, and performance levels towards organ transplantation and donation (OTD). Teachers have an essential role in giving knowledge to children and teenagers, and they can influence their views. Organ transplantation offers re-life to many patients, yet organ shortages are a global issue. Teachers who influence students' future attitudes regarding organ donation must have a favorable attitude and genuine knowledge.

Materials and Methods

The research method was descriptive and cross-sectional. The sample size was 372 school teachers in Villupuram district of Tamilnadu, India, selected using a convenient sampling method. A survey questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitude about OTD, the reason for donating/not donating organs. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify critical variables affecting intent to practice.

Results

The teachers' mean scores with SD on knowledge, attitude, and performance were 7.61 ± 2.74, 8.81 ± 2.08, and 0.38 ± 0.11, respectively. The linear regression analysis showed that the knowledge (p < 0.001) and attitude (p < 0.05) of the participants were positively associated with organ donation performance. A significant relationship was also observed between gender (p < 0.036), age (p < 0.01), and education status (p < 0.001) with the performance of the teachers. Lack of family support was the most spelt reason for unwillingness for organ donation.

Conclusion

The positive linear correlations underline that having more information may lead to a more optimistic mindset and, as a result, to better practices. Teachers should be provided with overall health teaching campaigns to increase the number of possible organ donors. Teachers serve as role models for students, families, and society by changing their attitudes.

Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Organ Donation Among School Teachers: First National Survey Study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The most important factors affecting organ donation are socioeconomic, educational, and cultural factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes, knowledge levels, and behaviors of school teachers toward organ donation METHODS: This study surveyed 2400 school teachers working in official public schools. Turkey was divided into 26 regions based on the similarity of social, economic, and geographic factors identified by the Turkish Statistical Institute. Teachers were distributed equally in the city center and towns based on population. The survey procedures were carried out using computer-assisted personal interviewing.

RESULTS

Among teachers, 89.6% had a bachelor's degree and 8.5% had a master's degree. In addition, 32.5% worked in primary schools, 33.1% worked in secondary schools, and 34.4% worked in high schools. Furthermore, 0.7% had donated an organ; 66.5% were not considering organ donation in the future, of whom 9.0% indicated religion as the reason for not donating an organ, and 34.8% did not indicate any reason. In addition, 96.6% considered organ donation to be proper behavior for humanity and 68% believed that organ donation is appropriate in religious terms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that school teachers have inadequate knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation. Encouraging children and adolescents to make a well-informed decision about organ donation and to register this choice will depend largely on preparing school teachers with adequate knowledge and motivation toward creating generations with a positive attitude toward organ donation.

The Audiovisual Creation in Educational Proposals on Organ Donation: Attitude Towards Organ Donation and Transplantation of Secondary School Teachers

BACKGROUND

Audiovisual creation allows teachers and students to become consumers and producers of information, creating collaborative environments. In the field of organ donation and transplantation (ODT), most of the educational proposals analyzed to date consist of presentations. The teacher does not usually have a decisive role in this type of methodologies, in addition to not having the appropriate training to be able to participate actively.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the change in teachers' attitudes towards ODT after participating in an educational proposal based on the creation of short films.

METHODS

Teachers of secondary education in ten schools in southeastern Spain. The proposal consisted in the creation of short films based on topics related to ODT by the students. A validated ODT attitude form was administered to teachers at the beginning of the proposal and at the end of the proposal. A descriptive analysis was carried out together with McNemar test was used to compare the pre and post test results of the teacher. P < .05 was considered statiscally significant.

RESULTS

The favorable attitude towards organ donation at death increased after the proposal (64% vs 88%; P = .008). Favorable attitude towards organ donation from a relative also improved (52% vs 76%; P = .008), as did favorable attitude towards living kidney donation (52% vs 88%; P < .001), living liver donation (36% vs 85%; P = .008) and xenotransplantation (45% vs 82%; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The teachers improves after an educational proposal based on the creation of short films related to ODT.

Disgust Sensitivity and Support for Organ Donation: Time to Take Disgust Seriously

BACKGROUND

There are currently roughly 10,000 Germans on the organ waiting list, and that number is over 113,000 in the USA. There is a clear need to increase support for organ donation in general and to increase the number of registered donors in particular.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examines the relationship between disgust sensitivity and attitudes towards organ donation and the possession of an organ donor card. The study also examines other important correlates of attitudes towards organ donation, such as fear, trust, and knowledge regarding organ donation.

DESIGN

The study involved an online questionnaire.

PARTICIPANTS

Six hundred and eighteen Germans filled out an online questionnaire.

MAIN MEASURES

The questionnaire contained the following measures: attitude towards organ donation, disgust sensitivity, trust towards the medical community, fear of organ donation, and knowledge regarding organ donation, as well as such demographic information as age, biological sex, degree of formal education, religious affiliation and level of religiosity, political orientation, and possession of an organ donor card.

KEY RESULTS

The results replicated previous findings regarding the influence of trust and fear on attitudes towards organ donation, but only partially supported those regarding the importance of knowledge. Importantly, disgust sensitivity had a significant impact on attitudes towards organ donation, even after controlling for other variables hereto identified as important correlates in the literature (e.g., fear, trust, knowledge). What is more, there was a significant interaction between biological sex and disgust sensitivity indicating that the relationship between disgust sensitivity and attitudes towards organ donation was stronger among women than men.

