Predictors of public attitude toward living organ donation in Kano, northern Nigeria

Abstract

Organ shortage is a major public health challenge for transplant programs globally. The sustenance of such programs as an effective therapy for end-stage organ failure (ESOF) requires an exploration of public awareness and willingness to donate organs. This is imperative, especially in developing countries where ESOF is highly prevalent. We studied the awareness and predictors of public attitude toward organ donation in Kano city in northern Nigeria. Using interviewer-administered questionnaires, we assessed the awareness and willingness to donate solid organs among 400 adults in the Kano metropolis. Three hundred and five of the 383 respondents (79.6%) reported that they had heard about organ donation. There was a significant variation of awareness by education and ethnicity (P <0.05). Most respondents, 303 (79.1%), were willing to donate an organ. Gender [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.40-4.95], educational attainment (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.35-5.88), marital status (AOR = 4.5; 95% CI: 2.97-9.1), religion (AOR = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.43-8.10) and ethnicity (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI 1.04-5.35) were significant predictors of willingness to donate an organ. Preferred organ recipients were parents (48.9%), children (21.3%), spouses (14.6%) and other relatives (13.4%). Reasons for willingness to donate organs included religion (51.2%), moral obligation (21.4%) and compassion (11.9%), among others. However, there was widespread ignorance of religious precepts concerning organ donation. The high level of awareness and willingness to donate organs in this society could be further enhanced by intensive information, education and communication strategies providing clear messages on societal benefits, religious aspects and bioethical guidance regarding organ donation.

Knowledge of Kidney Donation Among Care Givers in Two Tertiary Hospitals in Southwest Nigeria

“…The most common source of information on kidney donation in both KCC and BUTH was through television which agreed with findings from some previous studies (18,19). This was different from electronic media that was reported to be the most common source of awareness on kidney donation in Northern Nigeria (17).…”

“…Also, the majority of the respondents from BUTH had a higher social class compared to their KCC counterparts which may also explain their better knowledge. Iliayasu et al reported that 79.6% of respondents in Northern Nigeria had good knowledge of kidney donation which is higher than the finding in our study (17). Also, good knowledge of organ donation was reported in 60% of respondents by Odusanya et al while Alam reported 63.9% in Saudi Arabia which is similar to the present study (16,18).…”

The Influence of Information and Religion on Organ Donation, as Seen by School Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…Previous studies showed that a high rate of education and knowledge concerning transplantation and donation of organs are seen as significant positive factors towards this issue (18, 19). Even though previous studies considered that knowledge and willingness do not increase interest in donation dramatically (20), knowledge could be an importance factor to improve the positive attitude toward organ donation.…”

Knowledge and Attitudes about Organ Donation among Medical Students in Egypt: A Questionnaire

“…Many studies have evaluated knowledge and attitude towards OD from various countries but there are few reports from the Middle East area and especially Egypt [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Egypt is an Arab country with a Muslim majority in its population.…”