Awareness and attitude to deceased kidney donation among health-care workers in Sokoto, Nigeria

Knowledge, Attitude, and Willingness Toward Kidney Donation Among Health Sciences Students at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University

Background: End-stage renal disease, as one of the most serious and major health problems, does not have many treatment options available. One of the best treatment modalities used to cure this debilitating disease is kidney transplantation. However, with the continuous increase in number of patients diagnosed with it, there is not enough supply of the organ. The aim of our study is to assess knowledge about, attitude toward, and willingness to donate kidney among health science students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University in comparison to the general population in Jeddah and to investigate the factors that play a role on their willingness. Methods: This is an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study design conducted in 2019. Two target populations were included: King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences students and the general population in Jeddah. Data were collected via a self-administered, close-ended, structured, and previously validated questionnaire that contained 39 items divided into four sections. SPSS program version 22 was used in data analysis. Results: Out of 685 surveyed participants, 179 (26.1%) were willing to donate their kidney, with students showing a higher rate of willingness (N = 101; 32.3%) than the general population (N = 78; 21%). However, only 46 (6.7%) out of the total population hold an organ donor card. In bivariate analysis, it was found that knowledge significantly associated with a higher rate of willingness among the student population than the general population, while positive beliefs were associated with increased willingness in the general population than students. Positive attitude appeared to play a role in higher willingness among the general population and student population. Conclusion: There is a low perception of awareness regarding kidney donation in both populations of this study. The willingness rate of health science students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University and the general population was low when compared with other studies conducted internationally.

Prioritizing Factors Affecting Deceased Organ Donation in Malaysia: Is a New Organ Donation System Required?

Purpose

The gap between the demand and the supply of human organs for transplantation is on the rise in Malaysia, despite the efforts of governments to promote donor registration. Factors affecting willingness to donate are contextual and vary from country to country. This research mainly focuses on the selection of most suitable organ donation system through factors affecting willingness to donate in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to prioritize those factors acting as the pillars of the organ donation system and further to select the most suitable organ donation system for Malaysia.

Patients and Methods

The data were collected from 35 experts by using a bipolar questionnaire. The study applied an analytical hierarchal process (AHP) for prioritization factors contributing to willingness to donate and then selection of a suitable organ donation system based on prioritized factors.

Results

Based on the AHP results, it is evident that donation perception (0.36) has the highest priority in influencing organ donation rates, followed by socioeconomic status (0.32), demographic factors (0.23), and financial incentives (0.09). Further, our results challenge the existing opt-in donation system in Malaysia and present a presumptive approach as a suitable system for increasing deceased donation rate in Malaysia. Presumptive approach promotes the role of health-care professionals in securing the family consent.

Conclusion

This approach is a person-oriented rather than process-oriented strategy and it relies on designated requesters' skills to evoke altruism among bereaved families. Based on results, the authors recommended that relevant government agencies focus on training nurses to discuss donation with bereaved families and raising public awareness.