CONCLUSIONS

While disgust is often disregarded as a "silly," bairnish emotion and unbefitting of discussions of serious issues such as organ donation, in line with the "affective turn" in psychology, the results of the current study suggest that in order to improve attitudes towards organ donation, we should take feelings of disgust seriously.

Attitude of the Saudi community towards heart donation, transplantation, and artificial hearts

Objectives:

To understand the attitudes of the Saudi population towards heart donation and transplantation.

Methods:

A survey using a questionnaire addressing attitudes towards organ transplantation and donation was conducted across 18 cities in Saudi Arabia between September 2015 and March 2016.

Results:

A total of 1250 respondents participated in the survey. Of these, approximately 91% agree with the concept of organ transplantation but approximately 17% do not agree with the concept of heart transplantation; 42.4% of whom reject heart transplants for religious reasons. Only 43.6% of respondents expressed a willingness to donate their heart and approximately 58% would consent to the donation of a relative’s organ after death. A total of 59.7% of respondents believe that organ donation is regulated and 31.8% fear that the doctors will not try hard enough to save their lives if they consent to organ donation. Approximately 77% believe the heart is removed while the donor is alive; although, the same proportion of respondents thought they knew what brain death meant.

Conclusion:

In general, the Saudi population seem to accept the concept of transplantation and are willing to donate, but still hold some reservations towards heart donation.

THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND RELIGION ON ORGAN DONATION, AS SEEN BY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Introduction:

Transplantation of organs is the treatment of choice for severe organ failure worldwide.

Aim:

The aims of the present study were to determine the influence of religion on attitudes towards organ donation among staff at schools in Tuzla.

Material and Methods:

In the Tuzla region there are 42 schools and 1580 school staff. A total of 21 schools were selected randomly, which were stratified by geographical location. 499 employees were invited to participate in the study, and 475 agreed to participate. According to the definition of their attitude towards religion the subjects were divided into three groups: non-religious, only religious and practical believers.

Results:

None of the subjects possesses a donor card. To the question whether the subjects support the idea of organ transplantation, most replied that they support the idea of donating organs both during life and after death. Regarding this question there is a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0063). To the question whether they are prepared to donate an organ of a deceased family member, most replied that they would consent to donating an organ, whilst a significant number also replied that they were not sure. The results show that there is no significant difference between the replies given by the groups (p = 0.7694). To the question regarding to whom they were prepared to donate an organ, most said they were prepared to donate one to a member of their family, then to a close relative, whilst the least would donate to a stranger. The results show that there is a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0002).

Conclusion:

In order to reduce the wide disparity between the need and organ donation amongst other things a more active relationship is necessary between health workers, religious officials and school staff.

Attitudes of medical students and staff toward organ donation in cases of brain death: a survey at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

CONTEXT

Organ transplant is one of the most important management strategies for end-of-life patients. The demand for organs in patients awaiting transplant is increasing, and many of these patients die before a donor is found.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the attitudes of medical students and staff at clinical institutions affiliated with a large medical university in the Eastern Mediterranean region toward organ donation in cases of brain death.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 500 medical students, physicians, and nurses recruited at hospitals and medical centers affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Shiraz, Iran.Design and Setting-Information about participants' demographic characteristics, knowledge of organ donation, and willingness to donate their own organs after death was collected by using self-administered questionnaires.

RESULTS

Most participants (78%) had favorable attitudes toward donating their own organs after brain death. However, only about 25% of them carried an organ donation card. In addition to public media, the main sources of information about organ donation after brain death were their professors and textbooks. An association in charge of improving public awareness and facilitating the process of registration and issuance of donation cards appears to be necessary.

A multicenter study of the attitude of secondary school teachers toward solid organ donation and transplantation in the southeast of Spain

BACKGROUND

Teachers play a fundamental role in providing information to adolescents and could influence their attitudes.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the attitude of teachers toward organ donation and the concept of brain death (BD); the psychosocial variables related to attitude; and the information provided to pupils.

METHODS

A multicenter study was carried out using a random sample of secondary school teaching staff from 10 schools (n = 327) in the southeast of Spain. Attitude toward organ donation was assessed using a validated questionnaire that was self-administered and completed anonymously.

RESULTS

The questionnaire completion rate was 88% (n = 288), with 75% (n = 215) in favor of organ donation, 23% had doubts, and 2% were not in favor. Regarding the knowledge of BD, 62% (n = 179) accepted that this meant a person's death. The variables associated with a more favorable attitude included conversations with family and friends (p < 0.05); a partner's favorable opinion (OR 3.194); knowledge of the concept of BD (p = 0.006); being a blood donor (OR 8.264); and a favorable attitude toward autopsy (OR 4.716). Teachers provided information about organ donation to pupils in 16% of cases (n = 47).

CONCLUSIONS

Seventy-five percent of teachers are in favor of organ donation. Their attitude is affected by psychosocial factors.