Information About Donation and Organ Transplantation Among Spanish Medical Students.

INTRODUCTION: Health professionals are asked to promote health, especially organ transplantation; however, they do not always have specific training. OBJECTIVE: To analyze information about donation and organ transplantation among Spanish medical students. METHOD: The population under study is medical students in Spanish universities using the database of the International Donor Collaborative Project, stratified by geographic area and academic year (n = 9275). The instrument used is the attitude questionnaire for organ donation for "PCID-DTO-Ríos" transplantation, validated with an explained variance of 63.203% and α = 0.834. The Student t test was applied together with the χ2 test, complemented by an analysis of the remainders, and Fisher's exact test was applied. RESULTS: Of the students, 74% indicate that they have received information from university professors about organ transplant. Concerning specific issues with the donation, it is notable that only 66.7% (n = 6190) know and accept the concept of brain death as the death of a person. However, only 22% consider themselves as having good information, and 35.3% indicate that their information is scarce or void. Students indicate having received information about transplant from other extra-university sources, such as television and Internet (80.9%), books and magazines (73.2%), and the press (66.9%). From the information obtained in the sociofamilial field, 60.7% have obtained information from the family and 58.1% from friends. Of this information, 9% has been negative from friends, 7.5% from family, 6% from the Internet and television, and 4% from university professors. CONCLUSION: Spanish medical students believe they have little information about organ transplantation and have received negative information.

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.

What Reasons Lead Spanish Medical Students Not to Be in Favor of Organ Donation?

INTRODUCTION: Despite sensitization of medical students toward the donation of organs, a non-negligible percentage of students are not in favor of donation. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the reasons of Spanish medical students who do not have a favorable attitude toward the donation of their own organs after death. METHOD: The population under study is medical students in Spanish universities, using the database of the International Donor Collaborative Project, stratified by geographic area and academic year. The questionnaire completion was anonymous and self-administered. The study group is medical students with an unfavorable attitude toward organ donation. The assessment instrument used is a validated questionnaire of attitude toward the donation of organs for transplant, "PCID-DTO-Ríos." The reasons against the donation are valued in the questionnaire through a question. RESULTS: Of the participants included in the PCID, students who are not in favor of organ donation were selected (n = 1899). Of them, 8.1% (n = 154) are against and 91.1% (n = 1745) are doubtful. The main reasons indicated are the fear of apparent death in 11.4% of respondents, fear of possible mutilation after donation in 11.1%, and religious reasons in 2.6%. Of those, 6.9% indicate other reasons but do not clearly specify the reasons, using words such as "fear" (2.5%) or "doubts about the process" (4.1%); 66.2% (n = 1257) indicated an "assertive refusal" ("I don't want to express my reasons"). CONCLUSION: Twenty percent of Spanish medical students are not in favor of donating their organs and are not in favor of showing their reasons.

Do Religious Factors Influence the Attitude Toward Organ Donation Among Medical Students? A Spanish Multicenter Study.

INTRODUCTION: Religious factors have conditioned the attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (ODT) since the beginning of transplantation, despite the fact that most religions are in favor of transplantation. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of religious beliefs of medical students on their attitude toward ODT. METHOD: Population under study: Medical students in Spanish universities. STUDY SAMPLE: Stratified by geographical area and academic course. Assessment instrument: Attitude ODT questionnaire PCID-DTO-Ríos, anonymous and self-administered. RESULTS: Of all students, 42% (n = 3907) declare themselves atheists or agnostics. The remaining 58% (n = 5368) declare themselves to be religious, the majority being Catholic (55%, n = 5102). Of the rest, 0.2% are Muslims (n = 8), 0.1% Protestants (n = 1), and the remaining 2.7% (n = 257) indicate other religious doctrines but do not want to specify it. Regarding their attitude toward ODT, those who consider themselves atheists or agnostics have a more favorable attitude than those who consider themselves religious (84% versus 76%; P < .001). Among those who follow some kind of religion, Catholics are more in favor of ODT than non-Catholics (77% vs 64%, P < .001). Note that among the religious, only 57% (n = 3050) know which religion is in favor of transplantation, while 22% (n = 1,152) consider that it has not been pronounced on the matter, 13% (n = 723) think the religion is against donation, and the remaining 8% (n = 443) do not know. CONCLUSION: The religion professed by medical students conditions their attitude toward donation, with the atheists and agnostics being more in favor of donation.

