Attitudes Toward Organ Donation: Differences Between Medical and Nursing Andalusian Students

A favorable attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (ODT) is fundamental among health professionals at the time of transplant promotion. In this sense, the training and awareness of professionals are fundamental.

To analyze the differences in the attitude toward ODT and the factors that condition it among Andalusian medical and nursing students.

The study is a sociologic, multicenter, observational study. The population includes medical and nursing students in Andalusian universities. Database of the Collaborative International Donor Project is used and data are stratified by geographic area and academic course. The instrument of measurement was a validated questionnaire (PCID-DTO-RIOS) that was handed out to every student in a compulsory session. Completion of the questionnaire was anonymous and self-administered. The sample included Andalusian medical and nursing students (99% confidence and precision of ±1%) stratified by geographic area and year of study.

There was a completion rate of 91%; 79% (n = 2879) of Andalusian students were in favor of donation and 21% were not in favor. The attitude toward ODT is more favorable in medical compared with nursing students (80% vs 77%; P = .021). The psychosocial profile toward donation is similar in both groups relating to the following variables (P < .05): knowing a transplant patient, having received information about the subject, attitude toward family donation, and having discussed transplantation with family and friends.

Andalusian medical students favored organ donation more than Andalusian nursing students, and the favorable attitude is associated with having an awareness of the subject.