Validation of the Attitude Toward Living Liver Donation Questionnaire (PCID-DVH-Ríos) in Spanish-Speaking Populations: Characteristics and Psychometric Properties

Are Medical Students of Non-Spanish Nationality Studying in Spain as Sensitized to Transplantation as Those of Spanish Nationality?

INTRODUCTION

Awareness of organ donation among Spanish doctors and medical students is very positive. However, the emerging group of professionals of non-Spanish nationality studying in Spain has not been analyzed.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the differences in the attitudes toward the different types of donation among medical students, according to their nationality.

METHODS

The population under study is medical students in Spanish universities using the database of the International Collaborative Donor Project, stratified by geographic area and academic year. Groups under study include students of non-Spanish nationality as group 1 (n = 1570) and students of Spanish nationality as Group 2 (n = 7705). Instruments are validated questionnaires of attitude toward donation "PCID-DTO-Ríos," "PCID-DVR-Ríos," "PCID-DVH-Ríos," and "PCID-XenoTx-Ríos."

RESULTS

The attitude toward the donation of own organs after death is similar in both groups (P = .703). Non-Spaniards are 79.2% in favor compared to 79.6% of Spaniards. Living kidney donation, both unrelated (33.3% vs 29.3% in favor; P = .001) and related (91.2% vs 89, 6% in favor; P = .047), is more favorable among non-Spanish students. There are no differences regarding non-related living liver donation (29.7% vs 29.3% in favor; P = .063), but there are differences in the results for related living liver donation (94.1% vs 88%; P < .001). The attitude toward xenotransplantation of organs is similar (80.8% vs 80.8%; P = .999).

CONCLUSIONS

Awareness of the donation of organs among Spanish medical students is similar to non-Spanish students studying in Spain, except the attitude toward living donation.

Attitude of Older People Toward Living Donation

BACKGROUND

Living donation is a potential source of organs that could help to reduce the organ transplant deficit. Given that we have a worldwide aging population, it is important to assess the opinion of older people toward this type of donation.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the attitude of people aged > 65 years toward living kidney donation (LKD) and living liver donation (LLD) and to investigate the variables affecting their attitudes.

METHODS

A multicentric study was carried out using a representative sample of people > 65 years stratified by sex and geographic location in southeastern Spain (n = 420). The measurement instrument was a validated questionnaire about LKD and LLD. Statistics were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, United States) software. Descriptive analysis was carried out using Student t test, χ² test, and a multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The questionnaire completion rate was 84% (n = 351) with 88% (n = 310) in favor of LKD, and 89% (n = 311) in favor of LLD. Favorable attitude decreased to 3% when the donation under consideration was unrelated. Attitudes toward LKD and LLD were associated with having received information from the television (P = .016 and P = .045) and from friends (P = .017 and P = .03); accepting an autopsy after death (P = .001 and P = .002); and not being worried about scars (P = .015 and P = .044). In the multivariate analysis, the following variables continued to be significant: having received information from the television (odds ratio [OR], 2) and from friends (OR, 10.3); and the acceptance of an autopsy (OR, 2).

CONCLUSIONS

Older people are in favor of both LKD and LLD, assuming it is a related donation. In addition, the information the elderly population receives regarding organ donation and transplantation affects their attitudes.