Knowledge of the concept of brain death among the Latin-American population residing in Spain

• Published in: Experimental and clinical transplantation Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 473 - 480
• Main Authors: Ríos,Antonio, López Navas,Ana Isabel, Martínez Alarcón,Laura, Garrido,Gregorio, Ayala García,Marco Antonio, Ramírez,Pablo, Hernández,Antonio Miguel, Parrilla,Pascual
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Başkent Üniversitesi 01-08-2018
• Subjects: Tıp; Ankara; Türkiye; Immigration; Religion; Level of education; Hispanic population; Questionnaire; Opinion survey
• ISSN: 1304-0855; 2146-8427
• DOI: 10.6002/ect.2017.0009

Objectives: The knowledge of brain death is
fundamental for being able to understand the organ
donation process and for ensuring its acceptance or
rejection. Here, we analyzed the level of knowledge of
the concept of brain death among Latin-American
individuals who are residents of Spain to determine
the factors affecting this knowledge.
Materials and Methods: Our patient group was a
sample of 1314 Latin-American residents of Spain,
obtained randomly and stratified according to the
respondent’s nationality, age, and sex. Their attitude
was assessed using a validated questionnaire. The
survey was self-administered and completed
anonymously.
Results: The questionnaire completion rate was 94%
(n = 1237). Of total respondents, 25% (n = 313) knew
the concept of brain death, which they considered to
be an individual’s death, 56% (n = 697) did not know
the term, and 19% (n = 227) believed that it did not
mean death. The variables related to knowledge of the
brain death concept included (1) country of origin,
with a better knowledge among those with Mexican
nationality (P < .001); (2) male sex (30% vs 23%;
P = .003); (3) having university-level education (35% vs
23%; P = .044); (4) having discussed the matter within
the family (29% vs 23%; P = .044); (5) having a partner
with a favorable attitude toward donation (39% vs
21%; P = .001); and (6) the respondent’s religion (47%
vs 7%; P < .001). The following factors persisted in the
multivariate analysis: country of origin (odds ratio of
2.972), sex (odds ratio of 1.416), education level (odds
ratio of 2.228), attitude of the respondent’s partner
(odds ratio of 1.835), and religion (odds ratio of 4.490).
Conclusions: Knowledge of the concept of brain death
is limited among Latin-American residents of Spain,
with marked differences among country of origin and
other socio-personal factors.