Are High Rates of Deceased Donation Conditioning the Attitude Toward Liver Donation Among Medical Students?

The involvement of health professionals from their training period is important for the promotion of living liver donation. There are data that indicate that the awareness of living donation is lower in areas with high rates of deceased donation. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the attitude toward living liver donation among Spanish medical students, according to donation rates of their regions. METHOD: Population under study: Medical students in Spanish universities. Database of the Collaborative International Donor Project, stratified by geographic area and academic course. The completion was anonymous and self-administered. Groups under study: group 1 (n = 1136): students in universities of regions with >50 donors per million population (pmp); group 2 (n = 2018): students in region universities with <40 donors pmp. Assessment instrument: the attitude questionnaire for living liver donation Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante sobre Donación de Vivo Hepático-Ríos (PCID-DVH Ríos). RESULTS: The attitude toward related liver donation is more favorable among the students of regions with <40 donors pmp than among those of >50 donors pmp. Thus, in group 1, a total of 88% (n = 1002) of students are in favor compared with 91% (n = 1831) of group 2 (P=.02). The psychosocial profile of each study group about their attitude toward living related liver donation is analyzed. There is a similar profile between the 2 groups, although there are differences in some variables such as age, a belief that one might need a transplant, family discussion about donation and transplantation, discussion with friends about donation and transplantation, and knowing about a donor. CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of living related donation among Spanish medical students is greater among the regions with lower organ donation rates.

Sensitization Toward Organ Donation Among Medical Students in Spanish Regions With More Than 50 Donors Per Million Population.

The awareness of organ donation among health professionals is important at the time of transplant promotion. In this sense, the training and awareness of the professionals in training is fundamental. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the differences in the attitude toward organ donation and the factors that condition it among medical students of regions with donation rates >50 donors per million population (pmp) with respect to those with rates <40 donor pmp. METHOD: Population under study: medical students in Spanish universities. Database of the Collaborative International Donor Project, stratified by geographic area and academic course. The completion was anonymous and self-administered. Groups under study: Group 1 (n = 1136): students in universities of regions with >50 donors pmp. Group 2 (n = 2018): university students in regions with <40 donors pmp. Assessment instrument: attitude questionnaire for organ donation for transplant PCID-DTO-Ríos. RESULTS: The attitude toward organ donation for transplantation is similar among students from the autonomous communities with >50 donors pmp and with <40 donors pmp. In group 1, 79% (n = 897) of students are in favor compared with 81% (n = 1625) of group 2 (P=.29). The psychosocial profile toward donation is similar in both groups relating to the following variables (P < .05): sex, having discussed transplantation with family and as a couple, considering the possibility of needing a transplant, involvement in prosocial activities, attitude toward the manipulation of corpses, knowledge of the brain death concept, and religion. CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of organ donation in Spanish medical students is quite homogeneous and is not related to the local donation rates of each region.

