Socio-personal profile of teenagers opposed to organ donation

• Published in: Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 1269 - 1275
• Main Authors: Conesa, Catalina, Ríos Zambudio, Antonio, Ramírez, Pablo, Canteras, Manuel, del Mar Rodríguez, María, Parrilla, Pascual
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-05-2004
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; attitude; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Transfusion; Brain Death; brain death concept; cadaver manipulation; Clinical death. Palliative care. Organ gift and preservation; Emergency and intensive care: injuries, diseases due to physical agents. Diving. Drowning. Disaster medicine; Emergency and intensive care: renal failure. Dialysis management; Female; Geography; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Male; Medical sciences; organ donation; Psychology, Adolescent; Socioeconomic Factors; Spain; Surveys and Questionnaires; teenage population; Tissue Donors; Spain; Kidney disease; Concept; Urinary system disease; Attitude; Hemodialysis; cadaver manipulation; Brain death; brain death concept; teenage population; Profile; Extrarenal dialysis; Organ donation; Renal failure; Population; Cadaver
• ISSN: 0931-0509; 1460-2385
• DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfh075

Background. The teenage population has a more favourable attitude towards organ donation than other population groups. Teenagers represent the future of the community and their opinion directly affects other family members and friends. Therefore, teenagers who are in favour of donation become promoters of organ donation in their area of influence. Our aim was to determine the opinion and fears of the teenage population regarding organ donation in order to define the profile of the subgroup, which is opposed to donation. Methods. We used a random stratified sample according to gender and geographical location of 15–19-year-old adolescents. The attitude towards organ donation was assessed using the questionnaire on psychosocial aspects of donation. The variables were grouped into socio-personal, donation awareness, social interaction, pro-social activities and attitude towards the body. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, the χ2 test, Student's t-test and a logistic regression analysis. Results. Seventy-three per cent of teenagers have a favourable attitude towards organ donation. Twenty-seven per cent are undecided or have negative attitudes; the main reason given is fear of apparent death (48%). Variables with statistical significance, which are against donation, are a low level of education (P = 0.0456), no previous experience with organ donation (P = 0.0254), no knowledge of the brain death concept (P = 0.0054) and refusal to accept cadaver manipulation (P = 0.0037). Conclusion. The profile of the teenager who is opposed to organ donation is one who has only primary schooling or who left school early, is not engaged in pro-social activities, rejects cadaver manipulation and has no knowledge of the brain death concept.