A Multicentre and stratified study of the attitude of medical students towards organ donation in Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Medical students represent a new generation of medical thought, and if they have a favourable attitude towards organ donation this will greatly encourage its promotion. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the attitude of medical students in Spanish universities towards the donation of their own organs and to determine the factors affecting this attitude. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Type of study: A sociological, interdisciplinary, multicentre, and observational study in Spain. STUDY POPULATION: Students studying a degree in medicine enrolled in Spain (n = 34,000). SAMPLE SIZE: A sample of 9598 students (confidence of 99% and precision of ±1%), stratified by geographical area and academic year. Instrument of measurement: A validated questionnaire of attitude towards organ donation and transplantation (PCID-DTO RIOS) was self-administered and completed anonymously. RESULTS: The questionnaire completion rate was 95.7% (n = 9.275). 80% were in favour of donation, 2% against and 18% were undecided. The following main variables were related to a favourable attitude: being of the female sex (Odds Ratio = 1.739); being in the sixth year of the degree (OR = 2.506); knowing a donor (OR = 1.346); having spoken about the subject with one's family (OR = 2.132) and friends (OR = 1.333); having a family circle that is in favour, more specifically, having a father (OR = 1.841), mother (OR = 2.538) or partner in favour (OR = 2.192); being a blood donor (OR = 2.824); acceptance of the mutilation of the body if it were necessary (OR = 2.958); and being an atheist or an agnostic (OR = 1.766). CONCLUSIONS: Spanish medical students generally have a favourable attitude towards organ donation, although 20% are not in favour.

Do Spanish Medical Students Understand the Concept of Brain Death?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the level of understanding of the brain death concept among medical students in universities in Spain. METHODS: This cross-sectional sociological, interdisciplinary, and multicenter study was performed on 9598 medical students in Spain. The sample was stratified by geographical area and academic year. A previously validated self-reported measure of brain death knowledge (questionnaire Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante sobre la Donación y Transplante de Organos) was completed anonymously by students. RESULTS: Respondents completed 9275 surveys for a completion rate of 95.7%. Of those, 67% (n = 6190) of the respondents understood the brain death concept. Of the rest, 28% (n = 2652) did not know what it meant, and the remaining 5% (n = 433) believed that it did not mean that the patient was dead. The variables related to a correct understanding of the concept were: (1) being older ( P < .001), (2) studying at a public university ( P < .001), (3) year of medical school ( P < .001), (4) studying at one of the universities in the south of Spain ( P = .003), (5) having discussed donation and transplantation with the family ( P < .001), (6) having spoken to friends about the matter ( P < .001), (7) a partner's favorable attitude toward donation and transplantation ( P < .001), and (8) religious beliefs ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-seven percent of medical students know the concept of brain death, and knowledge improved as they advanced in their degree.

Medical students faced with related and unrelated living kidney donation: a stratified and multicentre study in Spain.

INTRODUCTION: The attitude of medical students towards living kidney donation (LKD) is of great interest given that they will become promoters of this technique in the near future. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the attitude of Spanish medical students towards related and unrelated LKD and to determine the factors affecting this attitude. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Type of study: A sociological, interdisciplinary, multicentre, and observational study. STUDY POPULATION: Medical students enrolled in Spain (n = 34.000). SAMPLE SIZE: A sample of 9598 students (99 % confidence and precision of ±1 %), stratified by geographical area and academic year. Measurement instrument: A validated questionnaire (PCID-DVR RIOS) was administered and completed anonymously. RESULTS: There was a completion rate of 95.7 % (n = 9275); 93 % (n = 8630) were in favour of related LKD, and 30 % (n = 2784) were in favour of unrelated LKD. The following factors were associated with this attitude: (1) age (p = 0.008); (2) sex (p < 0.001); (3) year of university degree (p < 0.001); (4) a belief that a transplant might be necessary in the future (p < 0.001); (5) attitude towards deceased organ donation (p < 0.001); (6) a willingness to accept a kidney from a living donor (p < 0.001); (7) attitude towards living liver donation (p < 0.001); (8) a partner's attitude towards donation (p < 0.001); (9) having spoken about the subject with one's family (p < 0.001), or friends (p < 0.001); (10) pro-social behaviour (p < 0.001); (11) the respondent's religious attitude (p < 0.001); and (12) fear of possible mutilation of the body after donation (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The attitude of medical students towards LKD is very favourable when it is the related kind of donation, and it is associated with factors of general knowledge about organ donation and transplantation and social interaction and religion.